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Destinations : Amsterdam
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Things to do |
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Canal
Bikes
When you come to Amsterdam, you must
explore the canals as they’re the most fascinating way to see
the city. You can either take a pre-booked excursion which is in four
languages or if you want to do it under your own steam and get a some
exercise, then the best way to do it is the canal bikes. The canal
bikes seat up to four people and you’re given a booklet and
a map with suggested routes and then left to your own devices. The
main canals can be very busy but you can leave these behind and explore
some of the quieter, smaller ones.
Canal Bikes cost £5.50 per hour
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Heineken
Experience
The Heineken brewery is no longer in
production but it houses a recently improved museum, which would take
you a good hour to get around. There are quite a few novelty exhibits
including a hologram of Doctor Elion, the man who discovered the A
yeast. The big mash coppers are no longer in use but they now house
audio-visual displays. You can lie back and watch commercials of old
and there are two virtual rides – one where you are a bottle
in the bottling plant and the other where you’re taken through
the streets of Amsterdam on a horse drawn carriage. It
costs €7.50 for admission although if you’re having a family
day out, small kiddies get in free. It's a good place to take the
kids and you do get vouchers for three beers which is pretty good
value.
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Cycling
around Amsterdam
Amsterdam really lends itself to cycling.
There are cycle lanes all over the city so it’s reasonably safe
it’s flat so if you want to get yourself out of the city and
into the countryside, it’s the perfect way to do it. Finding
your way out to the country is really easy because when you hire your
bike in Amsterdam they give you a free map and the route is clearly
marked the whole way and it’s really easy to follow.
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The
Museum Quarter
Museum Square is where three of the
most important museums in Amsterdam are situated. There’s the
Stedelijkmuseum, the Rijksmuseum which has 22 Rembrandt paintings
including the famous Night Watch. And another collection of paintings
you can see here is of course Van Gogh’s. He’s got a whole
Museum dedicated to his work.
The museum houses over 200 of Van Gogh’s paintings, also his
sketchbooks, his letters and his drawings, and it’s absolutely
huge. You could easily pass an entire afternoon here and it’s
very enjoyable. For €4 you can hire a set of headphones and they'll
give you all the information you need about the paintings. |
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Tuschinski
Theatre
Joe's favourite building in Amsterdam is the theatre
Tuschinski. It’s a cinema owned by Abraham Tuschinski who got
together with an architect called de John as he wanted to create the
perfect atmosphere for watching a movie and he wanted it to have all
the style and glamour that Hollywood had. The cinema has been open
since 1921 and in recent years underwent a major re-fit at a cost
of round 10 million. They removed all the stains from nicotine, all
the layers of paint which covered up the beautiful original features
and they even took all the gum out from under the seats. If you want
to come to see a film here, you’d never want to go to a multiplex
again. It’s amazing and it’s well worth a visit. |
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Vondel
Park
Vondel Park is Amsterdam’s equivalent to Central Park at about
45 hectares. All you have to do is take a number 2 or number 1 tram
service to get here. Once here there’s loads of things to do,
ride bikes, chill out, go for a run, find a quiet spot to yourself
or go rollerblading. You can hire rollerblades at Du Vondeltuin café
at the southwest entrance to the park for about £3.50 per hour,
and that includes your knee and elbow pads. If you’re in the
park on a Sunday during the summer months, you can take in the free
afternoon concert.
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Eating
Out
The cost of eating out here is pretty much the same as at home. You
pay between €10 and €15 for a main course. However, it you’re
too busy shopping and you don’t have time to sit down, then
you should check out one of thepizza booths all over the city and
get a slice of pizza for only €2.50. Also, all around Amsterdam
you’ll see little see-through huts, like little fast food places.
They are mainly frequented by the locals and they serve a traditional
Dutch dish which is salted raw herring for just €2.
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Shopping
There are over 9000 shops in Amsterdam
with some really unusual ones that you simply just don’t get
back home. The Dutch may be famous for their tulips but Holland is
one of the world’s largest exporters of dairy products, and
this includes cheese. The most famous are Edam and Gouda and if you
ask nicely, they’ll let you sample a bit for free.
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Night
Life
Amsterdam is synonymous with a vibrant nightlife with chic
wine bars, cosy lounges, live music venues, clubs, jazz bars and theatres.
So there’s bound to be something to suit everyone. Also, licensing
laws are very, very generous. Normal bars can open at 7.30am and close
at 1am but at weekends they stay open until 3am. Then there are late
bars that stay open till 3am on weekdays and 4am on weedends. There
are other bars too that quite legally stay open until 5am and then
you can go back to your hotel bar for the last 2 hours.
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Boom
Chicago
Boom Chicago is an improvisational
comedy show which has been running for over 10 years. the cast perform
sketches based on suggestions from the audience making it very topical
and with no scripts, anything goes. There are shows every night plus
you can have a meal there too. |
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