2009 Destination Amsterdam - Weekends, Holidays and City Breaks

Amsterdam Canal Cruise

If you have a limited amount of time available while you are in Amsterdam, then the No. 1 “must do” has to be an Amsterdam canal cruise. You will see lots of sights from what is arguably the defining feature of Amsterdam. You can take an open topped boat or even pedal your own way round on a “canal bike” and see a myriad of Amsterdam’s sights in a short time. If you want to travel alone, you can rent a guided canal boat. You will enjoy browsing the tree-lined neighbourhoods, the array of houseboats, early 17th century mansions and fabulous bridges. The architecture of Amsterdam is absolutely stunning and ranges from medieval to modern. Particularly recommended are sunset and night cruises. If you want to simply get around town on the water, then you can hop on and off the canal bus - a most convenient way to get around the Venice of the North.

The Rijksmuseum

The fabulous Rjksmuseum showcases the finest collection of early Dutch works of art, featuring paintings by Dutch masters Vermeer, Frans, Hals and Rembrandt, as well as an amazing collection of Delftware and silver. While you are there, don’t miss Vermeer’s famous Milkmaid.

The Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is essential viewing for visitors to Amsterdam. It houses the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world from his Potato Eaters right up to the last few months of his life spent in France and reflects his changing moods throughout his life. The art is well displayed to enable you to get up close to these fascinating works of one of the worlds best loved but troubled artists.

Oude Kerk

This huge old protestant church with little houses clinging to its sides remains a calm haven in the heart of the renowned Red Light District. Its buildings, particularly the Gothic-renaissance style octagonal bell tower, were used by sailors in years gone by for navigation.

The Magere Brug

The Magere Brug, otherwise known as “Skinny Bridge” is the most well-known of Amsterdam’s 1280 bridges. Originally built in 1670 it was later replaced with a wider bridge to cope with the traffic. It is a traditional Dutch drawbridge connecting the banks of the river Amstel. Approximately every twenty minutes, the bridge master opens up the bridge to let boats pass through.

Anne Frank’s House

You can visit the house where the young Anne Frank wrote her famous diary which tells of a young Jewish girl hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam during World War II. Part of the tour includes a visit inside the secret annex where Anne and her family hid away. Seeing this house is an extremely moving experience and a time for reflection. The original diary is on display. It is recommended that you visit early in the day to avoid the crowds.

The Butterfly Pavilion

You can pay a visit to the largest butterfly pavilion in the Netherlands where butterflies flutter through the air and settle on colourful flowers whilst visitors can wander around and enjoy their beauty. Depending on the season, the pavilion houses between 20 and 30 carefully chosen species of butterfly including the spectacular Blue Morpho and the Hawk Moth.

Albert Cuyp Market

The Albert Cuyp Market is a “must do” visit for tourists who enjoy jostling their way around bustling, colourful markets. This open air market is 100 years old and has nearly 300 stalls offering fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, chocolate, cheese, plants, clothes, jewellery, shoes, bedding, fabric and cosmetics. It is very cheap and is a good place to buy reasonably priced flowers.