Amsterdam can be overpowering but there are some interesting small towns less than 1 hour travel distance but worlds away in atmosphere.
by Re Carroll on October 20, 2000
Amsterdam offers lots for visitors to do without ever leaving the city centre but it also makes a great base for trips into the Dutch countryside when you're looking for a less hectic pace. The Dutch rail network is fast, efficient and extensive and most of the day trips are easy to do by train. Although still touristy, they move at a slower pace (except for Fridays in Alkmaar) and give you a peek into Dutch village life. If you're in a rush you could do a couple of destinations in one day. I usually spent part of the day wandering the small villages and then returned to Amsterdam to enjoy the big city. If you don't want to go too far afield, spend a day in the city and check out some of the many museums or street markets.${QuickSuggestions} ${BestWay} The towns I visited were small and easily explored on foot. All except Marken were accessible by train and all would be very easy to get to with a rental car.
On Friday mornings in the summer, Alkmaar is swarming with tourists who have come to observe the colourful cheese auction. Porters dressed in Venetian gondolier type costumes pile big yellow rounds of cheese on wooden sleds and carry them into the weighing house. There is a street party atmosphere with lots of stalls selling souvenirs and offering free samples of cheese. My favourite was garlic gouda! If you're going to buy some cheese, this is the place since I found the prices here a bit less than Amsterdam. Try to be here before 9 a.m. if you want a good spot to see the proceedings and be prepared to share space with hordes of people - this is not the place for those who are claustrophobic!! The market is a pleasant 10 minute walk from the train station and trains run regularly to Amsterdam's Centraal Station. There is also a Hans Brinker Museum in town but I didn't get a chance to visit it.
This former fishing village is now devoted mostly to tourism and although it gets its share of tour buses, it still retains the quiet charm of yesterday. The wooden houses used to be built on stilts but they have now been closed in to allow for more storage. The houses are all painted green and many people still wear traditional dress. At the small harbour, you can take a boat ride to visit another small village or you can walk to the lighthouse outside the main part of town. There are no trains to Marken but there is frequent bus service. If you are coming by car, there is a large free parking lot at the entrance to the village.
The sandy beach stretches for miles and is great for long walks and sand castle building. The water is a bit on the cold side but still attracts kids of all ages. The beach is about a 5-10 min. walk from the train station. There are lounge chairs for rent as well as many cafes/bars along the sandy shore. The town is a typical beach town - lots of shopping, bars & restaurants as well as a popular casino that attracts lots of visitors. Walk a block or two away from the main streets and you'll find yourself in a quiet neighbourhood where elderly ladies tend their small gardens filled with colourful blooms and decorative gnomes.
This recreated village is an open air museum with a working dairy, cheese factory, clog maker and windmills. There is no admission charge and most places offer free tours. The town is very pretty - freshly painted buildings with lots of trees and gardens and little walking bridges over the canals. Many Dutch couples come here to have their wedding pictures taken. I found most prices higher here than in the stores of Amsterdam although the windmill ground mustard was a good bargain. Zans Schaanse is about 15 min. by train from Amsterdam and then a 15 min. walk from the train station.
by Re Carroll on June 23, 2001
KattenKabinet is located along the Herengracht, one of Amsterdam's main canals and home to many elegant canal houses. The museum is devoted to cats and there are paintings, statues, posters, drawings, cartoons, etc. that all feature this beloved feline. There are even sketches by Picasso and Rembrandt and the carpeting on the stairs has a cat motif. I did notice one resident feline but otherwise, the only visitors to the museum were of the human kind. The front desk has some items for sale - art cards and calendars - with cat themes, of course. If you're not a cat fan, stop in anyway because the museum takes up part of the main and second floors of a large, elegant canal house that was built in the mid-1600s and has antique furniture throughout. Take a peek into the back garden and you'll see an abundance of greenery and colourful plants that cover most of the yard. Ask to use the washroom and you'll be shown to a water closet, a tiny room tiled with rich dark wood and brass fittings. Admission is f10. (approx. $4.00 US). You may want to phone first (020) 626 53 78 since operating hours vary.
The museum is devoted to cats and there are paintings, statues, posters, drawings, cartoons, etc. that all feature this beloved feline. There are even sketches by Picasso and Rembrandt and the carpeting on the stairs has a cat motif. I did notice one resident feline but otherwise, the only visitors to the museum were of the human kind. The front desk has some items for sale - art cards and calendars - with cat themes, of course.
If you're not a cat fan, stop in anyway because the museum takes up part of the main and second floors of a large, elegant canal house that was built in the mid-1600s and has antique furniture throughout. Take a peek into the back garden and you'll see an abundance of greenery and colourful plants that cover most of the yard. Ask to use the washroom and you'll be shown to a water closet, a tiny room tiled with rich dark wood and brass fittings.
Admission is f10. (approx. $4.00 US). You may want to phone first (020) 626 53 78 since operating hours vary.
The museum is actually part of the University of Amsterdam and is named after the University's first professor of classical archaeology. It is located in an interesting old building in the downtown core. There is an extensive collection of artifacts from ancient Greece, Rome, Cyprus, West Asia (Turkey) and Etruria. Among the exhibits are jewellery, household goods, vases, pottery, weapons and tools. The Egyptian section has a scale model of the pyramids of Giza and a computer that will print your name in hieroglyphics although it wasn't working when I was there. There is a number of impressive statues including one from Greece's Temple of Apollo and another one of Mausollos, the King of Caria in the mid 4th century bc. When he died, his wife had a magnificent tomb built for him that become one of the Seven Ancient Wonders. This is where the word mausoleum comes from. There is a small shop at the entrance that sells books, postcards and some replicas from the collection. Admission is f9.50 (approx. $4.oo US) and there are NO flash pictures allowed. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. It is easily accessible via Tram #20. Their phone number is (020) 525 2556.
There is an extensive collection of artifacts from ancient Greece, Rome, Cyprus, West Asia (Turkey) and Etruria. Among the exhibits are jewellery, household goods, vases, pottery, weapons and tools. The Egyptian section has a scale model of the pyramids of Giza and a computer that will print your name in hieroglyphics although it wasn't working when I was there.
There is a number of impressive statues including one from Greece's Temple of Apollo and another one of Mausollos, the King of Caria in the mid 4th century bc. When he died, his wife had a magnificent tomb built for him that become one of the Seven Ancient Wonders. This is where the word mausoleum comes from. There is a small shop at the entrance that sells books, postcards and some replicas from the collection.
Admission is f9.50 (approx. $4.oo US) and there are NO flash pictures allowed. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. It is easily accessible via Tram #20. Their phone number is (020) 525 2556.
An enjoyable way to spend a day in Amsterdam is to browse through some of the many markets that are spread throughout the city.The most advertised is the Albert Cuyp Markt, easily accessed via Tram #20. It is in the middle of a quiet street off busy Ferdinand Bolstraat and is open from Monday through Saturday. It is quite large and seems to stretch for about 1/2 mile. There are lots of stalls selling clothes, household products and lots of food items. If you want to try pickled, raw herring topped with onions, this is the place to do it. On both sides of the street are small stores that cater to locals and sell everyday type clothes (no boutiques here), household goods, food, etc. so you can shop 'til you drop. There is even a discount store called Knaackland that has lots of games for kids and other cheap gifts to take home.The market at Noorderkerk (North Church), just off the Prinsengracht canal is much smaller by comparison. It caters more to the second hand market - books, records, old clothes and other used goods make up the majority of the merchandise. The slogan "one man's junk is another man's treasure" could have been coined for this place. There are a couple of people selling handmade jewellery and the prices are reasonable. If you're looking for retro clothes, this is the place for you. It operates on Monday mornings only.My B&B host recommended Jordaan Market and said this is where she goes. Size wise, it's a cross between Albert Cuyp and Norderkerk. Lots of produce, flower, cheese and bakery stalls attract locals doing their grocery shopping. There are also toiletries and some clothes vendors too. It is located in the Jordaan section of Amsterdam which used to be a 17th century working class neighbourhood but is now a trendy residential and shopping district. This is also good place to sit at a canal side table and have a drink while people watching.The most colourful of the markets is the floating flower market on the Singel canal. Open from Monday to Saturday, it consists of a number of permanently moored barges that feature plants and cut flowers of all sizes, shapes and colours. This is the place to buy bulbs for home, although make sure they will pass your country's inspection at Customs. I made the mistake of assuming that bulbs ok'd for import to the U.S. would also be ok in Canada - they weren't so mine were confiscated. This is also a good spot to pick up small cheap souvenirs such as fridge magnets and key chains.There are many other markets throughout the city. Check with the Tourist Office to find out what's happening, where and when.
The most advertised is the Albert Cuyp Markt, easily accessed via Tram #20. It is in the middle of a quiet street off busy Ferdinand Bolstraat and is open from Monday through Saturday. It is quite large and seems to stretch for about 1/2 mile. There are lots of stalls selling clothes, household products and lots of food items. If you want to try pickled, raw herring topped with onions, this is the place to do it. On both sides of the street are small stores that cater to locals and sell everyday type clothes (no boutiques here), household goods, food, etc. so you can shop 'til you drop. There is even a discount store called Knaackland that has lots of games for kids and other cheap gifts to take home.
The market at Noorderkerk (North Church), just off the Prinsengracht canal is much smaller by comparison. It caters more to the second hand market - books, records, old clothes and other used goods make up the majority of the merchandise. The slogan "one man's junk is another man's treasure" could have been coined for this place. There are a couple of people selling handmade jewellery and the prices are reasonable. If you're looking for retro clothes, this is the place for you. It operates on Monday mornings only.
My B&B host recommended Jordaan Market and said this is where she goes. Size wise, it's a cross between Albert Cuyp and Norderkerk. Lots of produce, flower, cheese and bakery stalls attract locals doing their grocery shopping. There are also toiletries and some clothes vendors too. It is located in the Jordaan section of Amsterdam which used to be a 17th century working class neighbourhood but is now a trendy residential and shopping district. This is also good place to sit at a canal side table and have a drink while people watching.
The most colourful of the markets is the floating flower market on the Singel canal. Open from Monday to Saturday, it consists of a number of permanently moored barges that feature plants and cut flowers of all sizes, shapes and colours. This is the place to buy bulbs for home, although make sure they will pass your country's inspection at Customs. I made the mistake of assuming that bulbs ok'd for import to the U.S. would also be ok in Canada - they weren't so mine were confiscated. This is also a good spot to pick up small cheap souvenirs such as fridge magnets and key chains.
There are many other markets throughout the city. Check with the Tourist Office to find out what's happening, where and when.
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