Amsterdam Journals

Amsterdam - City of Art, History, and Contrasts

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A July 2004 trip to Amsterdam by Ed Hahn

Amsterdam Photo - Amsterdam, Netherlands More Photos
Quote: Amsterdam is a problematical destination: expensive and cheap, beautiful and ugly, clean and dirty, urban and green, friendly and uncaring. It's hard to get a handle on and not an easy city to fall in love with compared to Bruges or Florence. Nevertheless, it is an exciting, worthwhile stop.

Amsterdam - City of Art, History, and Contrasts

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Overview

Amsterdam Photo - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
We take the train from Bruges to Amsterdam, with a change in Antwerp. I expected a boring trip, given the flatness of the landscape, but it's a beautiful day, and the farms and houses are interesting, making the trip a most relaxing experience. We arrive at an incredibly crowded Centraal Station and grab a taxi to our hotel, the Tulip Inn, Amsterdam Center. As usual, we struggle with room size and the Internet. A couple beers in the lobby bar and dinner at a fine Swiss restaurant end the day on a high note. We get a late start and, because of long lines, postpone our visits to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Instead, we go to Vondel Park in the rain, which reminds us of ...Read More

Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre

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Hotel

Amsterdam Photo - Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
The description of the Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre, as located in the city centre of Amsterdam, is somewhat misleading since it's about an hour's walk or a 10-minute taxi ride from the train station. On the other hand, it is very near the Leidseplein, the Vondelpark, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. Public transport and a Canal Boat Company stop are within meters. This refurbished apartment building has a nice lobby bar with free Internet access, helpful clerks, a breakfast terrace for our complimentary continental breakfast, and, most importantly for bag-schleppers, an elevator that worked almost all the time. We didn't drive, but I understand that it has limited parking. I...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 9, 2005

Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre
NASSAUKADE 387 390
Amsterdam, Netherlands
31 20 6834935

The Anne Frank House and Museum

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Attraction | "Anne Frank House"

Quote:
We decide to visit the Anne Frank House in the late afternoon. When we arrive, the line to get in stretches around the block, but we decide to tough it out in the rain. Later, we find that the place is open in the evening and much less crowded. Nevertheless, the wait is worth the experience, even though the foundation does not allow picture-taking. I find it very difficult to manage my emotions while exploring the house. I keep asking myself, "How could such horrible things happen? Why are they still happening? Why do I feel so powerless to do anything about it?" I've seen the movie and I've read excerpts from the diary, but this tour of the house is far more moving. The actual ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 10, 2005

The Anne Frank House and Museum
Prinsengracht 267
Amsterdam, Netherlands 1016 GV
+31 20 556 71 00

Rijksmuseum

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Attraction

Rijksmuseum Photo - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
It's hard to summarize a museum that holds close to one million objects. It is perhaps best known for its collection of 17th-century Golden Age Dutch masters, like Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Jan Steen. Obviously, it is largest art museum in the Netherlands and reputed to be one of the 10 principal museums in the world, putting it in the company of the Louvre, the Prado, and the New York Metropolitan. In addition to paintings, it has other collections: sculpture and decorative arts, drawings, prints and photographs, Asiatic art, and Dutch history. The current building has housed the museum since 1885. It is now undergoing a huge renovation, which it is trying to modernize w...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 10, 2005

Rijksmuseum
Stadhouderskade 42
Amsterdam, Netherlands 1071 ZD
+31 20 674 70 00

Amsterdam Museum

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Attraction | "The Amsterdam Historical Museum"

Amsterdam Historical Museum Photo - Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
In spite of a lukewarm recommendation from our guidebook, we decide to visit the Amsterdam Historical Museum. We are glad we do. The cost is reasonable at €6, with concessions for children and seniors. The museum is housed in buildings, which once comprised the City Orphanage. Through the main-entry archway and to our left is a computer-generated exhibit called "Growth of the City." It's fascinating. Don't miss it. We just follow the signs in Dutch and English to see everything we want to see. The explanations are in both languages. The galleries are user-friendly and contain artifacts, exhibits, and paintings, including a Rembrandt, "The Anatomy Lesson." I l...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 10, 2005

Amsterdam Museum
Kalverstraat 92 and Sint Luciënsteeg 27
Amsterdam, Netherlands
020 5231822

Van Gogh Museum

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Attraction

Quote:
On the west side of the Museumplein, the Van Gogh Museum is a relatively recent addition, 1973 actually. Admission isn't cheap for adults at 13.50€, but they have child, student, and senior concessions. The museum does not allow picture-taking, which disappoints me. The main collection originally belonged to Vincent's younger brother Theo van Gogh, and after passing through, Theo's widow and son became the nucleus of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation. The museum also holds works by other 19th-century artists who were contemporaries of the Van Gogh brothers. Some of these paintings are exhibited also. The Van Gogh collection is divided into five periods that correspond with different phases in...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 11, 2005

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

Dutch Resistance Museum

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Attraction | "The Dutch Resistance Museum"

The Dutch Resistance Museum Photo - Dutch Resistance Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
We had not planned to visit this museum. It is out of the way, in the Plancius Building on Plantage Kerklaan, and not featured in any of the guidebooks we had. We decided to visit it because it was in an area where we wanted to do some walking, and because I'm a history "nut," especially about WW II. The adult entry is very reasonable at 5€, with the usual concession fees for others. At first, the exhibits seem tacky, but the farther in I go, the more I lose myself in the exhibits' content. I am depressed and uplifted simultaneously. We budget an hour and spend two. In the main exhibit hall, the quality improves considerably. Descriptions are in English. The exhibits cover everything fro...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 11, 2005

Dutch Resistance Museum
Plantage Kerklaan 61
Amsterdam, Netherlands
(0) 20 620 2535

Amsterdam Canal Cruises

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Attraction | "Canal-Bus Boat Tour"

Quote:
I can't imagine that there is a more relaxing or reasonably priced transport along Amsterdam's canals. The boats operate regularly on three routes: the Green, Red, and Blue Lines. You can access all the details, including schedules and maps, at http://www.canal.nl/uk/index.html. All the stops are located near the major museums, attractions, and shopping areas. The day pass is actually good for a day and a half if you time it right, since it expires at noon the next day. We hop on and off as often as we like. There is a Dutch/English pre-recorded commentary that provides interesting information when we can hear it over our fellow passengers' conversations. We use it to take us places...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 11, 2005

Amsterdam Canal Cruises

Amsterdam

Strolling in Amsterdam

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Story/Tip

St. Nicholaas Church Photo - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Quote:
In my opinion, to qualify as great, a city must be both fascinating and fun to stroll in. Amsterdam qualifies, at least, on this criterion. Throughout our stay here my wife, Pam, and I chose to walk from one point to another just to soak up the ambience of the street. Whether it was an architecturally fascinating private house, a smoky-windowed coffeeshop, a beautiful park or garden, a busy shopping street, or interesting people, walking was the best way to access these small wonders. I’m not in the habit of recommending guidebooks. They all have their good features and their drawbacks, but the ones I actually use are the ones that have information about walks I can take. Among these, the b...Read More