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New Years in Amsterdam

A December 2004 trip to Amsterdam by caromeow

AmsterdamMore Photos

New Year's Eve in Amsterdam, followed by four fun-filled days of experiencing Amsterdam's winter: windy and cold.

  • 8 reviews
  • 1 story/tip
  • 5 photos

New Years in AmsterdamBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Amsterdam
-New Year's Eve in the Dam -Anne Frank Haus -Museum Amstelkring -Brown house -Day trip to Harlaam and Zandvoort an Zee

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

You'll quickly see that the locals tend to get around by bike. Trams are really unnecessary, unless you've got luggage or the weather's just awful or something. We only used the tram for getting to and from the station with our luggage. It's easy to get lost, but exploring Amsterdam by foot and getting lost is half the fun!

Hotel ParklaneBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

This hotel was really nice, despite the fact that I had something stolen from me at the very end. The woman who owns the hotel is very nice, and I was paid back what was stolen, because she admitted it was her fault for letting the neighbor sit at the desk that afternoon. Anyway, the hotel is otherwise quite nice. The stairs are steep. The room has a television, some programs in English, a bathroom, and a mini-fridge. The area was nice and quiet, yet only a short walk from the Red Light District. Breakfast is great: breads with various spreads, meats, cheeses, cereal, and boiled eggs.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by caromeow on January 25, 2005

Hotel Parklane
Plantage Parklaan 16 Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 (0)20 622-4804

Pancake BakeryBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

My sister found this place a bit too kitschy. I guess it does kind of subscribe to the needs of tourists, but I am a big lover of European-style pancake dinners and thought the food was pretty good for the prices. If you've never had pancakes in Europe, think more along the lines of fluffy crepes, with fillings like vegetables in cream sauces, etc. Of course, there are also dessert-like pancakes with fruit or chocolate-type fillings. I had dinner AND dessert, which was very, very filling. The desserts are actually a bit much in terms of how much they stick on the pancake, so keep that in mind and try and keep it realistic when considering dessert.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by caromeow on February 16, 2005

Pancake Bakery
Prinsengracht 191 Amsterdam, Netherlands
625-1333

Molly MalonesBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Molly Malone's"

We stumbled upon this little Irish pub when we were trying to find the Amstelkring Museum. It's located on a quiet little canal street, and the atmosphere was typical cozy Irish pub. It's nice to go to a kind of out of the way place like this to get away from the touristy crowds.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by caromeow on February 16, 2005

Molly Malones
Oudezijds Kolk 9 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1012 AL
+31 20 624 1150

Van Gogh MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Of course, the collection is fantastic, but my sister and I agreed that the museum is just not set up very well. Also, there are long lines, you are forced to check your bag if you have a backpack or other large bag (which means standing in another long line, especially in winter), and it's so crowded, it can be frustrating getting a good look at the paintings. We went in the afternoon, and it's probably best to go in the early morning, when the museum opens.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by caromeow on January 25, 2005

Van Gogh Museum
Paulus Potterstraat 7 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1071 CX
+31 (20) 570 52 00

Anne Frank HuisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Anne Frank House"

First off, be sure to hit the Anne Frank House first thing in the morning. It's one of those must-see Amsterdam attractions, and by noon, when we left the museum, the line outside was down the block and around the corner. The museum is the building where Otto Frank worked and where the Frank family and their friends hid out during the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. If you've read Anne Frank's diary, it's amazing to be able to see what it really looked like. There are also some videos of people who helped the Frank family or who knew Anne, which is amazing to see. I found the museum to be pretty well set up: You move from room to room and there are videos, explanations, and some artifacts from the family and quotes from Anne's diary on the walls. I did feel like there could have been some more information, though, as I've read the book but not recently enough to remember a lot - it was just that there were some things missing. So, I recommend reading or re-reading her diary right before visiting. Then you'll be really well-prepared to take it all in.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by caromeow on January 25, 2005

Anne Frank Huis
Prinsengracht 263 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1016 GV
+31 20 556 71 00

AmstelkringBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Amstelkring Museum"

This museum, also called Our Lord in the Attic, is actually a 17th-century town house. The most interesting part? There's a secret Catholic church in the attic. The church was built in the 1660s, when celebrating mass was officially forbidden. Authorities were tolerant, however, and many Catholics celebrated privately in homes and in secret chapels like this one. This history behind this museum/house is really interesting, and if you like old houses and history, it's a hit. The museum was set up well: you're given a brochure when you enter that tells you about each room, and there are arrows and numbers on the rooms to keep you from getting lost. This was one of my favorite discoveries in Amsterdam!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by caromeow on February 16, 2005

Amstelkring
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1012 GE
+31 20 624 66 04

RembrandthuisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Rembrandt House"

So, this is the house Rembrandt inhabited between 1639 and 1656, when he went bankrupt. The house was refurbished according to the list of possessions drawn up by Rembrandt's notary, when everything of value in his house was sold. First, you'll wander through the house and learn a little bit of what his life was like. (I fell in love with box beds in this museum; they seem so cozy). Once you've been through the house, you'll get to see a nearly complete collection of Rembrandt's etchings. So, it's kind of a old house and art museum all rolled up in one. It’s a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by caromeow on February 16, 2005

Rembrandthuis
Jodenbreestraat 4 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1011 NK
+31 20 520 04 00

Day Trip to Haarlem and Zandvoort an ZeeBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Haarlem
Well, Harlaam was a refreshingly quiet town in contrast to the bustling tourist-filled metropolis that is Amsterdam. However, it was so freaking cold that we didn't spend as much time exploring its treasures as we might have.

First, we headed to the Fans Hals Museum. The museum is housed in a 17th-century building, once a home for old men. There's an impressive collection of art, as well as some old artifacts and an impressive doll house from an age when doll houses were actually meant only to be looked at, not played with. Crazy.

We saw the big cathedral of St. Bavokerk, where Handel and Mozart both graced the organ. The church is huge, impressive, and interesting, but if you're there in winter, it's actually COLDER than being outside. Thus, we didn't dally around in there for too long.

Next, we were off to the beach! Note the timetables when you do this. We misread them, as the trains are much more frequent in the warmer months. We spent a little bit of time on the beach, just to send our greetings to the North Sea, but it was insanely cold. Locals, however, were crazy enough to still go jogging or take leisurely strolls on the windy, cold, cold beach. Also, there is a stand with all kinds of fried seafood for your culinary enjoyment should you get the munchies at the beach.

About the Writer

caromeow
caromeow
Prague, Czech Republic

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