Amsterdam for the weekend
A Weekend In Amsterdam – Guide For First-Timers
Why would you book a weekend in Amsterdam? It isn’t the home of Dutch royalty so there’s no palace residence. No one thought to build a big clock and name it after their family Labrador. And, there aren’t any world-famous giant sculptures resembling electricity pylons.
However, an Amsterdam weekend is such an easy choice with only a short 45 minute flight from the UK – that’s half the time it takes my 14 year old to apply her makeup! And there is still so much to see and do in the Dutch capital despite its lack of famous landmarks and monuments. You’ll be wondering why you didn’t book a weekend trip to Amsterdam sooner!
Personally, I quite like the notion of visiting Amsterdam for a quick clog and tulip fix whilst my daughter gets ready to go out. But, what should you absolutely not miss if this is your first time in Amsterdam for the weekend? And what do you need to know before you book Amsterdam for a weekend?
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WHERE TO STAY IN AMSTERDAM
We love the Kimpton De Witt Hotel for a long weekend in Amsterdam. It’s close to the river and a great central location for both the old town and this funky port area. It’s so stylish you won’t believe it and yet the staff are so friendly and inviting, not pretentious in the slightest. Plus, the co*cktail guy in the bar was amazing! – check out their beautiful rooms and the best deals here.
The perfect hotel for an Amsterdam weekend for first-timers
Across the River IJ from the hotel is an even older part of the city with cute little fisherman’s cottages that were once part of a thriving industry too – we used the hotel bikes and explored the area. There’s a free ferry every 10 minutes across the river to the city. Along the riverfront on that side is a collection of trendy bars and restaurants, cinemas and museums, all set to a backdrop of shipping containers and usual port regalia – it should look pretty industrial, in theory, but those stylish Dutch seem to have pulled it off.
How To Have The Best Weekend In Amsterdam If You’ve Never Been Before
The minute you arrive in Amsterdam for the weekend you will notice the trails of wealth this city has always enjoyed. Because of its prominent waterways, a strong trading status has existed in Amsterdam since the 1600s and its ships were sent to all four corners of the earth. With such connections, and also strict laws on which immigrants they let settle here (ie. were they rich?), it was a city born of opulence. You will be spending your Amsterdam weekend oo-ing and arr-ing at the fancy houses and beautiful city-scapes.
But it’s not all architecture and old glamour, Amsterdam has some great museums, fantastic shopping areas and amazing food choices. You can see a lot of Amsterdam in a weekend but you’ll never run out of things to do!
DAY 1 OF YOUR AMSTERDAM WEEKEND
From above, the network of canals look like an upturned rainbow. On the ground it’s easy to cut from one canal to another via the interlinking canals and alleyways. You might notice the morning light can be quite ethereal, a regular haze seems to hang around until the sun burns it away. Until 11am the streets are fairly quiet and it’s easy to find a good coffee and Dutch waffle.
Folk in the Netherlands take their coffee seriously; it’s creamy and smooth and is a delicacy to be enjoyed so the cafe culture is prominent and beautiful, there is no shortage to the number of lovely places to have breakfast, each with its own individual style and most with the option of sitting in or out. It’s this pavement culture that we really loved on our Amsterdam weekend.
Start with a wander in two of Amsterdam’s prettiest neighborhoods, Jordan and Grachtengordel.Make sure you peek into the homesteads on the lower floors to get a sense of the Dutch aesthetics – unusual items in bell jars line window sills and walls are littered with art and bookcases. It just seems that every single house you pass is owned by someone with an interior design degree or the very least an artist of some sort. And thankfully the people of Amsterdam seem to have a phobia against curtains and don’t mind the whole world looking in.
Buildings of differing heights and widths are tightly knit together, all with an overhang that defies geometry. Look up and you’ll see the big hooks on the rooftops – a mechanism used for lifting cargo from canal boats down below. The lean on the house front was to stop the cargo crates from damaging the facades of their homes. Now there’s a nation that takes pride in its appearance.
Notice the little plaques above the doorposts on some of the homes which show the trade of the original homeowners, from a time when not everyone could read – there are over 650 of them preserved across the the city.
There are only 2 original timber houses left in all of Amsterdam, the rest were destroyed in fires, so if you’re in the area look out for Zeedijk 1and Begijnhof 34.The latter also being the oldest house too, dating from 1425.
Taxed for their frontagepeople kept their homes narrow but the house atSingel 7is of anorexic proportions standing at just 1 meter wide.
And finally, at Keizersgracht 123,check out the house with the heads.
And, if you’re looking for a bridge photo-snapping opportunity then head up to the corner of Reguliersgracht and Herengracht and you can see up to 15 of the city’s bridges in one spot!
Visit Ann Frank’s House
A lot of first-timers visiting Amsterdam want to see Ann Frank’s House, so make sure you book your tickets ahead of time if you want to guarantee a spot. It’s always easier to get the earlier slots too if you don’t mind an early start. The museum is held in the building where Ann Frank and her family were in hiding during Nazi occupation. It’s main curation is to display the diaries of this young girl, tell her story and bring more awareness to discrimination, racism and anti-semitism.
Do I think visiting Amsterdam should absolutely mean seeing the Ann Frank Museum? No, I don’t. It’s an interesting museum but personally, I’d recommend reading the Ann Frank Diaries in your own time and spend your Amsterdam weekend break doing more fun things. Just my opinion.
Hire A Bike In Amsterdam
Once you’re beyond the Singelgracht Canal the city begins to look more like your average European metropolis, albeit old and pretty still – with just the occasional canal.
Hiring a bike is easy and riding one even easier – cars and locals are bike-conscious and there are cycle tracks on 99% of the roads. The only thing to look out for is the unsuspecting tourists who occasionally step out into the road in front of you! The city starts to spread out a little bit now so this is a great area to explore on two wheels.
The Albert Cuypmarkt in the De Pijp area of Amsterdam is the largest and most popular market in all of the Netherlands so you’re not going to want to miss it on your Amsterdam weekend break. Whilst the surrounding shops are more of the ethnic and tie-dye variety, your market buys can range from suitcase to shoes, and door knobs to knitting needles. But even if you have no room in your suitcases for an extra dustpan and brush, you’re always going to have room in your belly for the delights on offer here at the ‘Cuyp’. Every corner of the earth’s cuisine is covered and it’s going to be no problem at all if you don’t have an evening reservation anywhere. Fill your boots!
Finish off your day with an evening in the Overhoeks neighborhood across from your hotel, watching crazy people swing from the A’DAM lookout building and sampling a few co*cktails in the pop-up bars.
DAY 2 OF YOUR AMSTERDAM WEEKEND BREAK
Book yourselves tickets to the Van Gogh Museum.Never before have Iever discovered more about an artist as quickly and painlessly – a 2 hour stint in this fantastic museum had me feeling like an old friend of Vincent’s by the end! I implore you topay forthe audio guide – starting on the ground floor and working upwards you travelthrough his life and emerge with a deeper appreciation for one of Holland’s national treasures whilst wrapping your corneas around some of the world’s best preserved art. Along with the National Museum of Denmark and Oxford’s Pitt Rivers I think this museum has now made it into my top 3!
Just around the corner from the Van Gogh Museum is the famous I-Amsterdam sign, I mean, can you even say you’ve had a weekend break to Amsterdam if you’ve not had a photo with the sign? And whilst you’re there you might want to contemplate if you have time for the Rijksmuseum or the Moco (Modern Contemporary) Museum too. I wish we’d had time for the latter as there was an exhibition on Dali andBanksy, both favourites of mine.
Now that you’re all cultured-out, a stone’s throw from the Museums is the famous Vondelpark.It appears that on a Sunday the whole Amsterdamian contingency comes out to play at this picturesque city park. Men in lycra and tourists with cameras litter the grassy knolls, whilst families picnic and cyclists try to pick off pedestrians one by one. Don’t miss the Picasso sculpture just casually hanging around one one of the ponds. And, pizza at Groot Melkhuis, one of the park’s restaurants, is always a good idea.
Check out the nearby neighborhoods of Oud-West and De Pijp, slipping from coffee shop to bar, to unique shops then back to the bar again! These neighbourhoods are really cool and you really get a sense of what the locals do on a weekend in Amsterdam. Back in the central area of the canals, you’re more likely to find yourself rubbing shoulders with hen and stag weekenders but here in the outer rings of Amsterdam you’ll find it a little more cultured and when you step into the De Pijp district you really are with the locals. Bars spill out into the streets and you have to employ ninja stealth to nab yourself a pew, but it’s worth it to order a Heineken and watch the in-crowd noisily discuss their weekend before a new work-week began.
This is also the area for independent little boutiques and concept stores, stuff you just don’t see in shops in the UK, so great for finding an authentic gift or holiday keepsake.
A fabulous way to end your weekend break to Amsterdam is to get back on those hotel bikes and explore the old historic neighborhood of Nieuwendam across the river. Not many tourists bother with this area on their Amsterdam weekends but we think it’s well worth the 15 minute bike ride. Cute little Dutch houses with so much charm and character are interspersed with a few waterside drinking spots where the locals sit and chat in more calmer surroundings than in the hub of Amsterdam. It’s the perfect chilled-out vibe to end a fun-packed busy weekend in Amsterdam.
Practical Information and Tips For A Weekend In Amsterdam
- Getting into Amsterdam : The train runs from the Airport every 10 minutes and costs just under €10 return. Having cash handy for the machines in the exit hall of the airport might be wise as we found that not all of the machineswere working properly andtook credit cards.
- Hiring a bike will cost you about €10 a day but our hotel had some to use for free.
- If you’re travelling with kids or just don’t fancy seeing the Red Light District then it’s the De Wallen area to avoid, primarily the canal that runs up the middle of the rainbow. It’s a relatively small portion of the city and is easily avoided if you so wish.
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