24 hours in Amsterdam

Sejal Majithia-Jaswal on 09 July 2019
If you find yourself in Amsterdam for the weekend and want to experience the city away from the usual tourist traps, here are a few recommendations from my recent visit to this lovely city.

I stayed with a friend, Choon Mei, who lives in the Bloemgracht (Flower Canal) area of Amsterdam and experienced the city for 24 hours through her favourite places – it always helps to have local knowledge!

Getting to the city from Schiphol Airport.

When you arrive at Schiphol airport, my advice would be to follow the signs to take the train into Centraal Station. The train station is next to the airport, it takes only 20mins into the centre of the city, and costs just €5.50.

Dinner on the waterfront

On Friday night we dined at the Hangar restaurant in Amsterdam North, now a hipster area on the IJ waterfront which is only one stop to Sloterdijk on the train from Centraal Station and hen about a 15-minute walk. The restaurant served delicious, healthy modern European-Dutch food with a Middle Eastern twist, and had a great chilled out vibe.

As well plenty of eateries, this part of Amsterdam is a cultural hotspot - home to the world-renowned EYE Film Museum, and world-class music venues including the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.

On the way back to city, we opted for the Oostveer ferry which is located near the restaurant - a free and wonderful way of seeing the city from a different perspective.

Saturday Brunch

Kessens on Rozengracht, is a Swedish Cafe where they serve tasty brunch. I had the Welsh Rarebit which was a real treat from the usual avocado on toast. If you get one of the outdoor tables, it’s a great way of watching the world go by.

Sightseeing

Around the corner from Choon Mei’s apartment in Bloemgracht is ‘Anne Frank’s House’. Although I didn’t visit it on this occasion, I would highly recommend it, especially if like me you read the book as a child and have an interest in WW2 history. It’s a truly fascinating place. I also recommend buying the tickets well in advance as it’s very popular.

Close to the Anne Frank House is striking Westerkerk - a Protestant Church between the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht. The church dates back to 1631 and standing at 58 metres tall is the largest in the Netherlands.

Westerkerk is mentioned frequently in Anne Frank’s diary, as the clock-face on the tower could be seen from the attic of the house and describes the chiming of the bells as a source of comfort for her family whilst in hiding from the Nazis.

After brunch, we spent the afternoon walking around the trendy Jordaan area starting with the Negan Straatjes (9 streets) where you can find boutique clothes stores, artisan shops selling chocolates, sweets, pancakes, body care products, as well as many antique shops.

From there, we took the tram to the Lindengracht and Noordermarkt. These areas hold large farmers’ markets with an extensive range of artisan produce from fresh fish and meat, organic fruit and vegetables, breads, olives, Dutch pancakes, flowers and even clothes, jewellery, and household goods. Choon Mei shops here on a weekly basis and is very popular among the locals.

Not far from the markets are the Cheese and Tulip museums, both great places to visit and learn more about the different varieties of these most famous of Dutch products.

When you feel like you’ve toured enough why not stop by at the Cafe t’Smalle on Egelantiersgracht and enjoy a beer or two.

Alternatively, if you want great views of the city, you could head to the Skylounge at the Doubletree Hilton for drinks. The Doubletree is just next to Centraal Station and is also a great place to stay if you need accommodation or are heading off on an international cruise from Amsterdam Port.

In fact, cruising from Amsterdam is increasing popular with U.K. customers who want to combine cruising with a city break.

Cheers.