#abroadtips

A couple weeks ago, my girlfriends and I ventured to the Netherlands to visit the beautiful city of Amsterdam! We only had a short time there, however, we felt we hit all the main points of the city we needed to besides the beautiful tulip land located outside of the city.

I thought I might create this post a little differently, using a list format to better explain the most important places you must visit when you’re in Amsterdam.

1.     The Food.  We were lucky enough to stumble into a market close to the Amsterdam letters that featured some of the famous Dutch food we heard so much about. We made sure to have chips (fries in America),  an apple tart, and our favorite stroopwaffle! If you don’t try anything else in Amsterdam, make sure to have the stroopwaffle it was the best tasting sweet – which is saying a lot considering my love for sweets.

2.     Canal Boat Ride. We were able to get a good deal on an hour and a half canal tour through the many canals in Amsterdam. This city is made up of many canals and it really felt like the best way to tour the city since we were on a time crunch. Through this tour, we were able to see important areas and buildings such as the Jewish Quarter and the Nemo Museum that is shaped like a large ship.

3.     Anne Frank House. If you only have minimal time in Amsterdam do NOT forget to visit this museum. It was one of the more powerful museums I have been to and allowed the visitors understand the struggles of the Frank family during WWII before they were found. It allowed for reflection and recognition on how lucky I am to be able to travel and leave the quarters of my home freely.

(photo of the canal outside of the Anne Frank House)

4.     Amsterdam Letters. This will only take you a couple of minutes to check out, located close to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. It is very touristy, but also fun to climb and take a photo on the letters with friends. I furthermore remembered my subtle fear of heights sitting atop one of those letters, which was an experience to say the least.

5.     Museums. As I mentioned above, there are some important museums located close to the I am Amsterdam letters. We visited the Van Gogh museum while we were here, however, if you have more time I would get the Amsterdam weekend pass card and visit the Rijksmuseum and Rembrandt Museums as well. As for the Van Gogh, make sure you book your tickets online so you don’t have to wait in the hours-long line at the door.

6.     Wander Around. Most importantly, I would say you should make time to walk/bike around the city, exploring the different areas that make up Amsterdam such as the Red Light District at night, Leidseplein area, and the city center. Walking around and just exploring different areas of a city really helps you understand the culture and appreciate the way people live.

There are definitely more places to explore if you have more than just two days in Amsterdam, however, these were the most important places that we wanted to see before we had to board our flight back to Florence. Let me know if you have any questions on visiting Amsterdam.