Destinations 30/08/2016 12:15
Amsterdam, through which the river Amstel flows, has an impressive system of canals, Amsterdam’s Canal Ring, known locally as the Grachtengordel, is comprised of a network of intersecting waterways. For this reason, the city has won the nickname of "The Venice of the North". It is about 100km long and has approximately 1.500 bridges. Together with the typical Dutch architecture, this city is one of the most visited ones in Europe. In 2010 the Amsterdam Canal Ring was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
What can we do to make the most out of the city? Let's start with the most emblematic part of the city, the canals, which give a very special vibe to the city. Below, we give some ideas so that you can fully enjoy the city.
Walking is a great option if you don't want to spend so much money. You can enjoy the beauty of the city by going through the hundreds of narrow streets and smaller canals that fan out from the center. The canals and the bridges that cross them are breathtakingly beautiful and you'll want to take lot of pictures as you walk along beside them. Touring Club de Holanda (ANWB) offers plenty of tours around the city.
Another ecologic and fun way to discover the city is by bike. Undoubtedly, biking is the most popular mean of transportation in the country of the tulips. Cycling in Amsterdam is a way of life, made easier by the city’s unbeatable network of cycle routes and flat landscape. At The Wonder Trip we encourage you to try to get to new the city while biking. For this reason, we offer a 10% discount on the bike rental company BimBImBikes to all our adventurous travellers. Don't miss this experience!
A municipal canal-bus system travels throughout the city, allowing locals an easy way to get to and from work and giving visitors the opportunity to travel from one attraction to the other on the water. Many locals operate tour boat businesses on the canals as well as offer cruises, boat parties and so on.
The Houseboats in Amsterdam are one of the most charming historic elements of the city. Although today renting one of this floating house is not cheap at all, historically these houses were meant for poor people. After the Second World War, these old transport vessels became the answer for the housing shortage in Amsterdam. Living on a boat might have been uncomfortable but it was still cheap. In the sixties and seventies the more modern arks arrived and the amount of colorful houseboats increased.
We recommend that you close your visit to Amsterdam with a dinner in one of the many peculiar restaurants in Amsterdam. You can find beautiful restaurants by the canals side or directly a floating restaurant on the canal. Here we recommend some of them to you.
This is a popular Chinese restaurant that surprises not only for its floating structure but also for its decoration. It offers an oriental gastronomy in a very European environment that will make feel very comfortable.
An other restaurant that you should visit is Amstelhaven, located in front of the Amstel Hotel. It is full of good vibes and offers a wide variety of Dutch dishes so that we can get to know the best of the Dutch cuisine.
It is a restaurant located in an old ferry. It also offers a wide array of meals and great views over the city. This restaurant is also very well known for its high-quality service.
Besides many cultural visits, such as the visit to Anne Frank House or to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam offers lot of different activities to its visitors. Next, we suggest some of the most interesting ones.
We cannot deny that Amsterdam well know worldwide for its coffee shops. The main reason is that unlike other European countries, acquisition and consumption of soft drugs like marihuana or hashish is legal.
Don't forget, that coffee shops offer not only these drugs but also war chocolate and coffee :). Among the most popular coffee shops, we can find the Bulldog, Dampkring, De Rokerij, Greenhouse or Grasshopper.
However, if you like sports, abundant food, and the magic of the coffeshops, your place is the SportCafe. This restaurant offers you an "all you can eat" for an affordable price as well as a place full of screens so that you can watch many different spots. For granted, you can smoke inside this place.
When it comes to nightlife in Amsterdam, there are venues, dance festivals and club nights to suit every taste! Bitterzoet offers many different music styles: hip-hop, reggae, rock, soul and folk. However, the most popular music style in the Netherlands is techno, for which we suggest Studio 80 or Sugar Factory.
No matter what the night of the week, you'll always find somewhere to party in Amsterdam. Leidseplein is the main square where memories are made/lost. The streets'll hop until well after the 5am weekend closing time. Rembrandtplein, is also one of the main party areas. Pick Club AIR or the brand new Club ABE to show your most fancy side.
Because Amsterdam is our headquarters abroad, we want to go a but further and show you a couple of interesting things about the city.
A curious thing to know is that beneath the Amsterdam canals the gold from the Dutch National Bank hide. This was initially thought to make money's protection easier in case of emergency.
Then it is even more fun: time to ice-skate! Skating over Amsterdam’s frozen canals is a magical winter experience – made even more special by the fact that it’s not possible every year. But even if the canals don’t freeze, there are plenty of spots in Amsterdam to practice your jumps and twirls.
Author: Miguel G. Lozano
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