My tips for a weekend trip to Amsterdam

Somewhere you could read shortly before Ascension Day that Amsterdam is one of the most popular destinations over the bridge days after Barcelona. So if you don’t want to share the canals with thousands of other tourists from all over the world, you should postpone your city trip to Amsterdam to another date. We took the risk and noticed on the spot that the masses were concentrated in the centre around the Anne Frank House and the Museumplein. In other parts of the city, we hardly felt the high number of tourists. For me it was the first “real” stay in Amsterdam. Years ago, after a sailing tour, we had to wait two hours at the Centraal train station, which we used for a short exploration tour. As always, my top picks include a mix of delicious restaurant discoveries (my favorite research activity), places for architecture enthusiasts, and nice corners that we discovered on foot.

Gazing at the canals

The canal belt with Singel, Herrengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht is undisputedly one of the main tourist attractions. My tip: Get up early! We walked along the canals shortly after sunrise. The conditions for photography are best so early in the morning and we had the canals to ourselves. A wonderful start to the day.

Delicious breakfast

After we had easily walked several kilometers during our canal walk, it was time for breakfast. There are a number of nice breakfast places in Amsterdam. Most of them have several branches in the city. On the first morning we feasted on the delicious breakfast menu of Vlaamsch Broodhuys (Vijzelstraat 109). Thanks to the most beautiful spring weather, we had breakfast outside in the sunshine on the second morning. I ordered an acai bowl at Bakers & Roasters (Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 54) – so the breakfast trend has also reached the menu selection in Amsterdam restaurants.

Stroll through Jordaan

The charming Jordaan district made a more relaxed impression on me than the canal belt. In the narrow streets there are many small shops, cafés and other curiosities to discover. It’s best to just go with the flow. Just behind Jordaan is the Westerpark, where excellent coffee is brewed in the Espresso Fabriek.

Oosterdok und Havens Oost

If you want to avoid the tourists during the day, you can explore the area around the Oosterdok and Havens Oost. A casual location for a coffee break is the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy. We made a detour there because we were interested in the hotel concept. In the same establishment, rooms are offered from 1 star to 5 star standard. Afterwards we walked along the IJhaven with a view of Amsterdam Noord and spontaneously decided to make a detour to the NEMO Science Center. The striking building was designed by Renzo Piano and stands on the entrance gate to the IJtunnel. The museum is primarily aimed at families with children and is comparable to the Technorama in Winterthur. We had a great time even without children. At the top there is a great roof terrace with a view over the Oosterdok. The roof terrace is open to the public without a museum ticket.

Welcome oasis of peace

In the middle of the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, the idyllic courtyard of the Begijnhof offers a welcome oasis of peace.

Cyclist clipping

Another green oasis in the middle of Amsterdam is the sprawling Vondelpark. Here we continued a project of the friend and his brother. A few years ago, you were in Amsterdam for a weekend and on a beautiful afternoon in the Vondelpark you photographed all the passing Fietser (cyclists). This is a very entertaining activity. We looked for a bench in the shade and focused on the people cycling past for fun.

South ganz different

Architecturally, Amsterdam is mainly associated with the narrow canal houses. However, this only covers part of the city centre. If you are interested in urban planning, I recommend a detour to Amsterdam Zuid. Around the Olympic Stadium there are still many buildings of the Amsterdam School, which were implemented according to the urban design “Plan Zuid” by Hendrik Petrus Berlage. To the south of the Amsterdam-Zuid railway station, a new district is being created, which is characterised by modern – sometimes daring – buildings and sets new standards.

For the small appetite

With a growling stomach, sightseeing is only half as much fun. For a healthy snack, I can recommend the organic salad bar SLA (e.g. Westerstraat 43, Jordaan). I also liked the concept of the mini-burgers at Burgermeester (Albert Cuypstraat 48). Although our hotel was right next to Amsterdam’s most famous day market – Albert Cuypmarkt – we didn’t have time to check out the stalls. If you want to taste a Dutch specialty, you have come to the right place.

Museum Hopping in Amsterdam

From a weather point of view, we wouldn’t have had to flee to the museum. We caught the most beautiful spring weather. Almost too beautiful and cheesy for photos. But I didn’t want to miss the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum. Despite the most beautiful weather, the Rijksmuseum was filled to the brim with tourists. It’s a bit of a pity, because the pictures became a minor matter. We were also amazed by the long queue in front of the Van Gogh Museum. The tickets of many Amsterdam museums (including the Anne Frank House) can be reserved online or sold at the same prices in the hotels. This saves you the waiting time on site.

Eet Smakelijk – Tips for eating

I had reserved all the restaurants for dinner about a week before our trip. Especially over the holidays, it would have been difficult to get a seat in selected restaurants. My favorite is the Guts & Glory. You can choose between 5, 6 or 7 courses. You don’t see what these courses contain until they’re served. The current concept is based on a purely vegetarian approach and puts the vegetables in the foreground.

The Lion Noir surprised us with a secluded courtyard. The cuisine is a good mix of brasserie style with a focus on seasonal products.

The Bussia restaurant is dedicated to Italian cuisine. Here, too, there are only three tasting menus to choose from, whereby you will find the respective dishes listed on the menu (in contrast to Guts & Glory).

Amsterdam zuprosten

After such fine dinners, you end a day in Amsterdam in style at the SkyLounge (located in the DoubleTree by Hilton building next to Central Station). On Friday and Saturday evenings it is jam-packed. On Sunday evening, it worked out with a seat at the window front with a view over the city center of Amsterdam.

More tips for your city trip to Amsterdam

• We stayed at the Sir Albert Hotel (Albert Cuypstraat 2-6) near the Museumplein. Nice rooms – but unfortunately the wifi didn’t work for us.
• For the three days we bought a 3-day ticket (72 hours) for public transport. The day ticket (24 hours) costs 7.50 euros, the 3-day ticket costs 16.50 euros.
• Most museum admissions can be pre-reserved online. In the Anne Frank House, only online tickets are permitted between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.