Amsterdam – what more can I say! The largest populated city and the cultural jewel of The Netherlands should be on the top of anyone’s Euro trip list. It’s full of cultural areas, food spots, and chill spots to make your A-dam trip available to any type of traveler. Here are a few things I checked out during my long weekend.
Pros
- Large progressive European city
- All types of activities (art, culture, pop culture, food, etc)
- High-quality public transit
Cons
- Very busy
- Tight quarters
- Long lines
Places to Stay in Amsterdam
I stayed in Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Centre East, which was good accommodation and near a tram stop. This Hampton was well kept and very nice and modernized recently. It did include breakfast and the food was good. It was a quieter area of town and less crowded but easily accessible to the train station and town via the tram.
The city has tons of accommodations and you can find hotels, Airbnbs, or home shares all over the city! The outer rings of the city offer some unique canals and small options away from the large crowds of the downtown area so you should keep an open mind to stay all across the city. The tram and train system is great so you really can get almost anywhere in the city in a timely manner!
Attractions in Amsterdam
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
The Stedelijk Museum is one of Amsterdam’s modern museums and is a large modern place for large modern art! It was an alright experience and since I enjoy modern art for some of its more unusual properties I went. It definitely had very “modern” art such as a display of sunglasses, a record made of blood, and many other wacky and unusual items. Enter at your own risk but being slightly drunk or “medicated” would probably take the museum up a notch or two!
Heineken Experience
Heineken beer is usually synonymous with Dutch history and the tour was a great time to learn a few things and then have a few beers. The Heineken Experience was a pretty standard beer tour with all the main shtick you’d find in a brewery. It was great to see the old brewing areas but the brewery has since moved its main operations to a modern brewery on the outskirts of town.
Westerkerk
The Westerkerk is the largest church in Amsterdam and many consider it the symbol of the city. It’s a busy functioning church so be prepared for actual services if you show up outside of tourist hours. I ran into this problem as a wedding was happening and I was unable to enter to see the beautiful interior. Make sure to plan this stop at an appropriate time!
Coffee Shops
“Coffee shops” or marijuana shops have been in Amsterdam for decades and it was one of the first pioneering cities to stop the immoral war on drugs. They are found throughout the city and are easily accessible. There is also a wider variety of styles. Some local neighborhood shops have games and tables for reading such as a place like Paradox. There are also more basic places like Superskunk which has a few tables and few other amenities. Be prepared to read the rules at the door and you will probably be required to buy something (even just a soda) in order to sit inside!