Amsterdam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Why is that so? Well… The reasons are many! We’ve listed 15 great reasons to visit our vibrant city!
History, localities, art and various temptations all blend together in the irresistible city of Amsterdam. Whatever you’re looking for – you’ll find it here. Amsterdam offers a diverse plate to be served just how you want it.
Flickr / danorbit
1. Art
Amsterdam is steeped in cultural history. If you like classics, you can visit the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, or the Hermitage Museum. If you’re into contemporary and modern art, we have Stedelijkmuseum, which has always been among the world’s most cutting-edge contemporary art venues.
Flickr / Roman Boed
There’s a lot more to chose from: Amsterdam has the highest museum density in the world!
And don’t even get us started about architecture! Wherever you look you’ll see lovely old houses! 17th and 18th century architecture in the center of Amsterdam also means that the center is free of skyscrapers.
2. The Red Light District
The Red Light District is one of the first things that come to your mind when you say “Amsterdam”.
Flickr / Nicole Pullin
The prostitutes in the red-lit windows attract a lot of tourists (beware, you’re not supposed to take photos). If you want something more than sightseeing, in this area you’ll also find peep shows, brothels, sex shops and sex museums. It is definitely worth a visit just for the experiences available on every corner – of course, if you are old enough.
3. Nightlife
The nightlife in Amsterdam is legendary! Do you know that Amsterdam has more than 1500 bars and cafes?
Flickr / Dennis Burger
Leidseplein and Rembrandtpein are the areas where you’ll find the largest numbers of tightly paced venues. You may also wander over to the Red Light District and Spui for more options. If you just want to chill, we recomend the neighborhood of Jordaan.
4. Festivals
Amsterdammers hold around 300 different festivals a year.
Flickr / Paula Abrahao
They’re not just music festivals. You may also find yourself celebrating art, flowers, pregnancy or poetry. The music festivals that are held tend to attract world famous DJ’s.
5. Canals
Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometres of canals. The three main ones are Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht. They were dug in during the Dutch Golden Age in 17th century. The center of Amsterdam was built according to the 17th century plans – if it’s not an example of good planning, we don’t know what is!
Flickr / SF Brit
A lot of the city’s life happens on the canals. People still live on house boats, a lot of different festivals happen on the water and every year on Kingsday the canal ring turns into a hell of a party.
One of the best ways to enjoy Amsterdam is, of course, to book a canal cruise or to throw a boat party.
6. Beer
The whole Benelux region is famous for its beer, and it’s certainly no accident.
Flickr / Sara P
The beers in Amsterdam are easily available and offered in huge demand and variety. We would always suggest trying a Belgian or a Dutch beer, but here you can also find the beers you’re unlikely to come across while grocery shopping – such as, hipster brews from America or even Australia.
In Amsterdam you’ll find craft breweries like Brouwerij ‘t Ij, atmosferic pubs with huge selections of bottled, canned and tap beer. If you want to drink only Dutch beer, go to the bar called Arendsnest – they have 30 different kinds of beer on tap and more than a hundred different bottled ones. They say they have at least one beer from each and every brewery in the Netherlands.
7. Weed
Although the Dutch wouldn’t like if marijuana is your only reason to visit Amsterdam, you’re probably gonna find the coffee shops at least a bit interesting. Amsterdam drug laws evolved the same way as laws in other countries, but the solutions taken in the Netherlands, differ from the rest of the world. The Dutch think that you can decide for yourself about everything that can harm your health.
Flickr / Nate2b
Coffee shops have been around since the seventies. You’ll find around 200 of them in the city, so finding a nearest one shouldn’t be a problem. An individual cannot buy more than 5 grams of weed per day.
Official Dutch coffee shops have a green and white licence sticker in the window. Coffee shops usually don’t sell alcohol.
So if you’re here for the weed – just act responsibly and have fun!
8. Food
The Dutch are not really famous for the haute cuisine, but the Netherlands is a home to warm, hearty dishes, great cheese and some mouth watering (and sinful!) sweets.
Flickr / Jocelyn & Cathy
Around Amsterdam you can sample many different kinds of Dutch cheese (speaking of cheese, there is, conveniently, the one called Old Amsterdam). If you like pancakes, try poffertjes. Nobody can resist a syrup waffle with their coffee or tea. You should also try authentic Flemish fries and a totally Dutch snack – haring with pickles and onions.
Flickr / Roman Boed
Did you know that gin evolved from jenever? Jenever is a spirit still very popular in the region – look for a prooflokaal and try as many different kinds as you can. The older jenever is like whiskey, while the younger ones come in a wide variety of flavors.
9. Shopping
Although some would argue that some global brands seem to be ignoring the Netherlands all together, shopping in Amsterdam surely has its charms.
The Nine Streets, the main shopping area in the city center, host everything from exclusive boutiques to antique shops. Next to the Dam Square you’ll find the huge department store called De Bijenkorf. The P.C Hooftstraat is a home to the brand stores of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, DKNY, and Mulberry. And this is just a tip of the ice berg!
If you like thrift shopping, Amsterdam also has a lot of flea markets. Try the one at Waterlooplein, or a monthly IJhallen, the biggest flea market in Holland.
Flickr / Jannes Glas
10. Amsterdam is safe
Amsterdam is one of the safest cities in the world. That probably sound like a totally-not-too-important-thing, but knowing that makes everything else way much easier. You can escape to Amsterdam with a piece of mind which allows more room for having fun.
Have you been to Amsterdam yet? What’s your main reason to visit this awesome city?
10 excellent reasons to visit Amsterdam
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