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Fun things to do in Amsterdam that are a little of the beaten path but not very obscure or anything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7Tpak_gz8 Amsterdam sometimes gets a bad rep because it's very touristic and parts of the inner city centre are dominated by cheap hostels, drunk brits and petty crime. It's more than just whores and weed though! Here's 13 cool things that most tourists miss out on. You can also do them while high if you want to. Do whatever you like. It's Amsterdam, man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2kkr0e_dTQ  1. The new public library is awesome just by itself, but it also has a splendid terrace that gives a great view of the city. The restaurant isn't very good, but next to it is a Va Piano, which is surprisingly tasty given that it's a German chain restaurant serving Italian food. But trust me, it's all fresh, you can pick your own ingredients and it's very cheap. 2.'In de Wildeman' isn't just a bar, it's a 'proeflokaal', which translates to something like 'tastingroom'. They've got over two hundred different bottled beers for tasting and another eightteen on tap. The owners are friendly and can tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about beer. 3. Apart from the pretty cool building the NEMO Science museum itself isn't very interesting. It's mostly for kids and like most science musea it all kind of feels instantly dated. The cool thing is the roof. In the summer a miniature artificial beach is created and people sun, drink and generally have a good time. 4. Brouwerij 't IJ is a brewery in a windmill. If you don't think that's awesome I don't know what to tell you. It's absolutely great (though heavy!) stuff too and the next door pub is always full of locals. They also give tours to small groups, which is an infinitely cooler experience than the one they give at the Heineken building. 5. De Negen Straatjes (The Nine little streets) are the heart of Amsterdam's fashion business. Smaller, exclusive brands together with galleries, cafe's and one of the prettiest parts of Amsterdam. This is where people with taste from all over the Netherlands come to shop instead of the gaudy PC Hooftstraat. 6. All English movies are subtitled in The Netherlands so there's no reason not to watch one in the beautiful art deco Tuschinsky Theater. The interior, recently renovated, is itself worth the price of admission. Try to go to a movie in the huge Zaal 1. 7. The Van Gogh is okay but expensive and The Rijksmuseum is taking forever to renovate so instead go to the Amsterdam dependance of the Russian Hermitage. It's got a very good selection of its own and there are always some masterworks on loan from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. 8. FOAM, Amsterdam's photography museum. Unlike the Hermitage this one is pretty small, you can walk through it in just over an hour, but it's cheap and a lot of fun. It attracts young creatives and the exhibitions change frequently. 9. Most people who have visited Amsterdam have come in contact with the 'kroket', often from the FEBO. Those are disgusting. The real deal can be found at Amsterdam's best bakery: Patisserie Holtkamp. Their shrimp-kroketten are the best in the nation, but they also make the most delicious cakes and other sweet stuff. The royal family is a loyal customer. A couple houses down the street is Mellow Yellow, The Netherlands oldest coffe shop and a chill place. 10. Hap Hmm is pretty much the most authentic place to eat in all of Amsterdam. That isn't exactly a recommendation, because the food is kinda bland, the atmosphere is dusty and if you arrive after seven you're late. It's an old soup kitchen, that still serves typical Dutch food (meat + potatoes + cooked vegetables) for next to nothing and it's one of the last surviving instances of 'real' (but almost extinct) Amsterdam. 11. The Hollandsche Manege in the Vondelstraat. Amsterdam mostly consists of 16th-18th century architecture but this neoclassical riding school is a beautiful example from the 19th century. Freely accessible and with a richly ornate interior it's one of Amsterdam's best kept secrets. You can watch lessons and dressage competitions from the balustrades while drinking a cup of tea from the (kinda lovely) cafe. 12. Tourists and people from outside the city will choose Vertigo at the entrance of the Vondelpark, and even though their terrace is really pretty service is crap and prices way too high. Instead walk a little further to Het Blauwe Theehuis. Packed all year round if the weather is good, a place to completely relax and enjoy a mint tea or a witbier in summer, hot chocolate or something stronger in winter. 13. The Albert Cuyp market is the largest daily market in Europe, and even though other markets in Amsterdam are more varied there's still nothing that beats the Albert Cuyp. Food, antiques, lovely art, crap clothing, busy as hell. There's no place more vibrant than this in the entire country. Amsterdam doesn't have any landmarks, it's not Paris or New York. It's more a city like Berlin that is meant to be slowly discovered. It's not just one house that's great, it's walking past the canals. Thanks for visiting my city! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di-_faqUiWc Sai fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Jun 27, 2010 |
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Jun 20, 2010 20:50
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Nosaj posted:"The anne frank museum is there and no self respecting amsterdamner would be seen near that thing" I mean, I really liked climbing the ESB when I was in NYC for the first time, but you don't want nothing to do with it after that. It's not bad it's just overpriced and the typical tourist thing.
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Jun 22, 2010 20:31
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This is a really cool representation of major spots in The Netherlands. It's still in a testing phase and there's not much information on it but it looks  and it gives a decent overview of the country (I'd add Urk and Arnhem but it's pretty complete).
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Jul 5, 2010 21:13
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There's a nighttrain between Amsterdam and Copenhagen ( http://www.eurail.com/eurail-hotel-city-nightline ) but it'll probably take 14-16 hours and be about as expensive as a plane ticket.
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Aug 2, 2010 00:58
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Once every five years SAIL Amsterdam is held, the largest festival in the world centered around old ships and maritime history. From the 19th to the 23rd of august it's here again. If you like huge historical ships, just spending time on the water and European history it's a good time. It'll probably be hard to get a hotel in that time, but if you're still looking to fill a couple days in your European vacation it's worth trying.  
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Aug 2, 2010 10:17
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Not exactly Europe, but could someone tell me how expensive Moscow is (compared to major European cities)?
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Sep 7, 2010 09:25
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Sunday Assassin posted:Which is the good part of Amsterdam? I'd say everything within the blue line is a good neighborhood with quick connections to the centre. A little outside the lines won't hurt either. 
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Oct 3, 2010 21:38
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If you want to be in Amsterdam on Queen's Day make sure to reserve accomodation at least three weeks beforehand.
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Oct 14, 2010 17:38
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Sunday Assassin posted:Just realised I never said thanks for this. It was a big help. Booked a solid looking hotel in the area you recommended.
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Nov 5, 2010 01:10
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scr0llwheel posted:I just started planning for my trip next summer. Right now, we're allotting ~2 weeks and trying to narrow down where to go. Our interests are:
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Dec 29, 2010 08:56
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If you're not huge on museums 'and the like', what would you like to do? If you like clubbing I'd spend more days in Berlin and less in Dresden. If you like cycling around I'd spend more days in Amsterdam and less in Salzburg. You're not giving us a lot to work with here.
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Jan 12, 2011 20:11
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Desdinova posted:I'm heading to Amsterdam tomorrow, 5th time there, looking to see some of the more out of the way sites. Also, I'm going for as long as I can manage, if anyone is nearby (I'm planning on visiting Berlin, but beyond that am up for just about anything cheap) and wants a travelling partner let me know: martin . peel @ gmail .com 1. IJburg Newest borough in Amsterdam. Build on reclaimed land with lots of houses that were designed with complete freedom by their occupants like the canal ring buildings five centuries ago.  Take tram 26 from central station 2. Betondorp Early 1920's experimental living quarter designed as a dream village for the proletariat. One side of the neighborhood is quite ordinary (bricks), the other is entirely concrete.  Take tram 9 from central station and get out at Brinkstraat 3. Huis te vraag Overgrown out-of-use cemetary with small paths that's being cared for by two artists and their cats. Public till 17.00  Take tram 2 from central station and get out at Hoofddorpplein, walk south. 4. Landelijk Noord (rural north) Amsterdam still has some farmland within its borders, including some tiny villages. Holysloot is probably the most visited by Amsterdammers.  These are best accesible by bike, but you can also take the pont from CS to Meeuwenlaan, take bus 38 and get out at Buikslotermeerplein where you take bus 30. Most of these aren't open or don't have open cafes/restaurants on sunday.
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Apr 13, 2011 14:32
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Desdinova posted:One stereotypical question - where are the cheapest places to drink, and smoke? Do weed prices vary drastically? I can't remember much difference around the centre. Rojkr is right that cheap drinking means buying beer in a supermarket. In bars two euros or under is cheap, if you're from the us remember tipping a barkeeper isn't customary. Cheap food (eating under fifteen euros) and staying out of American fastfood chains is also hard, but not impossible. 1. Burgermeester Amsterdam's local burger chain. Everything is organic and the burgers (6.50-8.50e) are very good. If you're a large eater get a roasted potato on the side. They don't serve fries, which seems to anger some foreigners. They have three locations throughout the city. 2. Kantjil & de Tijger Very good Indonesian restaurant with low prices (and you have to eat Indonesian at least once when you're in Amsterdam). When you add a drink and a tip you'll probably exceed the 15e, but not by much. They also have a to go shop that's pretty good where you can get one of those wok boxes for under 6,50. Restaurant at Spuistraat 291, To Go at NieuweZijds Voorburgwal 342 (both near de Dam). 3. The Pancake Bakery I kinda begrudingly recommend this one because all tourists I've ever met liked it. I've never been there because pancakes should be eaten in a dirty student kitchen while smoking and drinking beer. Still, most people like it and you can get a large one for ten bucks. At Prinsengracht 191 And of course there's FEBO (dont go there)
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Apr 13, 2011 21:14
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NihilismNow posted:It's Groningen. The Dutch don't do umlauts.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:16
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Saladman posted:Amsterdam has a total of three museums, all of which can be hit in one day quote:(Rijks, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank; all 3 are tiny). quote:Not that I'm recommending The Hague either, but I can't imagine why anyone would travel to Amsterdam for anything other than a flight layover or drug tourism. E: Also they [e: will change] their laws Jan 1, [e: 2013], so weed tourism [e: will be] no longer an option for tourists (locals only). AFAIK smart shops are still available to tourists. quote:
Sorry you were hit by cyclists but maybe you should have stayed off the loving cycling paths. Sai fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Jan 19, 2012 |
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Jan 19, 2012 22:12
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Saladman posted:When I think about anyone who includes Amsterdam in their "list of European cities to see" it's always related to marijuana/shrooms and/or the RLD. I guess since none of those things really interest me, it's no surprise Amsterdam was an overhyped letdown. I can certainly understand how it might be some people's cup of tea. I've probably spent about 10 vacation days there and I never found the charm. E: I mean, it's fine, it's just not on par (as far as 'interesting touristy things to do') with London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, etc, but it always seems to match those cities on people's Europe itineraries. Really it would fit more on an itinerary like Zurich, Genoa, Lyon, Hannover, etc, which are all nice but I would only recommend to people after they're really done seeing only Paris, Rome, Berlin, etc.
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Jan 19, 2012 22:38
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