We introduced Amsterdam in our Amsterdam Travel Guide post. Now let's look at where to go and what to do in this lovely city. Despite it being Christmas time and winter, Amsterdam was extremely busy. Let's underline that we haven't seen crowds like this even in Istanbul. Until now we'd explored almost no city with locals. 'Amsterdam' was the first in this respect, and we're so glad it was. Getting around with locals turns out to be a real pleasure. Otherwise, how could you turn Amsterdam upside down in 48 hours! Amsterdam City Guide
AMSTERDAM CENTRAL STATION
I wanted to put Amsterdam's central train station first. Why? Wherever you come to the city from, almost always this is where you first set foot in Amsterdam. So it's both where we took our first step and an equally beautiful and modern train station. It makes you sigh, "Ah, if only we could see stations like this in our beautiful country too."
CANAL TOUR
As soon as you step out of the train station, within 50-100 metres you'll see the boats unique to Amsterdam that do canal tours. If the weather is nice, doing a small canal tour first to get to know the city is a real treat, take it from us.Since we went in the middle of winter, we didn't want to do a canal tour. As you can imagine, we thought it wouldn't be much fun. By the way, because of Christmas there were artistic light installations on every bridge and in various areas of Amsterdam. Each artist had designed thought-provoking and beautiful things in a lighting design. If you go in the spring months, don't come back without doing a tour!
Canal tours take about 1 hour, and different language options are offered, including Turkish. Canal tours are run not only near the central train station but in various places in Amsterdam. When we asked about prices, the ones in the centre did seem a bit more expensive to us, but by using various discount codes prices can drop to as little as 10€ per person.
As we mentioned in our Amsterdam Travel Guide post, the city of Amsterdam is made up entirely of houses standing on piles. During the tour you'll see houses floating on the canals, 'Boat Houses', and if you like you can rent one for a day and stay. If you don't like these houses, there are luxury floating ship hotels too!
Apart from the single-storey houses by the canals, when we look at the famous Amsterdam houses, there's a huge hook at the very top. Since the houses are narrow, it would be hard to get furniture up to the upper floors, so thanks to these hooks on top of the houses, loads are easily carried up with a pulley system. So why are these houses so narrow? The reason the houses are narrow is that when the city of Amsterdam was founded, taxes were apparently charged according to the width a building took up on the street. We were very surprised when we first heard it, but it's true.
DAM SQUARE
In this historic square, very close to Amsterdam Central Station, there are very important works for Amsterdam. What are they? The Royal Palace of Amsterdam - Koninklijk Paleis, the New Church - De Nieuwe Kerk, and the famous wax museum, Madame Tussauds.
Royal Palace of Amsterdam - Koninklijk Paleis
The Royal Palace, built in 1655 as a town hall, has gone down in history as the largest administrative building of its time. Another interesting note: the Royal Palace of Amsterdam is held to the ground by more than about 13 thousand piles.
New Church - De Nieuwe Kerk
Entry to the church, right next to the Royal Palace, is free. Right opposite the palace is the National Monument, commemorating those who died in the Second World War.Madame Tussauds
As we know from Istanbul too, it's a museum where wax figures are displayed. Since we hardly go into museums anymore, we don't have much to say on this. I think anyone who wants to should go to the one in Istanbul; it would be cheaper.
Note: If you buy the museum's entry tickets online, you save 4€ per person. The museum entry fee is 23.50€ if you buy at the ticket office, and 19.50€ if you buy online.
ANNE FRANK HOUSE - ANNE FRANK HUIS
The story of Anne Frank, one of the foremost symbolic names of the Holocaust committed by Germany, is very sad. Anne Frank, who hid in the house with her family for 2 years while still only 16, had no idea at all that the diary she kept during this time would become a very important work worldwide, or even that the house she stayed in would be turned into a museum.
So how was Anne Frank, who hid for 2 years, caught? The family, caught after a tip-off to the police, was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration and extermination camp set up by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Of the family, Anne, her sister Margot, 3 years older than her, in Bergen-Belsen, and the father Otto Frank, who stayed in Auschwitz, survived. But Anne and Margot caught typhus from lice in the camp and sadly died. Otto Frank was freed when the Red Army of the Soviet Union took control. After being freed, the father Otto Frank turned into a book the Diary of Anne Frank, which Anne had named Kitty. The edition of Anne Frank's 'Diary' has long since taken its place on the world's bestseller lists.
To let people today feel, even a little, the events in the book, and to show how bad discrimination is, the house, bought in 1957 by the Anne Frank Foundation, was turned into today's museum and opened to visitors. The furniture used in the house unfortunately didn't survive. Instead of furniture there's dim light, bare walls and windows covered to cut off all connection with the outside. To reach this section, a secret passage is used.
BEGIJNHOF
When you go in through a tiny door right near Spui Square, tiny houses with a huge garden appear. One of these houses is used as a place of worship. In fact, the story of this place is that at a time of religious discrimination, so they could worship freely, they made a house looking onto the courtyard in the middle of the houses into a place of worship.
The courtyard really has a very peaceful atmosphere; I loved it. Entry to the courtyard is free. House number 34 here is the oldest house in the city, made of wood. House number 26 is the House of the Mother Superior. Inside there's also a tiny church, and entry to that is free too,
FLOWER MARKET - BLOEMENMARKT
It's very interesting, but the Flower Market, which has existed in Amsterdam for many years, is a very touristy destination. Amsterdam's tulip bulbs, the Netherlands being among the world's top for tulips, and a thousand and one kinds of flower seeds are sold at this market. We were hesitant to buy, thinking they might not adapt to the climate. Prices range between 2€ and 7€ depending on what you buy.RED LIGHT DISTRICT
We wouldn't be far wrong to say this is the most important place in spreading Amsterdam's fame. When I went 6 years ago, I was quite surprised to see people walking around as couples. But on this visit I understood that it's very normal. Because it's really, seriously a place where tourists come and wander around, laughing as they go.In the district, brothels are run on a shop-window logic. The ladies stand in the window, and if someone has gone in, they draw the curtain to show it's occupied. It's hard not to find those who go strange.
Also, very common around here, there are shops selling drugs as you know them under the name Coffeeshop. Of course, since it's legal in Amsterdam, young people come from Belgium and Germany even for a weekend getaway. At the shop entrances a security guard stands and checks you're 18. Inside, all kinds of drugs are sold. The weed is graded among itself: soft, medium, strong and even stronger. You make your choice according to how fast you want to get high.
You can tell from the smell even when walking past nearby. At least, since we're both sensitive to the smell, we kept grumbling "Are they smoking again"!
RIJKSMUSEUM
After the Red Light District and the Coffeeshops, right in front of you comes the Museumplein, or Museum Square, with exquisite museums: the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are here. The Rijksmuseum holds the title of the largest art and history museum in Amsterdam, and even in the Netherlands.
Note: Since 11.00 - 14.00 is the busiest time, even the museum's site has a warning: "Avoid visiting at these times!" Entry is 17.50€ for adults and free for those under 18. For online tickets, the link is here.
I AM STERDAM
We've come to another of the spots everyone who goes to Amsterdam stops at. The place where this photo, which many of you may be tired of like us, is taken.
Believe us, we struggled to understand. We wondered how it could be this crowded. For those who say they absolutely want a photo, if you come early in the morning you can get one easily.
KALVERSTRAAT
This street, very close to Dam Square, is a wonderful place for shopping lovers. On Kalverstraat, right near the square, we're sure there'll be at least 2-3 products you'll like in the lovely shops and colourful boutiques.
What if I told you I still use the card holder I bought on this street during my 2012 Interrail trip? Yes, my Secrid card holder, sold in Turkey in recent years through D&R, I bought here in 2012 for 25€. Back then 1€ was 2.15₺; these days it hovers around 4.60₺.
VONDELPARK
Another of Amsterdam's symbols is the city park, Vondelpark! This park, one of my favourite parks, is very often chosen by the people of Amsterdam. How lovely it would be if we could make a few parks in our country like these beautiful ones in Europe!
In the park, which is very crowded in summer, young people have a great time. But sometimes the smell of weed can take over the place. For those bothered by it like me, it's worth being careful.
HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE
Heineken, a Dutch brand, set up its factory in Amsterdam in its time. Over the years, with the city's growth, it decided to move the factory in the near future. But it wanted to use the existing factory too, and as a creative idea they turned it into the Heineken Beer Museum. At this lovely place, which explains the stages of making beer one by one, you can also do all kinds of tastings.
Yes, at this place you'll go to on a whim, a tremendous queue will be waiting for you. Be prepared for it or time your visit well. If your time is precious and you're not a beer addict, you don't have to go in. We think the price is quite expensive anyway; of course, if it interests you, you should go in.
Note: You can visit between 10.30 - 19.30 Monday - Thursday and 10.30 - 21.00 Friday - Sunday. Entry is 16.50€.
Getting there: You can get there with trams 7, 10 and 24, getting off at the Marie Heinekenplein stop.
JORDAAN NEIGHBOURHOOD
This lovely neighbourhood, whose name means garden in French, is on the list of the Netherlands' most famous neighbourhoods.The neighbourhood has very lovely houses and canals decorated with flowers. It's also a somewhat intellectual neighbourhood with a relatively high level of culture and income. Let's add that when you're here, you can feel you're among the locals. In short, there's a lovely atmosphere here that can't be denied.
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