Amster-damn you, Arthritis!

July 18, 2018 3:43 AM

Can you recommend some sitting-intensive activities in Amsterdam and/or Rotterdam for a traveller with limited mobility and limited capacity to stand?

I’ve visited Amsterdam a few times before, so I feel like I have a good sense of the city and how to get around, but when I visit next week I’m specifically hoping to find some neat things to do that won’t strain my arthritic joints too badly. I can walk, but not for more than 5 minutes or so without being uncomfortable, and that’s about as long as I can stand comfortably as well. On this trip I’ll be staying pretty close to the Central Station in Amsterdam and making at least one day trip to Rotterdam by train.

I know a lot of museums and other attractions might lend wheelchairs and things like that, but my question is not so much about accessibility options as about finding things to do where accessibility isn’t an issue at all. Performances or talks to see, places to dine, points of interest or shops that are very close to mass-transit lines...

My main interests are food, urban history, pop-culture, kitsch, modern art, cannabis, science and technology, and pretty much anything that’s quirky, colourful and exuberant.

I suppose in some ways this is just a general “What can I do on holiday” question with an overlay of “how do I use my legs as little as possible”.

I’m also keen on a cinema recommendation as I’d like to go see Ant-Man & The Wasp since it hasn’t come out yet in my country but will be out in the Netherlands during my visit. I love a nice modern multiplex as much as a retro/vintage cinema experience.

Thanks in advance!

posted by chudmonkey to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)

The Pathe Tuschinski is a gorgeous cinema in central Amsterdam, shows the big films.
posted by biffa at 4:20 AM on July 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

If you've not done this before, you should take a canal boat trip while in Amsterdam. I know it sounds cheesy but it's actually quite nice.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:25 AM on July 18, 2018 [5 favorites]

Ooh, Amsterdam is not a good city for the mobility challenged. You'll want to make sure you plan ahead and book museum tickets online when possible (so you have a set entrance time, and will limit your time waiting in line). The Stedelijk museum (modern art) has wheelchairs, maybe the Rijksmuseum too, but I'm not aware of them at other museums. Smaller, kitchier museums will likely have (lots of) stairs (maybe some lifts, but don't count on it). They may be able to make accommodations for you with advance notice and planning. I would budget for pedicabs around the center to limit walking. They aren't cheap, but even walking between tram/bus stops will be more than your comfortable 5 minutes. Taxis are good for longer trips, but a major pain in the center (and you can't hail them from the street). You could also look into renting a mobility scooter while you're in town.

Canal boat tours are a low-walk option. You could look for bus tours just outside of town (Zaanse Schans is about as Dutch kitsch as you can get), but you'll still need to walk at each location.

If you like movies, you'll want to see one at the Tuschinski theater. It's now run by Pathe (a movie chain), but the building alone is worth the ticket price. Make sure you get a movie in the Groote Zaal (the big, main theater), or one of the private boxes if you're feeling fancy.
posted by PosterGirlwithNoPoster at 4:31 AM on July 18, 2018

Nthing the canal boat tours. I don't normally like touristy stuff, but my whole vacation group LOVED the canal boat tours. (Only if the weather is nice, though!)
posted by nosila at 6:41 AM on July 18, 2018

Similarly, there's a tour of the Rotterdam harbour area.
posted by farlukar at 7:20 AM on July 18, 2018

Find a brown cafe you like and sit outside and drink beer and eat bitterballen as long as you want. If you go to het Spui there's a bookstore with an English-language section right across from several cafes - hope you have sunny weather!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:32 AM on July 18, 2018

I spend 3 months every year living in Amsterdam. Most of that time is spent sitting on the terras (sidewalk cafes) drinking beer, eating fried snacks and watching the world go by. The city is essentially composed of such places. There's always one nearby.

Enjoy Mokum.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:15 AM on July 18, 2018

Also I really like The Movies on Haarlemmerdijk. There's a small cafe attached where you can have dinner or snacks.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:19 AM on July 18, 2018

In the Oud-West there is a delightful food hall, FoodHallen, and accompanying cinema, FilmHallen, in the same old sprawling building, take the 7 or 17 tram down Kinkerstraat to Ten Katestraat.

It can get crowded at peak times but there is a lot of seating and a sit-down restaurant as well as food/drink stands.
posted by gyusan at 10:39 AM on July 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Sit yourself down for a few moments in a shop that sells CBD oil, and discover freedom from joint pain.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 8:04 PM on July 18, 2018

In Rotterdam, Witte de Withstraat is the place to be for nice and/or quirky bars and restaurants. Go to Wunderbar for quirky or Jaffa for the best Kapsalon.

Maybe take the historic tram tour.

Kino is a good cinema if it turns out you want to watch a movie in Rotterdam.
posted by Kosmob0t at 11:58 PM on July 18, 2018