Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam

Introduction

Map: Amsterdam

About this Book

Amsterdam by Neighborhood

Key to this Book

Map: Amsterdam’s Neighborhoods

Amsterdam at a Glance

Planning Your Time

Daily Reminder

Amsterdam of the Golden Age (the 1600s) was the world’s richest city. And it’s still a wonderland of canals, stately brick mansions, and carillons chiming from church spires. But the city is also a completely modern, progressive place of 820,000 people and almost as many bikes. Visitors will find no end of world-class sights: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Rembrandt’s self-portraits, and Anne Frank’s secret hiding place.

Enjoy the city’s intimate charms. Stroll quiet neighborhoods, browse bookshops, sample exotic foods, and let a local show you the right way to swallow a pickled herring. With legal marijuana and prostitution, Amsterdam exudes an earthy spirit of live and let live. Consider yourself warned...or titillated. Take it all in, then pause to watch the clouds blow past gabled rooftops—and see the Golden Age reflected in a quiet canal.

About This Book

With this book, I’ve selected only the best of Amsterdam—admittedly, a tough call. The core of the book is six self-guided tours that zero in on Amsterdam’s greatest sights and neighborhoods. The Amsterdam City Walk takes you through the heart of the city, giving you the lay of the land. At the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, you’ll see all the essentials with time left over for browsing. You’ll go window-shopping in the racy Red Light District, meander the tree-lined canals of the Jordaan, and visit the Anne Frank House for insight into her tragic—but ultimately uplifting—story.

The rest of the book is a traveler’s tool kit. You’ll find plenty more about Amsterdam’s attractions, from shopping to nightlife to less touristy sights. And there are helpful hints on saving money, avoiding crowds, getting around on Amsterdam’s trams, finding a great meal, and much more.

If you’d like more information than this Pocket Guide offers, I’ve sprinkled the book liberally with web references. For general travel tips—as well as updates for this book—see ricksteves.com.

Amsterdam by Neighborhood

Amsterdam’s Central Station (Amsterdam Centraal) sits on the north edge of the city. From here, the city spreads out like a fan in a series of concentric canals. Damrak is the main north-south axis, connecting Central Station with Dam Square, the city’s main square. Farther south are Leidseplein (nightlife) and the major museums (Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh).

To walk north-south through the sightseeing core—from Central Station to Dam Square to Leidseplein to the Rijksmuseum—takes about an hour.

Think of Amsterdam as a series of neighborhoods, cradling major landmarks.

Central Amsterdam: The historic core lies between Central Station and the Mint Tower/Singel canal, with Dam Square in the center. The central spine of streets (Damrak, Kalverstraat, Rokin) bustles with modern chain stores and tourist sights. To the east of Damrak is the city’s oldest neighborhood (De Wallen)—now the Red Light District.

West Amsterdam: West of Damrak is a pleasant area known for its four grand, tree-lined canals. Here you’ll find the Anne Frank House, boutique shops, and many of my recommended hotels and restaurants. Farther west is the quieter, cozier (and mostly residential) Jordaan neighborhood.

Southern Canal Belt: The next ring of canals south of the historic core is spacious and dotted sparsely with a few intimate museums, antique shops, and recommended B&Bs. Rowdy Leidseplein anchors the lower corner.

Southwest Amsterdam: The city’s major art museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Stedelijk) and other sights cluster together on an expansive square called Museumplein. A short walk away is Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s version of a Central Park. While less central, Southwest Amsterdam is easily reached by tram, so I’ve recommended some good-value hotels.

Southeast Amsterdam: Stretching from the edge of the Old City Center to the very outskirts, this neighborhood has a number of interesting sights, especially in the former Jewish Quarter. You’ll find Rembrandt’s House, a flea market, the Hermitage Amsterdam, and several Jewish-themed sights. Farther southeast (accessible by tram) are some Nazi-era sights, a zoo, and a botanical garden.

Northeast Amsterdam: East of Central Station is the newly revitalized waterfront, with the Central Library, the Netherlands Maritime Museum, and a children’s science museum (NEMO).

Planning Your Time

The following day-plans give an idea of how much an organized, motivated, and caffeinated person can see. Amsterdam deserves at least three full sightseeing days.

Day 1: Follow my self-guided Amsterdam City Walk, which takes you from the train station to Leidseplein. After lunch, enjoy a relaxing canal-boat cruise. In the evening (when it’s least crowded), tour the Anne Frank House.

Day 2: Visit Amsterdam’s two outstanding art museums, located next to each other: the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. In the evening, stroll the Red Light District for some memorable window-shopping.

Day 3: Choose a few of these fine sights that cluster together: Amstelkring (hidden church), Rembrandt’s House, Waterlooplein flea market, Gassan Diamonds (polishing demo), Willet-Holthuysen Museum, Jewish Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, or Dutch Resistance Museum. In the afternoon, take my self-guided Jordaan Walk, and enjoy dinner in the Jordaan neighborhood.

With more time: There are plenty more small museums to visit in Amsterdam—find suggestions in the Sights chapter. Or day-trip to nearby towns such as Haarlem, Delft, or Edam.

These are busy day-plans, so be sure to schedule in slack time for picnics, laundry, people-watching, leisurely dinners, shopping, and recharging your touristic batteries. Slow down and be open to unexpected experiences and the courtesy of the Dutch people.

Quick Tips: Here are a few tips to get you started. (You’ll find more information on these topics throughout the book.) Reserve your hotel as soon as is feasible, because Amsterdam is crowded from mid-March through September. To avoid long lines, consider booking in advance for the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, and Van Gogh Museum. Since opening hours are variable, get the latest information from museum websites, at iamsterdam.com, or from local publications when you arrive. A sightseeing pass, which covers admission to many sights and lets you skip ticket-buying lines, can be worthwhile for busy sightseers. Take advantage of my free Amsterdam audio tours, covering many of this book’s sights. (For more details, see here.)

And finally, remember that although Amsterdam’s sights can be crowded and stressful, the city itself is all about gentility and grace, so...be flexible.

Have a great trip!

Amsterdam City Walk

From Central Station to Leidseplein

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ORIENTATION

THE WALK BEGINS

1 Central Station

2 Damrak

Map: Amsterdam City Walk

3 Stock Exchange

4 Dam Square

5 Royal Palace

6 New Church

7 Kalverstraat

8 De Papegaai Hidden Church

9 Amsterdam Museum and Civic Guard Gallery

10 Begijnhof

11 From Spui to the Mint Tower

12 The Mint Tower

13 Flower Market

14 Koningsplein

15 Leidsestraat, Part I: Canals

16 Leidsestraat, Part II: Shops

17 Leidseplein

Take a Dutch sampler walk from one end of the old center to the other, tasting all that Amsterdam has to offer along the way. It’s your best single stroll through quintessentially Dutch scenes: picturesque canals, hidden churches, surprising shops, thriving happy-hour hangouts, and eight centuries of history.

The walk starts at Central Station, heads down touristy Damrak to Dam Square, and continues south down pedestrian-only Kalverstraat to the Mint Tower. Then it wafts through the flower market, before continuing south to busy Leidseplein. To return to Central Station, catch tram #2 or #5 from Leidseplein.

ORIENTATION M

Length of This Walk: About 2.5 miles—allow 2.5 hours.

When to Go: Best by day, when sights are open.

Bike Rental: To make this “walk” a much faster “roll,” rent a bike in Central Station (MacBike—see here).

Alert: Beware of silent trams (don’t walk on tracks) and yield to bikes.

WCs: Try fast-food places (generally €0.30) and near the entrance to the Amsterdam Museum.

Royal Palace: €7.50, daily 11:00-17:00 but often closed for official business.

New Church: Free to view from gift-shop balcony, special exhibits-€8-15, daily 10:00-17:00.

De Papegaai Hidden Church: Free, daily 10:00-16:00.

Civic Guard Gallery: Free, daily 10:00-17:00.

Amsterdam Museum: €10, Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00.

Begijnhof: Free and always open (though churches have sporadic hours).

Audio Tour: You can download this chapter as a free Rick Steves audio tour (see here).

THE WALK BEGINS M

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1 Central Station M

Here, where today’s train travelers enter the city, sailors of yore disembarked from seagoing ships. They were met by street musicians, pickpockets, hotel-runners, and ladies carrying red lanterns. Central Station, built in the late 1800s, sits on reclaimed land at what was once the harbor mouth. The station, with warm red brick and prickly spires, is the first of several Neo-Gothic buildings we’ll see from the late 1800s, built during Amsterdam’s economic revival. One of the towers has a clock dial; the other tower’s dial is a weathervane. Watch the hand twitch as the wind gusts in every direction—N, Z, O, and W.

Let’s get oriented: noord, zuid, oost, and west. Facing the station, you’re facing north. Farther north, on the other side of the station, is the IJ (pronounced “eye”), the body of water that gives Amsterdam access to the open sea.

Now turn around 180 degrees and, with your back to the station, face the city, looking south. The city spreads out before you like a fan, in a series of concentric canals. Ahead of you stretches the street called Damrak, which leads to Dam Square a half-mile away. That’s where we’ll be heading. To the left of Damrak is the city’s old (oude) town. More recently, that historic neighborhood has become the Red Light District ( see the Red Light District Walk). The big church towering above the old part of town is St. Nicholas Church. It was built in the 1880s, when Catholics—after about three centuries of oppression—were finally free to worship in public. To the right of Damrak is the new (nieuwe) part of town, where you’ll find the Anne Frank House and the peaceful Jordaan neighborhood.

The train station is the city’s transportation hub. Trams and taxis leave from out front (expect construction due to expansion of the metro). Across the street from the station is the city’s main TI, marked by a VVV sign.

On your far right, in front of the Ibis Hotel, is a huge, multistory bikes-only parking garage. Biking in Holland is the way to go—the land is flat, distances are short, and there are designated bike paths everywhere. This bike parking garage is completely free, courtesy of the government, and intended to encourage this green and ultra-efficient mode of transportation.

Let’s head out. With your back to Central Station, start walking south from the station into the city, to the top of Damrak.

Again, be careful of trams, bikes, and cars. When you reach the head of Damrak, keep going straight, following the crowds south on Damrak, walking along the right side of the street.

2 Damrak M

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This street was once a riverbed. It’s where the Amstel River flowed north into the IJ, which led to a vast inlet of the North Sea called the Zuiderzee. It’s this unique geography that turned Amsterdam into a center of trade. Boats could sail up the Amstel into the interior of Europe, or out to the North Sea, to reach the rest of the world.

Today, the Amstel is channeled into canals and its former mouth is covered by the Central Station. But Amsterdam still remains a major seaport. That’s because, in the 19th century, the Dutch dug the North Sea canal. These days, more than 100,000 ships a year dock on the outskirts of Amsterdam, making it Europe’s fourth-busiest seaport (including giant cruise ships). For all of Amsterdam’s existence, it’s been a trading center.