Your Amsterdam and Prague recommendations
May 17, 2018 7:49 PM Subscribe
So, we're off on our belated honeymoon on Saturday to Amsterdam and Prague for 10 days, evenly-ish split between the 2.
We have theoretical itineraries (we like to travel a bit loosey-goosey, so we've got lists of what we want to see and an idea of the best ways/days to do them). Assume we've got the standard museums and sights down (but if you think some of those suck or are do not miss, let me know!), but maybe you know an awesome lesser known museum/restaurant/bar/activity/etc in either place? We like museums, alcohol (although one doesnt like beer), music, bookstores, local crafts, lots of walking, and my favorite thing to do in a new country is visit grocery and drug stores. What shouldn't we miss? And if you know of a great place in Prague to sample a variety of slivovitz and Becherovka that would be sweet.
We have theoretical itineraries (we like to travel a bit loosey-goosey, so we've got lists of what we want to see and an idea of the best ways/days to do them). Assume we've got the standard museums and sights down (but if you think some of those suck or are do not miss, let me know!), but maybe you know an awesome lesser known museum/restaurant/bar/activity/etc in either place? We like museums, alcohol (although one doesnt like beer), music, bookstores, local crafts, lots of walking, and my favorite thing to do in a new country is visit grocery and drug stores. What shouldn't we miss? And if you know of a great place in Prague to sample a variety of slivovitz and Becherovka that would be sweet.
My wife and I had a great time in Prague, but the most memorable day we spent was spent in Kutna Hora, a town less than an hour away by train that is home to a gotta-see-it-to-believe-it ossuary. Seriously, you must go to this place. It's remarkable.
Kutna Hora has a great old beer hall, too, which we loved. You can make a great day trip there.
In Prague, don't forget to gaze at the Building Babies!
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:40 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Kutna Hora has a great old beer hall, too, which we loved. You can make a great day trip there.
In Prague, don't forget to gaze at the Building Babies!
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:40 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
We were in Amsterdam last year and absolutely LOVED Door 74, a craft cocktail bar. If Lauren is still working there, seek her out and sit at the bar.
We also loved Rick Steves' walking tours (there's a free app). He had three for Amsterdam, and we did all of them and enjoyed them all.
If Rick Steves is not your cuppa tea, I do still strongly recommend one of the stops on one of his tours: The restaurant/bar Blue Amsterdam in the Kalvertoren shopping center. It's one of the only tall buildings in the city (tall for Amsterdam—maybe six stories?), thus giving the restaurant, which has panoramic 360° windows, an amazing view of the entire city.
Two restaurants I can highly recommend: Seafood Bar (exactly what it sounds like) and Long Pura, an Indonesian restaurant. That cuisine is pretty uncommon in the U.S., so it's a great treat. Tip: Get the rijsttafel—literally, "rice table"—which is a ton of small dishes that come with rice. You can get it vegetarian, if that's how you roll (and that's how we rolled).
Also, in case you are planning to visit the Anne Frank House, you need to buy tickets online well in advance, otherwise you will wind up having to spend most of the day on a very long line to get day-of tickets.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:52 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
We also loved Rick Steves' walking tours (there's a free app). He had three for Amsterdam, and we did all of them and enjoyed them all.
If Rick Steves is not your cuppa tea, I do still strongly recommend one of the stops on one of his tours: The restaurant/bar Blue Amsterdam in the Kalvertoren shopping center. It's one of the only tall buildings in the city (tall for Amsterdam—maybe six stories?), thus giving the restaurant, which has panoramic 360° windows, an amazing view of the entire city.
Two restaurants I can highly recommend: Seafood Bar (exactly what it sounds like) and Long Pura, an Indonesian restaurant. That cuisine is pretty uncommon in the U.S., so it's a great treat. Tip: Get the rijsttafel—literally, "rice table"—which is a ton of small dishes that come with rice. You can get it vegetarian, if that's how you roll (and that's how we rolled).
Also, in case you are planning to visit the Anne Frank House, you need to buy tickets online well in advance, otherwise you will wind up having to spend most of the day on a very long line to get day-of tickets.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:52 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Will you rent a car at all? I was in Prague at the end of 2015 and got my international driver's license before I went ($15 at AAA). And, was so glad I did. I drove outside the city to more natural areas.
Punka Caves was pretty neat. The beginning of the tour is on foot, but partway through the caves, you board a boat.
And the boat tour takes you to the bottom of the Macocha Abyss. The tour guides spoke only Czech, but we were able to overhear someone else in our group translating some bits for their friend into English. The tour on foot was a bit cheesy (they played music at certain points), but the boat portion tooootally made up for it. Try to sit in the front of one of the boats for an unobstructed view.
Also, this rock city was beautiful too -- Adrspach Rocks. Most of the trail is flat and easy. Though, there are a few spots where you can climb stairs to some pretty views.
As far as being in Prague itself, try hiking to Petrin Tower (you can pay for an elevator to the top or walk up the steps for cheaper -- I walked and loved it). From there, I was able to see the city at night, including Prague Castle, which was all lit up.
St. Vitus Cathedral (inside the walls of Prague Castle) was pretty gorgeous too. The stained glass viewed from the inside was incredibly beautiful.
I never made it the ossuary, like Dr. Wu, but really wish I had. :)
posted by pdxhiker at 10:07 PM on May 17, 2018
Punka Caves was pretty neat. The beginning of the tour is on foot, but partway through the caves, you board a boat.
And the boat tour takes you to the bottom of the Macocha Abyss. The tour guides spoke only Czech, but we were able to overhear someone else in our group translating some bits for their friend into English. The tour on foot was a bit cheesy (they played music at certain points), but the boat portion tooootally made up for it. Try to sit in the front of one of the boats for an unobstructed view.
Also, this rock city was beautiful too -- Adrspach Rocks. Most of the trail is flat and easy. Though, there are a few spots where you can climb stairs to some pretty views.
As far as being in Prague itself, try hiking to Petrin Tower (you can pay for an elevator to the top or walk up the steps for cheaper -- I walked and loved it). From there, I was able to see the city at night, including Prague Castle, which was all lit up.
St. Vitus Cathedral (inside the walls of Prague Castle) was pretty gorgeous too. The stained glass viewed from the inside was incredibly beautiful.
I never made it the ossuary, like Dr. Wu, but really wish I had. :)
posted by pdxhiker at 10:07 PM on May 17, 2018
A car may be useful if you're venturing further afield, but you absolutely do not need one for either city. The public transport is excellent and cheap.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 10:13 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by HiroProtagonist at 10:13 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Jacob Hooy for the pick-and-mix licorice, my god. But if you're really into drug stores, Amsterdam will also expose the big Euro-distinction between somewhere like Etos which is mostly toiletries, and actual pharmacies that fill prescriptions and sell over-the-counter meds. And you should look in HEMA and Albert Heijn and go to the hilariously-named Wynand Fockink.
But: for five days in Amsterdam, you should get out of Amsterdam. (And also get to Noord, but that's easy.) That can mean taking a train to somewhere like Utretcht or Delft or Gouda or Rotterdam which you can do as a day-trip or an overnight, or renting bikes and going to Hoge Veluwe or just riding the fuck out of town.
posted by holgate at 10:22 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
But: for five days in Amsterdam, you should get out of Amsterdam. (And also get to Noord, but that's easy.) That can mean taking a train to somewhere like Utretcht or Delft or Gouda or Rotterdam which you can do as a day-trip or an overnight, or renting bikes and going to Hoge Veluwe or just riding the fuck out of town.
posted by holgate at 10:22 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
The beer drinkers should definitely visit In De Wildeman, an Amsterdam beer cafe that locals actually go to even though it's located right in the middle of tourist country. Similarly, any of the Cafe Gollem locations, or Cafe Belgique. AFAIK, they'll all also have a couple of basic wines as well, and In De Wildeman has whisky and cider, too.
The bar at the American Hotel does good cocktails and it's located just off Leidseplein, which is an area you might find yourself in anyway. Hiding in Plain Sight and Vesper Bar are hipper places for cocktails. In my experience, the cocktails at the SkyLounge on top of the DoubleTree Hotel are okay, but the main appeal there is the balcony view over the city.
Marqt is kind of like Dutch Whole Foods; there are several locations throughout Amsterdam. But the "standard" Dutch grocery store is Albert Heijn. You might also enjoy the Albert Cuyp, a daily outdoor market in De Pijp, which is a slightly less touristed neighborhood. There's also a lot of interesting food shopping in the Haarlemmerbuurt, which isn't far from Centraal Station. If you want to shop for beer, visit De Bierkoning, which is just behind Dam Square. For cheese, try De Kaaskamer, although you can buy good cheese in lots of places. I'd definitely also wander around Spui; the American Bookstore is there, and there are several nice cafes (I recommend De Brabantse Aap).
Museum-wise, everyone I've taken to Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder has enjoyed it. I also like the Hermitage. The Royal Palace is also pretty cool, although you really only see one floor of it.
In Prague, I really enjoyed Dish, which does fancy burgers and beer. I also had a really good meal at Note Bene (also known for their beer).
posted by neushoorn at 12:59 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
The bar at the American Hotel does good cocktails and it's located just off Leidseplein, which is an area you might find yourself in anyway. Hiding in Plain Sight and Vesper Bar are hipper places for cocktails. In my experience, the cocktails at the SkyLounge on top of the DoubleTree Hotel are okay, but the main appeal there is the balcony view over the city.
Marqt is kind of like Dutch Whole Foods; there are several locations throughout Amsterdam. But the "standard" Dutch grocery store is Albert Heijn. You might also enjoy the Albert Cuyp, a daily outdoor market in De Pijp, which is a slightly less touristed neighborhood. There's also a lot of interesting food shopping in the Haarlemmerbuurt, which isn't far from Centraal Station. If you want to shop for beer, visit De Bierkoning, which is just behind Dam Square. For cheese, try De Kaaskamer, although you can buy good cheese in lots of places. I'd definitely also wander around Spui; the American Bookstore is there, and there are several nice cafes (I recommend De Brabantse Aap).
Museum-wise, everyone I've taken to Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder has enjoyed it. I also like the Hermitage. The Royal Palace is also pretty cool, although you really only see one floor of it.
In Prague, I really enjoyed Dish, which does fancy burgers and beer. I also had a really good meal at Note Bene (also known for their beer).
posted by neushoorn at 12:59 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
All entrance to the Anne Frankhuis is now by pre-booked tickets only. There is no longer any lining up for hours.
posted by humboldt32 at 1:38 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by humboldt32 at 1:38 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, if you're walking around Amsterdam and don't feel like a sit down lunch, you can get fresh little mini-sandwiches called broodjes at bakeries and even convenience stores.
If you take the train to Abcoude there's a bike rental place right there and you can have a tranquil ride around immaculate suburban polders and cow pastures bisected by canals.
posted by Morpeth at 1:59 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you take the train to Abcoude there's a bike rental place right there and you can have a tranquil ride around immaculate suburban polders and cow pastures bisected by canals.
posted by Morpeth at 1:59 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hotel U Prince in Prague's Old Town Square has a great rooftop bar for cocktails/beer with spectacular view of Square and astronomical clock (tourist prices of course but worth it for a couple imo).
Vysehrad Castle is less touristy/packed than the main castle, and has a graveyard of the great and the good of Czech, beer garden and a cafe or two scattered about. Well worth it, especially if feeling crowded in town, and gives different views of the city as you walk round the surrounding park. You can get there on the red line of the metro, it is fairly central but feels very peaceful.
posted by Gratishades at 4:35 AM on May 18, 2018
Vysehrad Castle is less touristy/packed than the main castle, and has a graveyard of the great and the good of Czech, beer garden and a cafe or two scattered about. Well worth it, especially if feeling crowded in town, and gives different views of the city as you walk round the surrounding park. You can get there on the red line of the metro, it is fairly central but feels very peaceful.
posted by Gratishades at 4:35 AM on May 18, 2018
I went to Amsterdam a long time ago but one of my enduring memories is stumbling upon a FEBO and buying a snack from the wall.
posted by jabes at 6:46 AM on May 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by jabes at 6:46 AM on May 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
You don't have to like beer to enjoy the view from the Letna Beer Garden in Prague. It's just a nice public park with lots of tables and a beer kiosk. Carry in a pizza from Pizza Letna and gaze out at the city with a mouth full of cheese.
(Also, the nearby museum of technology is surprisingly cool and full of interesting communist-era household stuff.)
posted by Beardman at 8:06 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Also, the nearby museum of technology is surprisingly cool and full of interesting communist-era household stuff.)
posted by Beardman at 8:06 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have eaten at many good restaurants, but I had what was probably the best meal (and restaurant experience) of my life in Amsterdam, at De Kas, a farm to table restaurant set in the city's former municipal greenhouses. We chose to do the chef's table option, which was definitely not cheap but was actually extremely well priced for what we got. Of course, you can also do the less expensive regular options!
We were seated right in the heart of the kitchen, were given a tour of the restaurant's (working) greenhouses, were fed about 12 courses including cheese course and dessert, and the wine pairings (included in the price) were so generous that I had to be poured into a taxi at the end of the evening. We were there for at least five hours. The staff, head chef, and sommelier were all gracious and lovely, and it was very, very memorable.
It is one of my very favourite travel memories, and mr hgg and I still reminisce about it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:56 AM on May 18, 2018
We were seated right in the heart of the kitchen, were given a tour of the restaurant's (working) greenhouses, were fed about 12 courses including cheese course and dessert, and the wine pairings (included in the price) were so generous that I had to be poured into a taxi at the end of the evening. We were there for at least five hours. The staff, head chef, and sommelier were all gracious and lovely, and it was very, very memorable.
It is one of my very favourite travel memories, and mr hgg and I still reminisce about it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:56 AM on May 18, 2018
Amsterdam is perfect for long walks. For what it's worth, I found The Resistance Museum the most interesting thing on the usual tourist list. (Reading first hand accounts of Dutch-identified ethnic Indonesians deciding how to respond to an imminent Japanese invasion was a view of the second world war I'd never considered before.) It's well worth a visit.
Renting a motor boat and having a picnic on the canals is obvious, but also great fun.
Skip the museum of fluorescent art. No amount of mind-altering substances is enough to make the experience worthwhile, except as an anthropological study of wacky museum curators.
posted by eotvos at 9:30 AM on May 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Renting a motor boat and having a picnic on the canals is obvious, but also great fun.
Skip the museum of fluorescent art. No amount of mind-altering substances is enough to make the experience worthwhile, except as an anthropological study of wacky museum curators.
posted by eotvos at 9:30 AM on May 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
There's a nice cheese shop and lots of other shopping on Utrechtsestraat in Amsterdam. If you don't have accommodations yet, I recommend renting a houseboat near here.
You can pop in and have a drink in the Tuschinski Theatre.
Another probably not so welcome beer rec. The Brouweij 't Ij is in a windmill and it has a cute logo.
posted by Duffington at 2:48 PM on May 18, 2018
You can pop in and have a drink in the Tuschinski Theatre.
Another probably not so welcome beer rec. The Brouweij 't Ij is in a windmill and it has a cute logo.
posted by Duffington at 2:48 PM on May 18, 2018
Also, in case you are planning to visit the Anne Frank House, you need to buy tickets online well in advance, otherwise you will wind up having to spend most of the day on a very long line to get day-of tickets.
If you go to the Anne Frank House late - like a few hours before they close, the line is much shorter. Think 45 minutes to an hour. But you're definitely better off buying timed tickets. I also strongly, strongly recommend the rijsttafel. We had ours in Haarlem, but I'm not 100% sure of the place. It might have been De Lachende Javaan. Also the iamsterdam card came in really, really handy. We ended up not needing a ton of metro (and museum) tickets while we were there.
posted by cnc at 4:43 PM on May 18, 2018
If you go to the Anne Frank House late - like a few hours before they close, the line is much shorter. Think 45 minutes to an hour. But you're definitely better off buying timed tickets. I also strongly, strongly recommend the rijsttafel. We had ours in Haarlem, but I'm not 100% sure of the place. It might have been De Lachende Javaan. Also the iamsterdam card came in really, really handy. We ended up not needing a ton of metro (and museum) tickets while we were there.
posted by cnc at 4:43 PM on May 18, 2018
All entrance to the Anne Frankhuis is now by pre-booked tickets only. There is no longer any lining up for hours, even late.
posted by humboldt32 at 3:13 AM on May 19, 2018
posted by humboldt32 at 3:13 AM on May 19, 2018
I visited Prague in 2016. If I had been with folks who liked to walk a lot, I would have taken a bus or an Uber up to Strahov monastery, which I believe is one of the highest points, and then spent a whole day walking down to the river. Visit the monastery, walk down to Prague Castle, spend time there, then wind down into the Mala Strana.
I also love grocery stores in other countries and found that the large supermarket in the underground mall at the Narodni trida metro stop really scratched that itch (3 aisles of just yogurt!).
On a similar note, there is a farmers' market on Saturdays along the river on the embankment off the Radinovo nabr that was just wonderful. Lots of fresh and interesting produce and other farm goods, and plenty of prepared foods (like 3-foot wide skillets full of grilled potatoes and sausages) so you could eat a lovely (and hearty!) breakfast or lunch and take in the scene. (And everyone spoke excellent English and was very happy to talk with us.)
In this same location, on Friday and Saturday nights, there is basically an open-air party--boats pull up alongside the embankment and serve as bars. There was even one that was called The Beach, a barge covered in sand with tiki drinks and beach volleyball. It was great fun to walk through it, even though we weren't partaking.
Finally, a couple of restaurants I especially liked:
Styl & Interier: Right in the middle of a very touristy/busy area, through a gate and into a courtyard, this cafe and home decor shop feels like an oasis! We went here twice for lunch/dessert. You can sit inside or in the lovely grassy garden. Limited menu, but very fresh and tasty.
Cafe Savoy: I don't think this place is a secret, but we went twice. My family goes nuts for desserts so this was very special to us. The entrees were very good too. Go down the stairs toward the restrooms for a neat view into their pastry kitchens. Somewhat expensive; recommendation recommended.
Cafe Lounge: This felt like more of a secret. Somewhat limited menu (though they serve both lunch and dinner), but I thought the food here was remarkable. Very inexpensive (compared to NYC), with outrageously fresh produce and meats cooked in interesting ways. Lovely space (including a small garden). Reservations recommended.
Have a great time!
posted by CiaoMela at 7:50 AM on May 21, 2018
I also love grocery stores in other countries and found that the large supermarket in the underground mall at the Narodni trida metro stop really scratched that itch (3 aisles of just yogurt!).
On a similar note, there is a farmers' market on Saturdays along the river on the embankment off the Radinovo nabr that was just wonderful. Lots of fresh and interesting produce and other farm goods, and plenty of prepared foods (like 3-foot wide skillets full of grilled potatoes and sausages) so you could eat a lovely (and hearty!) breakfast or lunch and take in the scene. (And everyone spoke excellent English and was very happy to talk with us.)
In this same location, on Friday and Saturday nights, there is basically an open-air party--boats pull up alongside the embankment and serve as bars. There was even one that was called The Beach, a barge covered in sand with tiki drinks and beach volleyball. It was great fun to walk through it, even though we weren't partaking.
Finally, a couple of restaurants I especially liked:
Styl & Interier: Right in the middle of a very touristy/busy area, through a gate and into a courtyard, this cafe and home decor shop feels like an oasis! We went here twice for lunch/dessert. You can sit inside or in the lovely grassy garden. Limited menu, but very fresh and tasty.
Cafe Savoy: I don't think this place is a secret, but we went twice. My family goes nuts for desserts so this was very special to us. The entrees were very good too. Go down the stairs toward the restrooms for a neat view into their pastry kitchens. Somewhat expensive; recommendation recommended.
Cafe Lounge: This felt like more of a secret. Somewhat limited menu (though they serve both lunch and dinner), but I thought the food here was remarkable. Very inexpensive (compared to NYC), with outrageously fresh produce and meats cooked in interesting ways. Lovely space (including a small garden). Reservations recommended.
Have a great time!
posted by CiaoMela at 7:50 AM on May 21, 2018
Amsterdam museums:
-You should make sure you have booked ahead for the Van Gogh museum as the place is really heaving.
-As humboldt32 has said, pre-booking for Anne Frank is now mandatory.
-Don't know if you are headed here right now, but don't miss the current exhibition of Dutch masterpieces at the Hermitage. I believe it ends next week.
-My favorite lesser-visited places are the Hortus Botanicus (which has a great cafe) and the Huis Marseille Photography museum
Food:
- Make sure you visit the food markets. If you are interested in food and drink, book a walking tour with either Eating Amsterdam (Jordaan-focused) or Hungry Birds (De Pijp/West) They are both competent outfits that will guide you through the Dutch and international food available here.
- The city center is small and best seen by foot. But do consider grabbing bikes and heading out. You can very quickly see Dutch countryside by either hopping the free ferry and heading North along the coast or biking south along the Amstel river past Amstel park.
posted by vacapinta at 11:21 AM on May 21, 2018
-You should make sure you have booked ahead for the Van Gogh museum as the place is really heaving.
-As humboldt32 has said, pre-booking for Anne Frank is now mandatory.
-Don't know if you are headed here right now, but don't miss the current exhibition of Dutch masterpieces at the Hermitage. I believe it ends next week.
-My favorite lesser-visited places are the Hortus Botanicus (which has a great cafe) and the Huis Marseille Photography museum
Food:
- Make sure you visit the food markets. If you are interested in food and drink, book a walking tour with either Eating Amsterdam (Jordaan-focused) or Hungry Birds (De Pijp/West) They are both competent outfits that will guide you through the Dutch and international food available here.
- The city center is small and best seen by foot. But do consider grabbing bikes and heading out. You can very quickly see Dutch countryside by either hopping the free ferry and heading North along the coast or biking south along the Amstel river past Amstel park.
posted by vacapinta at 11:21 AM on May 21, 2018
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I am surprised by this because it means I have a real good answer for you!
Some years ago I was looking for weird salt (ammonium chloride) in Amsterdam, and ouke directed me to Jacob Hooy, which is basically the perfect old timey pharmacy and I love it.
posted by aubilenon at 8:03 PM on May 17, 2018 [3 favorites]