Amsterdam

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Ah, Amsterdam!

A July 1997 trip to Amsterdam by ms_dj

Anne Frank Huis More Photos

My last "family" trip, taken with my parents and my brother, was to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, for three weeks. In addition to sight-seeing, we spent time with family and friends. In this journal, you'll read about our adventures in Amsterdam.

  • 7 reviews
  • 7 photos

Ah, Amsterdam!Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Dam Square
A canal-boat tour will give you a feel for the city, and you'll see and learn lots about this beautiful city.

Art-lovers will be in seventh heaven in Amsterdam! You could spend a month there and not run out of museums and galleries to visit.

Looking for a bit of the wild side? Amsterdam's "cafe's" are world-renowned! Also, you can check out the "Red Light District", if you dare. =)

Quick Tips:

We bought an Amsterdam "City Pass", which had lots of coupons for free or discounted tours and meals. It's good for a long period of time (I think it was a year when we were there), so you can hang on to it & spend a few days in Amsterdam.

Before you go, you might want to check out this website, filled with information about tourism, transportation, and maps of the city.

Best Way To Get Around:

Within the city itself, I'd recommend walking. There are many "pedestrian-only" streets. A bicycle makes a nice way to get around, also. We took the train in to the Centraal Station, and many attractions are within walking distance.

Sarang Mas Indonesian RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Proost!
If you go to an Indonesian restaurant, the best way to experience the food is to order the Rijsttafel (rice table). This way, you can sample many different dishes without having to make too many choices. Standard rijsttafels have at least a dozen different dishes, and often you can get double that (but you'll want a large group!).

We had the rijsttafel at Sarang Mas, and it was quite good. My favourite dish was the pork satays in peanut sauce. Food ranges from mild to very spicy, and may use various meats (pork, chicken or beef). Some vegetarian dishes are available. Just make sure, whatever you eat, you wash it down with a Heineken...it's the same price for beer or soda.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ms_dj on June 28, 2001

Sarang Mas Indonesian Restaurant
Rokin 84 Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 (20) 528-9590

Stedelijk Museum AmsterdamBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art"

A coupon in our city pass brought us to the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art. We expected to find Picasso (I think there was one Picasso there) and his contemporaries. What we did find was a very graphic photography exhibition, and many paintings and other works from lesser-known artists (at least, lesser-known by us).

Graphic photography aside, the paintings were very good, and it was an interesting visit, considering we'd already been to the Rijksmuseum to see the old masters.
Check out the Stedelijk Museum on the Internet.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by ms_dj on June 24, 2001

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Oosterdokskade 5 Amsterdam, Netherlands 1011 AD
+31 (20) 573 29 11

Amsterdam Canal TourBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Canal Cruise"

Amsterdam Houses
The canal boat tours generally run about 90 minutes, taking tourists through the canals and Amsterdam harbour. The canal cruise boats (of which there are several operators) take tourists through the major canals and the Amsterdam harbour. Major points-of-interest are pointed out in several languages (English, German, French, & Dutch at a minimum), and there are numerous photo-opportunities. In addition to sight-seeing, you'll learn some of Amsterdam's fascinating history, as well.

You can get some interesting photos from the canal boat, and it's a great way to get a quick feel for Amsterdam's history, architecture and people.

Looking for romance? Try an evening cruise! Buildings along the canals are lit up at night.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ms_dj on June 28, 2001

Amsterdam Canal Tour
Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands

RijksmuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Rijksmuseum
At the Rijksmuseum you'll find both art and artifacts.

My favourite section was the paintings by old masters. In this part of the museum you'll see:

"The Nightwatch" by Rembrandt van Rijn (and many others by Rembrandt)
"The Threatened Swan" by Jan Asselyn
"The Kitchen Maid" by Johannes Vermeer
"The Fall of Man" by Cornelis van Haarlem
and paintings by Frans Hals and Jan Steen.

The Rijksmuseum is not a quick visit. I'd recommend taking your time, and not trying to do the whole museum in one trip. It's huge!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ms_dj on June 28, 2001

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

Anne Frank HuisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Anne Frank Huis
Anne Frank Huis is a museum with a story...the story told in The Diary of Anne Frank, which was written by thirteen-year-old Anne Frank while in hiding in a canal house in Amsterdam. It is this house which serves as the Anne Frank Huis museum today.

The houses along the canals of Amsterdam, at that time, had a front part (in this case, used for Otto Frank's business) and a back part, the annex, which was generally empty. It was in the annex that the Franks and another family hid for two years.

There are some permanent displays, including the original journal in which Anne wrote, plus temporary displays on racism and anti-semitism. At the time I visited, the rooms had not been restored with full-sized furniture to imitate how they would have looked at the time, however, there were displays within the rooms to give visitors an idea of what it would have been like to have been hiding with the Franks.

You can learn more about this museum by clicking here.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ms_dj on July 9, 2001

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

RembrandthuisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Museum het Rembrandthuis"

Museum Het Rembrandthuis
The Museum het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House Museum) is the house in which painter Rembrandt van Rijn lived from 1639-1658. When we were there four years ago, there were exhibits of his drawings as well as many paintings. (If you'd like to see his most famous works, you'll need to go to the Rijksmuseum.) Since then, the museum has been restored to its original (seventeenth-century) condition.

In the museum gift shop, you can purchase reproductions of Rembrandt's works, both as full-sized prints, and postcards.

You can check out the current exhibits at the museum, and get more information here.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ms_dj on July 10, 2001

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

About the Writer

ms_dj
ms_dj
Ontario, Canada

Get the Word Out

Share this travel journal beyond IgoUgo with your favorite sharing tools.