Magere Bridge (skinny bridge) lit up at night. This one is made from African azobe wood.
"The Dam." This is actually a WWII monument that sits on the site presumed to mark the spot where the original dam was built around 1200 on the Amstel River. This is where the city began!!!
The three sculptures embedded it the war monument represent war, peace and resistance.
Classic examples of neck gables (1640-1790)
Rembrandt's old house! He ended up making tons of money via portraiture then losing it all (including this pad). It's now a museum.
house boat in a canal
Zuiderkerk (South Church). Amsterdam's first Protestant church built by legendary architect Hendrick de Keyser (1603-1614).
Exact view seen down any Golden Age Canals in Amsterdam. Beautiful old gabled houses line the water.
Munttoren (Mint Tower). The base dates back to 1487 when it was a part of the city's Reguliers Gate in the city wall. In 1620 de Keyser added an ornate tower where a carillon of Hemony brothers bells now sit.
Munttoren (Mint Tower). Named after it housed the city's mint in 1672.
Flower markets
Cool Gable
Train
Modern set against classic
Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace). This was originally the town hall designed by Jacob van Campen (1648-1655). Apparently neoclassical but under construction still.
Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). 16th century church was taken over by protestants in 19th century.
Waterfront area in the north end of the city by Central Station.
Central Station and the waterfront area.
The red lights of prostitutes...with a 16th century church (Oude Kerk) in the background. How things have changed.
De Waag (Weigh House) Nieuwmarkt. This is a medieval fortified gate from the 14th century. Now an educational and cultural institute.
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Looks like something out of a fairy tale.
Oost-Indisch Huis (East India House). Where the Dutch Golden Age wealth was born!
SOP Dutch clogs in the flower market.
Magere Bridge (skinny bridge)
Leidseplein Theater
Leidseplein Theater
Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum
Sint-Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas's Church). 1887 neo-baroque Catholic church.
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Sint-Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas's Church)
Public Library
Public Library
Public Library
Zeedijk 1 (address). This is one of two remaining triangular wood gables left in AMS (1250-1550)
triangular wood gable
Zeedijk 1 (address)
Female Dibo? No...fast food place.
Our Dutch friends
A windmill in Holland's countryside down the Amstel River.
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Annefrankhouse
Jan 14, 2010
How much you enjoy this historical site will depend on your interest in WWII. I really enjoyed coming here and seeing a part of world history but it isn't a visually noteworthy place. It is quick and costs about 12 Euro so some people get rubbed the wrong way. There is a cool video of Ann Frank's father being interviewed after WWII which is surreal to listen to inside his old shop/home.
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Amsterdams Historisch Museum
Jan 14, 2010
This was the first thing we did in AMS to get a general sense of things. They have exhibits that introduce you to all the city's main themes: painting, the evolution of a fishing village to world power, colonialism, wealth, liberalism and Protestant religion.
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Van Gogh Museum
Jan 15, 2010
This museum was great because it was small and well organized. I had read a book about Van Gogh before hand so this place was of the most interest for me. If you don't want to splurge on a book, you can just download the iPhone app. Anyway the museum is organized by his chronological development so reading about his travels and influences helps the museum make sense.
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Rijksmuseum
Jan 16, 2010
Another must see museum for Amsterdam. The place is HUGE but mostly under construction so only a small fraction is open for viewing currently. The museum brings to light the notorious traditions of Dutch landscaping, portraiture and empire building. The main man here is Rembrandt and his masterpiece "Night Watch." They do a nice job with this painting by putting it in its own room with laminated guides to read about its fame and history.
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Bike Rental
Jan 17, 2010
There are something like 600,000 bikes in AMS and only 750,000 people. This is truly an example of "when in Rome." You can easily ride out of the city down the
Amstel River to see wetlands country side and windmills.
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This hostel was chosen based on cost (20 Eu per night). It was a little out of the way in the southwest part of the city by the Artis Zoo. The walls were paper thin, and the rooms were insanely small but were doubles (not dorm style). Breakfast was also included. The night shift hostel worker was this hilarious American guy named Brent who was weird as hell. Ultimately it was nice low cost option but because it was winter and really cold, the location was a little annoying.
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It's the Dutch thing to do. Mike's Bikes was only 5 Eu for a half-day of riding around. One warning: I would stay sober for this because it can get very crowded on the bike paths in the city.
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The train from the airport is easy enough to find and pretty fast. It takes you to Central Station in about 15 min. Best part: no one bothers collecting your ticket so it's basically free (aka honors system).
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The railway running through the city is probably unnecessary in the summer when it's nice out but given the elements we used it a few times. Trains only go a few different general directions so don't stress about finding the exact right one. If busy, these trains are also honors system because the ticket counter is so packed (ahah).
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The Red Light District has tons of food but it's either fast food or tourist trap bad restaurants.
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Local food is kinda simple: meat, potatoes, sauerkraut and soups. We had some good stuff (pumpkin soup, sauerkraut mashed potatoes) but it's pretty boring. The meat we had was meatballs and sausage as opposed to chicken or pork. You can find really good deals on pre-set menus at Dutch restaurants though.
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These Dutch pancakes are awesome. They're basically crepes with sweet (jam, syrup, hot apples) or savory (bacon, sausage) stuff baked into them.
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Walking around the red light district can be pretty hilarious. There's nothing like watching 65 year old Middle Eastern guy attempting to bargain down a hooker on a Sunday afternoon. Likewise, on weekend nights younger kids walk around in groups and egg each other on to "go for it." Apparently only 5% of customers are Dutch and most are British.
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One random place to check out is the library on the waterfront. It has free internet and is a great example of modern architecture.
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