Amsterdam

The city in Netherlands is one of the popular destinations in Europe and I didn't want to miss it as well. Especially visiting the city in summer is a good option. Because then you have the chance to make a canal trip. Like in Venice!

The trip lasts from 1 hour till 24 hours... So the options are many. Here is a website to see the alternatives.

http://www.amsterdamcitytours.com/boat-tours.html?gclid=CIWci8L5lqcCFQaGDgodDiRPbQ

I liked the tour because you have the opportunity to see both the modern and the old parts of the city. You pass under the bridges or along the nice buildings which are somehow the symbols of Amsterdam. The canal houses...

The houses along the canals in Amsterdam...

And the boat takes you also through the harbour...

And sometimes you see interesting things during the trip. Here is a lady waiting for her "seaman".

And I found that restaurant also interesting. I don't know about the food but for its architecture at least it was nice. And no need to tell what kind of food they have. It is very clear...

Bicycle

Bicycles are maybe one the most used vehicles in Amsterdam. You see around so many bicycle park places.

So if the weather is good you can ride a bicycle as well and explore the each side of Amsterdam. For it you don't need the take your bicycles all the way with you of course. You can rent a bicycle in the city. For those who are interested here are some options:

http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/bike-rentals/

Museums

Like many European cities Amsterdam is also rich in terms of museums. The most important one is the Van Gogh Museum. It is located on Museumplein (Museum Quartier). To reach there you can take the trams number 2 or 5 in central station and go out in the Van Baerlesstraat stop. It is open daily between 10:00 and 18:00. But Fridays the museum is open till 22:00. You can stay longer. And the entrance fee is 14 euros. So those who like that crazy painter have the opportunity to see the famous pieces of him.

And another museum which is a great pleasure to visit for women... The diamond musuem!

There you have the opportunity to see how the diamonds are cut and also to shop... It is open daily between 09:00 and 17:00. The entrance fee is 7,5 euros. It is located in Paulus Potterstraat 8. Close to the Van Gogh Museum. Again you can take the trams number 2 and 5 to go there.

By the way if you have a museum card you can visit free. Here is the information about the museum card.

http://www.museumkaart.nl/

And another one is The Rijksmuseum...

The Rijksmuseum

Here you can see the paintings of the famous 17th century Dutch painters like Remrandt and Vermeer.

The Stedelijk Museum on the other hand houses the modern art pieces. Another museum I want to mention might be interesting for children. It is called NEMO. It is close to the central station and has a shape like a ship. It is the largest science center in Netherlands and there you can not just look but also touch and experiment. It is also possible to organize birthday parties for children there.

NEMO

NEMO is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00-17:00. The entrance fee is 12,5 euros. And eeveryone from 4 years old pays the same amount.

Another museum that should be mentioned is the Madame Tussauds. Yes, Amsterdam has also one Madame Tussauds. It is located in Dam Square. The entrance fee is 23 euros. I had found it a little bit much so didn't enter. But you know what it includes. Or?

I guess it is enough for museums. Of course there are many other museums but I didn't have time to visit all. But I can write the names... Maybe it is interesting for you and you want to visit: Amsterdam Historical Museum, Anne Frank House, Houseboat Museum, Tulip Museum, Electric Tram Line Museum, Vodka Museum, Coffee and Tee Museum, Film Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, Biblical Museum, Museum of Bags and Purses, Sex Museum, Torture Museum, Erotic Museum...

As you see Amsterdam is maybe one of the richest cities in terms of museums.

Tulip - Flower market

When I wrote about the Tulip Museum, it reminded me about another populer thing about the city: the tulips. If you want to buy some flowers or bulbs as a present you should visit the flower market. It is located on the Singel canal and open till 17:30.

It is also possible to sit in cafe in the flower market and have a nice breakfast or drink a coffee being surrounded by the nice smell of the flowers.

Albert Cuyp Market

It is also a popular outdoor market. There you can buy fresh food, clothes and so many other things. The prices are supposed to be the cheapest in Amsterdam. You can find it in the Pijp district.

Shopping

In Amsterdam there are many shopping streets. The busiest is the Kalverstraat. As you can guess Straat means Street... It is close to the central station. There you can find many shops selling almost everything you can imagine. The shopping malls Kalvertoren and Magna Plaza are also nearby. I met him at one of the side streets of the Kalverstraat.

If you like shopping in posh shops then you should visit the P.C. Hooftstraat. It is close to the museum quartier.

The other shopping streets are Utrechtsestraat, Beethovenstraat and Haarlemmerstraat.

Dam Square

Here is accepted as the centre of Amsterdam. The Royal Palace dominates the square. But I couldn't see any prince or princess that day.

Red Light District

Maybe it is the most famous part of the city. In the houses along the canals almost naked women wait for their customers. But I believe most of the people around were just watchers. And as a woman I didn't like seeing the women as such a commercial object there. But they are sometimes very courageous. They try even inviting the men who are there with their wives...

Of course there are just not such houses there. The bars or coffees around are abundant. By the way I can't show you any picture because it is not allowed. It is forbidden to take a photo.

Coffeeshops

When you say coffee and Amsterdam you remember also the coffeeshops. But you shouldn't confuse it with normal coffees. The Dutch laws allow the coffeeshops to sell maximum five grams of cannabis pro person.

Artis Zoo

For animal lovers it is a good destination. There you find the animals from all over the world.

It is open between 1 November-31 March from 09:00 till 17:00 and between 1 April-31 October from 09:00 till 18:00. Entrance fee is 18,95 euro. Strange price:)

To go there you can take the tram number 9 from central station till Plantage Kerklaan street.

That is all I can tell you about Amsterdam for now. I am sure there are many nice places I couldn't mention. Maybe the next time. I wish you a nice journey in Amsterdam...