Did you ever wonder where did the name “Amsterdam” derive from?
The city’s origin is around a dam at the river Amstel which gave it the name.
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It is filled with romantic life, Artistic places, Various Museums, Beautiful Canals, Famous Red Light District & lots of foodie streets.
You may have seen the various locations in many Hollywood & Bollywood movies too.
First thing you wanna do is Rent a bike in Amsterdam to explore this beautiful city. You may also use public transportation specially Trams where you can have a day pass which of course is too affordable.
Amsterdam is filled with many popular places. Let’s take a look at it…
Van Gogh museum
Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum holds the world’s biggest collection of paintings of the world’s most popular artist — Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his works of art, illustrations and letters, finished with the specialty of his counterparts.
Every year, 1.6 million people visit the Van Gogh Museum, resulting in the museum world’s 25th most popular museum.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam and is also known as the Dutch National Museum. It is located at the Museum square in the South region of Amsterdam. It is also nearby to the famous Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam.
You can see more than 8000 collections of art and history. The timings are from 9 am to 5 pm daily. You can book your tickets from their site which is around 19/20 Euros
Museumplein
Museumplein is a public park located in the borough of Amsterdam-Zuid, a Neighbourhood in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The above 3 famous Museums in Amsterdam are located at Museumplein.
You can plan a Day Trip and cover all three in a day as it is just a walking distance from each other if you are history or museum lover at that extent.
Of course, not to forget the sign “I AMSTERDAM’ created just for your travel memories and Social media stories and posts.
Anne Frank House
How many of you have heard the well-known novel, “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank or have seen the romantic movie “The Fault in our Stars” based on the same novel.
Anne Frank is a museum which is located in the Central Amsterdam on Prinsengracht canal, where Anne Frank wrote her diary in her secret hideout during the 2nd World War.
This place is called “The Secret Annex” where Anne Frank hid for more than 2 years. This a pretty famous place in Amsterdam and is also you have to walk up many steps to reach her hideout. You can buy the tickets and visit this place.
Red light District
The world-famous Red Light District of Amsterdam is world-famous for prostitution nightlife, magazines, and sex toys. It is more or less like a sexual amusement park were not all visitors like to visit (For obvious reasons).
You may also find the famous red window lights through the street on the canal. Many people intend to visit this area just for fun & watching the sex models in the glass windows.
There is a strict “No Photography” policy in this area by the government. Even if you tried filming or capturing anyone, they can just through your camera in the canal.
It is generally considered a safer area for the tourists, but avoiding lonely streets is a common sense.
Royal Palace Amsterdam
If you love fairy tale stories, you should visit the Royal Palace of Amsterdam which is located in the center of the city. This was the official palace of King Willem-Alexander which is also used for royal receptions, New Year’s Party and various rewards ceremonies.
From the Golden Age till now this is the most prestigious and largest palace resulted in the most important monument in the Netherlands.
In The Royal Palace, there is an interesting place named “Burgerzaal” where you will find the world’s largest maps on its floors. There are 3 round mosaics art which hemisphere of the world and are about 624 centimeters wide.
Amsterdam Noord
Amsterdam Noord is a very interesting place for people who love creative arts. It is said that Amsterdam Noord is Dutch capital’s creative playground.
Amsterdam Noord has turned into a curious and exciting center point of culture and activity. “A village within a city”, as said by many visitors who have visited here.
Things to do at Noord
A’dam tower which is said to be Europe’s highest swing. If not the swing, you can enjoy views of the 360-degree sky deck or the restaurants at the tower. There’s a restaurant named “Moon” which is on the 19th floor which is also amazing.
Canal Boat Tour
As Amsterdam is surrounded by River Amstel and beautiful canals, don’t miss the 1 hour Canal boat ride. There are many types of providers who provide rides with various luxuries and experiences like Heineken Experience, XtraCold Icebar or Madame Tussauds Museum included in their itinerary.
If you are a romantic couple traveling, I would suggest you the evening Canal cruise ride. Some of the cruises also give you an audio guide with multiple languages. You can also book a table and have a romantic candlelight dinner too. (Depends on every cruise provider)
Dam Square
Just a few minutes walk from the Central Station, you will find a crowded square with locals & tourists all day long. You can actually take a Guided Walking tour to some of the famous and historic places in Amsterdam.
If you find yourself lucky, you can get a free guided walking tour too. The Dam square exists from 13th Century till present, where you can experience the old and new age.
