AMSTERDAM: A CITY GUIDE
Hallo again! This is my last city guide in my Belgium and Holland series. Don’t cry, you can always go back and see the other guides any time you like. :) After 5 days spent in Brussels, with day trips out to Ghent and Bruges, we finally left to spend Christmas in Amsterdam. My parents told me we were entering a busy city, full of people and canals. A little change of pace compared to the quaint little cities we had been visiting before, but I was ready to see it all.
Stay-
Pulitzer Hotel-
I read about the Pulitzer a long, long time ago in an article on My Domaine that claimed that this hotel was one of the most beautiful in the world (and most definitely Instagramable). Check and check! We managed to book two rooms during just about the busiest time of year, which was quite an accomplishment. When we arrived I was not disappointed at all by the beauty of the place. The hotel is comprised of a series of connected canal houses, so from the outside it seems to blend in with the rest of the neighborhood. We had the top floor of “The Mustard Jar” house all to ourselves. :)
Canals-
You can’t miss ‘em, but be careful not to fall in ‘em. ;) Did I just create a possible new city motto? I’m getting ahead of myself. But seriously, Amsterdam’s canal system is its defining feature. At night it's even more magical with all of the street lights reflecting off of the water. Our hotel was situated right on the edge of one of the three main canals, so we explored all of them. Unfortunately, we didn’t to ride on a boat, but walking along them was just as fine.
Rijksmuseum-
The Rijksmuseum is equivalent to Paris's Louvre or Florence's Uffizi. It’s a huge museum filled with hundreds of years of art collected by various Dutch royals. One part of this museum that makes it so wonderful is that it is actually organized chronologically, so you really get a sense of what art pieces were made at the same time as others. Of course, Amsterdam’s most famous painter Rembrandt has a large majority of his works here, including the masterpiece “The Night Watch.” This massive painting depicts life-size figures of the royal guard who commissioned the painting from the Dutch master. I managed to squeeze my way to the front and saw the piece in all it’s glory up close. The museum is also home to one of the most beautiful public research libraries in the world. We ended up spending 3 whole hours in this museum!
Van Gogh Museum-
Most of the museums in Amsterdam can be found in the area of the city called Museumplein, including the Van Gogh Museum. This museum contains some of the artist’s earliest works, as well as some of his most famous pieces (think sunflowers, cherry blossoms, self-portraits, and yellow houses).
Musée Van Loon-
The Dutch East India company was an incredibly expansive monopoly on trade of spices and other goods from South Asia and India started by two dutchmen. One of them was Van Loon. Van Loon became incredibly wealthy from his joint-stock company and he used some of his fortune to by his son and his son's wife a house along the canals. This house is now partly a museum, since the Van Loon family still lives in the upper part of the house. This gorgeous mansion has been restored for visiting, and is filled with beautiful furniture from the time Van Loon was throwing elaborate dinner parties Downton Abbey-style here. :)
Anne Frank House-
Visiting the attic where Anne Frank, her family, and other a few others hid from the Nazis authorities in Amsterdam during World War II was a deeply moving and devastating experience that I will never forget. The heart-wrenching journey walking through the hiding place of a girl, her family, and others whose lives were taken too soon sent shivers down my spine, but it also reminded me that history serves a vital purpose in helping the world learn from it’s mistakes.
Béguinage-
The béuinage in Amsterdam is similar to the one I mentioned in my Bruges city guide. It’s much smaller than Bruges’s, but it is still beautifully constructed and also currently occupied. It’s a little haven in the heart of the city.
Flower Market-
Winter doesn’t seem like the ideal time to visit a flower market, and it isn’t, but we still went anyways. Most vendors were selling tulip bulbs, which are actually supposed to be planted in winter so that they bloom in spring. There were some flowers being sold (like the tulips above) as well as a lot of cacti, so it’s not like the place was ONLY bulbs. The area is very pretty to walk through, flowers or no flowers.
Portuguese Synagogue-
The Jewish district of Amsterdam is very small, but has a lot to see. The Portuguese Synagogue for one is absolutely stunning and is still used today. The first services after the Holocaust in Amsterdam were held in this synagogue. Across the way, the Jewish History Museum holds an impressive collection of Hebrew works, and explains the history of the Jewish people’s presence in Amsterdam before and after the war.
Rembrandt’s House-
Rembrandt wasn’t even born in Amsterdam, but in a small town called Leiden 20 minutes outside of the city. The people of Amsterdam think that’s close enough, and I’m not arguing. He lived in this house for close to 20 years working as an art dealer, teacher, and of course, painter. Back in his time, Rembrandt was more famous for his prints which could be mass-produced and sold to the public (as opposed to only the elite who had the $$$ for commissioned work). Now both his paintings and prints are revered worldwide.
Shopping-
The Frozen Fountain-
Interior design freaks rejoice! This upscale design store is the epitome of Amsterdam coolness. It has lots of fun home decor and pretty furniture (that ships internationally)! Our friend who lived in Amsterdam for a while told us it was worth a look so we checked the place out. We didn’t end up buying anything, but it was a lovely store to stroll through.
Catwalk Junkie-
This clothing store is the newest store on the block selling cute shirts, pretty sweaters, and nice pants. I got a few things here that I immediately started wearing. I practically live in my I Ain't Sorry sweatshirt.
It’s a Present!-
This sweet gift shop is filled with all kinds of gadgets and fun presents. I bought a banana patch for Hannah (for obvious reasons), and a dachshund-shaped toothpick holder for my grandma :)
Food-
The Seafood Market-
On Christmas day most restaurants were closed, but fortunately we ran into The Seafood Market. We had some great battered and fried fish, lobster bisque, among other delicious seafood dishes.
’t Zwaantje-
Finding a restaurant with availability on Christmas Eve was actually not as hard as we expected it to be since our hotel was able to book us a last minute table at this local gem. ’t Zwaantje serves very traditional Dutch cuisine in the sweetest and most homey-feeling setting. A combination of the food and the decor made me feel like I was eating at my grandma’s house... you know, if it had a full-scale bar in the back. ;)
Indrapura-
Indonesian food is a big deal in Amsterdam. The colonization of these islands way back in the day led to bit of syncretic culture blending, especially in terms of cuisine. Rijsttafel which translates to “rice table” is a very popular type of food-serving style. It’s similar to how traditional Indian food is served over little fire stoves right on your table. The rijsttafel "tables" are filled with something around 16 little dishes, and the whole table eats family style. Everything we had from Indrapura’s rijsttafel was delicious, some things more incredibly spicy than others. ;)
Lanskroon-
Stroopwafel, a thin, chewy cookie with caramel in between the layers, is a staple dessert in Holland. I discovered stroopwafels back in LA from a food truck on Abbot Kinney. When I found out we were going to Amsterdam I knew I had to find the best stroopwafel the city had to offer. After some careful research I found Lanskroon. The stroopwafels here were much different from what I was used to. These cookies were filled with honey instead of caramel and were also much crunchier. Personally, I prefer the kind I'm used to, but these were definitely not bad at all. We ended up finding a farmer's market with a booth that sold a variation of the cookie that was more like recipe that liked better, so of course I did not leave empty handed. :)
Van Stapele-
Walking out of Lanskroon I smelled something wonderful and faintly like chocolate. I followed my nose to a tiny bakery around the corner from Lanskroon called Van Stapele which serves one type of cookie, and one type of cookie only. The cookie is a fudgey, chocolatey, gooey wonder filled with a rich white chocolate. If that description wasn't mouth watering enough let me stress to you once more that it was AMAZING. My brother bought one fresh out of the oven and it was gone between the two of us in seconds.
Amsterdam is a dazzling city that I would gladly return to one day. It was especially nice to experience it during Christmas and Boxing Day, which is celebrated the day after Christmas (why don't we get two days of vacation in the states?!?!?), leaving the streets empty. The ghost town emptiness did not last throughout the rest of trip though, and the city was back in full swing by the 27th. Oh well, it was great while it lasted minus all the shops being closed. Amsterdam, I’ll be back soon. :)
If any of you have questions about other parts of my trip be sure to shoot me an email on the blog's account (chaiteafortwoblog@gmail.com). I'd be happy to give you a rundown on anything you might be wondering about!
Be sure to remember to check out the other city guides in this series by clicking on the city names below!
xoxo,
Emma