What did you enjoy in Amsterdam?
June 21, 2023 12:59 PM Subscribe
Help me plan my week in Amsterdam in July!
There will be two of us, myself and a teen, and we already booked our tickets to the Rijksmuseum and to the Corrie ten Boom house (in Haarlem). We'd like to also do a canal boat tour and maybe go to Zaanse Schans but I did not want to book/schedule everything so as to give us some unstructured time to explore or sit around in a park or cafe sometimes. What low-key things could we enjoy otherwise?
The teen is into art and philosophy and bookstores. I am into bookstores, crafts, toy shops, reading in cafes, and 70 degree weather. If it's not too hot we will probably just walk around but I am truly miserable if it's hot and stuffy and so ideas for where to go to escape the heat are very welcome.
The teen is into art and philosophy and bookstores. I am into bookstores, crafts, toy shops, reading in cafes, and 70 degree weather. If it's not too hot we will probably just walk around but I am truly miserable if it's hot and stuffy and so ideas for where to go to escape the heat are very welcome.
some unstructured time to explore or sit around in a park or cafe sometimes
The outdoor garden/patio at the Blauwe Theehuis cafe is a great relaxeing spot to sit and people watch in the Vondelpark.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:10 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
The outdoor garden/patio at the Blauwe Theehuis cafe is a great relaxeing spot to sit and people watch in the Vondelpark.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:10 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
For your canal boat tour, consider MeFi faves Those Dam Boat Guys. Smaller boats, more interesting tours, casual/informal/funny style.
Check out the Mouse Mansion, it's incredibly dear and fascinatingly detailed.
We stayed in the Jordaan District and it was a great place for just strolling cool streets. Lots and lots of small shops, cool diverse restaurants, farmers' markets, happenings by day and night.
posted by Miko at 1:12 PM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
Check out the Mouse Mansion, it's incredibly dear and fascinatingly detailed.
We stayed in the Jordaan District and it was a great place for just strolling cool streets. Lots and lots of small shops, cool diverse restaurants, farmers' markets, happenings by day and night.
posted by Miko at 1:12 PM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
The bookstore Boekie Woekie is simply a delight. Art books and one-of-a-kinds you will find only there.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Van Gogh Museum is right there, of course.
The Vondelpark is a pleasant green space for sitting and contemplating or people-watching.
The Spinoza museum looks to be about an hour and fifteen minutes away by public transit, but I haven't been.
There are a number of historic churches, though of course usually in the plain Dutch style. The Oude Kerk is now largely a contemporary art museum, and the climb to the top of the tower is fun. (Note that it's right by the red light district and the "coffee shops," so don't wander too far if you're concerned about your teen getting an eyeful of something, though I don't think there are really safety issues per se.) The Nieuwe Kerk also has some exhibits.
posted by praemunire at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2023
The Vondelpark is a pleasant green space for sitting and contemplating or people-watching.
The Spinoza museum looks to be about an hour and fifteen minutes away by public transit, but I haven't been.
There are a number of historic churches, though of course usually in the plain Dutch style. The Oude Kerk is now largely a contemporary art museum, and the climb to the top of the tower is fun. (Note that it's right by the red light district and the "coffee shops," so don't wander too far if you're concerned about your teen getting an eyeful of something, though I don't think there are really safety issues per se.) The Nieuwe Kerk also has some exhibits.
posted by praemunire at 1:15 PM on June 21, 2023
Oudemanhuispoort (M-Sat 9:30 to 6ish) and Boekenmarkt op het Spui (Fridays 9-6) are two famous second hand book markets that are of course mostly in Dutch, but might be fun for book fans to browse through.
posted by wakannai at 1:20 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by wakannai at 1:20 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seconding the Dam Boat Guys for your canal tour. We took the MeFi recommendation and loved it with our pre-teen.
I found the downtown biking situation intimidating tbh but the tram was easy to figure out, cheap, clean and fast.
posted by nkknkk at 1:23 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I found the downtown biking situation intimidating tbh but the tram was easy to figure out, cheap, clean and fast.
posted by nkknkk at 1:23 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
The library (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam - OBA) has a nice balcony with good views and there is food on the top floor. Ride the free ferries on the back side of Centraal station for more cool views. They are not really low key when they are crowded, but it is a short ride and you get right back on and ride back if you want to.
posted by soelo at 1:26 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by soelo at 1:26 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
The biggest hit with our teen was a night at Boom Chicago, the English-language improv theater that launched Jason Sudeikis, Jordan Peele, Amber Ruffin, Seth Meyers, Brendan Hunt, and others. The comedy was PG-13-ish, very funny, not overly problematic, and energetic. With a kid in tow, it was nice to have something to do later in the evening that wasn't booze or cannabis-based.
We also enjoyed the Dutch Resistance Museum which is compelling and kind of interactive even as its also not particularly crowded and tour-at-your-own-pace.
The Amsterdam Duck Store, which sells so many kinds of rubber ducks, was a hit for picking up souvenirs for friends.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:09 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
We also enjoyed the Dutch Resistance Museum which is compelling and kind of interactive even as its also not particularly crowded and tour-at-your-own-pace.
The Amsterdam Duck Store, which sells so many kinds of rubber ducks, was a hit for picking up souvenirs for friends.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:09 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Anne Frank House was a powerful, moving experience when I was there 20+ years ago.
posted by mmascolino at 3:00 PM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 3:00 PM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
Indonesian food; there's some wicked rendang if you look for it (my recs on this are too old to be useful)
posted by aramaic at 3:10 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by aramaic at 3:10 PM on June 21, 2023
Electric Ladyland, the museum of fluorescent art is in Jordaan and very cool. There's also an art gallery upstairs.
posted by goo at 3:54 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by goo at 3:54 PM on June 21, 2023
The Embassy of the Free Mind museum is the home of a world famous library on philosophy / hermetism.
posted by rjs at 4:53 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by rjs at 4:53 PM on June 21, 2023
Lemme just drop a link here to one of my previous AskMe answers regarding some of the outdoor markets I visited and enjoyed last time I was in Amsterdam in 2019.
posted by mhum at 4:57 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mhum at 4:57 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I want to second Boekie Woekie! I stumbled on it many years ago and it's so great. Based on what you said you both like, seems like a must visit. Easy too as it's in a part of town with lots of stuff so it doesn't have to be a special trip etc
posted by wooh at 4:59 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by wooh at 4:59 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and the Jewish cultural quarter are all within walking distance of each other, and they're in a part of the city with its own unique flavor.
posted by rjs at 5:00 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rjs at 5:00 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
You can hire your own dinghy with an electric outboard and explore the canals yourself. Can be a little hairy if you go under a dark bridge and find a tour-boat coming the other way, but it's still awesome fun. I think the place we used was called "Canal Motorboats", Zandhoek 22, 1013 KT Amsterdam.
posted by pompomtom at 6:04 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by pompomtom at 6:04 PM on June 21, 2023
The zoo is fantastic!
posted by soundslikeobiwan at 11:23 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by soundslikeobiwan at 11:23 PM on June 21, 2023
Another vote for hiring bikes. It is,IMHO, the best shorthand way of understanding what the city is all about. It is also, by careful design, a safe way of getting about.
I’d vote for the library also: because it’s a great place to encounter locals. Many other venues are also great but are for tourists.
posted by rongorongo at 12:57 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’d vote for the library also: because it’s a great place to encounter locals. Many other venues are also great but are for tourists.
posted by rongorongo at 12:57 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My spouse and I are a bookish couple who live in Amsterdam and spend lots of time just enjoying the city, walking around, sitting in cafes or by canals.
I want to third Dam Boat Guys for your canal tour. They are the guys I've used when my family visit. They run small boats of no more than 8 people and are fun, chatty folks.
Here are my favorite book places in the city:
Athenaeum Boekhandel: Right in the city center. They have books in Dutch but also in English and its all very well curated. Their (English-language) Zine section is really interesting and eclectic. There's also a very large English-language bookstore called ABC (American Book Center) across the street, no different than any big bookstore in the US, I think. The Spui is a great place to just sit and let the world go by while people watching. Recommend Cafe Luxembourg for this.
Konig Books at the Stedelijk Museum: Art books mainly. The Stedelijk is a great modern art museum right on Museumplein near the Rijksmuseum. They really should be better known. There's a great exhibition right now on the Pre-Modern and also a display of a Keith Haring mural that he made for them. Tip: The Stedelijk has Air Conditioning if its getting too hot for you.
Enter-Enter: A tiny space for Art books and Zines near the Hermitage. Worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. The Hermitage, next door, is a museum but also has a really relaxing cafe/courtyard within its walls that anyone can visit.
Architectura Natura: I love this place. Art books. Nature books. Urbanism and Architecture. It is in a lively part of the canal district, near the Anne Frank house. (Note: Even if you can't get tickets to Anne Frank you can still go and see the house from the outside) I like to shop for books and then grab coffee from Il Momento and sit by the statue of Multatuli.
San Seriffe: I have never been able to figure out their opening hours. This place sits in an impossibly narrow alley in the oldest part of Amsterdam near the Oude Kerk. Fantastic curation of obscure or small press Art books. I do recommend visiting the Oude Kerk. It is a peaceful place and the oldest building in Amsterdam. Rembrandt was married there. You can see his wife's gravestone inside the church. Cafe stop: Koffie Schenkerij - a cafe built right into the Oude Kerk which also has great coffee and cake.
Embassy of the Free Mind: Someone else has already brought this up. Housed in a beautiful old canal house, there's an eclectic library (think philosophy, occult etc) you can visit and usually a book display. We like to go here, grab a tea and sit in the back garden full of flowers.
The Book Exchange: Second hand English language books. Apparently there are so few of these in Europe that this place is a big stop for young Europeans learning English. Extra book tip: If you leave this bookstore, walking south on Kloveniersburgwal, look out for a narrow alley which usually has second-hand booksellers there too. It is before you reach the Poetry bookshop , Boekhandel Perdu. Secret cafe nearby: The cafe inside the Droog building.
A few more random things since I can't resist: Maps Exhibition at the Allard Pierson. Great museum totally overlooked by tourists. Books about Amsterdam at the StadsArchief. RembrandtHuis - The house where Rembrandt lived and worked. You can see where his students also worked. Huis Marseille - A photography museum set in two airy, beautiful canal houses.
I could go on but I'll stop since Amsterdam is a great place to explore and discover as well. If you really enjoy biking then thats an option but, honestly, its such a small city that I think that walking, along with trams, is a fine way to take your time and explore the city.
Descartes and Spinoza were both here and there are self-guided walking tours. I love the Spinoza statue near the Opera House.
Have fun! Feel free to MefiMail me if you have any questions!
posted by vacapinta at 1:16 AM on June 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
I want to third Dam Boat Guys for your canal tour. They are the guys I've used when my family visit. They run small boats of no more than 8 people and are fun, chatty folks.
Here are my favorite book places in the city:
Athenaeum Boekhandel: Right in the city center. They have books in Dutch but also in English and its all very well curated. Their (English-language) Zine section is really interesting and eclectic. There's also a very large English-language bookstore called ABC (American Book Center) across the street, no different than any big bookstore in the US, I think. The Spui is a great place to just sit and let the world go by while people watching. Recommend Cafe Luxembourg for this.
Konig Books at the Stedelijk Museum: Art books mainly. The Stedelijk is a great modern art museum right on Museumplein near the Rijksmuseum. They really should be better known. There's a great exhibition right now on the Pre-Modern and also a display of a Keith Haring mural that he made for them. Tip: The Stedelijk has Air Conditioning if its getting too hot for you.
Enter-Enter: A tiny space for Art books and Zines near the Hermitage. Worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. The Hermitage, next door, is a museum but also has a really relaxing cafe/courtyard within its walls that anyone can visit.
Architectura Natura: I love this place. Art books. Nature books. Urbanism and Architecture. It is in a lively part of the canal district, near the Anne Frank house. (Note: Even if you can't get tickets to Anne Frank you can still go and see the house from the outside) I like to shop for books and then grab coffee from Il Momento and sit by the statue of Multatuli.
San Seriffe: I have never been able to figure out their opening hours. This place sits in an impossibly narrow alley in the oldest part of Amsterdam near the Oude Kerk. Fantastic curation of obscure or small press Art books. I do recommend visiting the Oude Kerk. It is a peaceful place and the oldest building in Amsterdam. Rembrandt was married there. You can see his wife's gravestone inside the church. Cafe stop: Koffie Schenkerij - a cafe built right into the Oude Kerk which also has great coffee and cake.
Embassy of the Free Mind: Someone else has already brought this up. Housed in a beautiful old canal house, there's an eclectic library (think philosophy, occult etc) you can visit and usually a book display. We like to go here, grab a tea and sit in the back garden full of flowers.
The Book Exchange: Second hand English language books. Apparently there are so few of these in Europe that this place is a big stop for young Europeans learning English. Extra book tip: If you leave this bookstore, walking south on Kloveniersburgwal, look out for a narrow alley which usually has second-hand booksellers there too. It is before you reach the Poetry bookshop , Boekhandel Perdu. Secret cafe nearby: The cafe inside the Droog building.
A few more random things since I can't resist: Maps Exhibition at the Allard Pierson. Great museum totally overlooked by tourists. Books about Amsterdam at the StadsArchief. RembrandtHuis - The house where Rembrandt lived and worked. You can see where his students also worked. Huis Marseille - A photography museum set in two airy, beautiful canal houses.
I could go on but I'll stop since Amsterdam is a great place to explore and discover as well. If you really enjoy biking then thats an option but, honestly, its such a small city that I think that walking, along with trams, is a fine way to take your time and explore the city.
Descartes and Spinoza were both here and there are self-guided walking tours. I love the Spinoza statue near the Opera House.
Have fun! Feel free to MefiMail me if you have any questions!
posted by vacapinta at 1:16 AM on June 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
The Hague is nice train ride away and they have the Escher museum.
(+1 on stuff suggested by others: biking outside of Amsterdam (to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel for example), Indonesian food(the one in Ouderkerk is a bit pricey but fantastic), and if you're near there, the top floor of the Amsterdam Library is nice for the view and a bite to eat.)
posted by Spumante at 1:42 AM on June 22, 2023
(+1 on stuff suggested by others: biking outside of Amsterdam (to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel for example), Indonesian food(the one in Ouderkerk is a bit pricey but fantastic), and if you're near there, the top floor of the Amsterdam Library is nice for the view and a bite to eat.)
posted by Spumante at 1:42 AM on June 22, 2023
When you are at the Rijksmuseum, check out the Rijksmuseum gardens and also the garden of the nearby modern art museum. They're free, beautiful and vastly cooler than the rest of the museum plaza, which is like the surface of the sun (or was, when I was there in May!).
posted by In Your Shell Like at 2:27 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by In Your Shell Like at 2:27 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Katten Kabinet is a small, very chill museum that's delightful if you're animal (specifically cat) people. Obviously there's a museum cat to pet as well.
Foam is also a great little museum/gallery - focused on photography.
Both are in houses, so aren't big commitments, but are interesting stops if you want to get out of the heat and have a look at something interesting as you're walking around.
posted by snaw at 3:29 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Foam is also a great little museum/gallery - focused on photography.
Both are in houses, so aren't big commitments, but are interesting stops if you want to get out of the heat and have a look at something interesting as you're walking around.
posted by snaw at 3:29 AM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My teen and I just spent a week there and had an awesome time hitting most of the major sights. We took a daylong bus tour to Zanse Schaans and also Giethoorn, which is almost criminally adorable. It was great to get out of the city for one day.
Other big hits: Micropia, the only microorganism zoo in the world—amazing and so well done….
Albert Cuyp Market—the fresh stroopwaffels from Rudy’s cart were hands down the best we had.
Rijstaffel—we ate at Restaurant Blaue just west of Vondelpark but heard great things about Max’s near Jordaan as well.
Seconding the Blue Teahouse in Vondelpark.
Finally—I just finished reading the book Amsterdam by Russell Shorto and wish I’d read it fully before we went! Such a fascinating city and the book lays out layers of history and culture.
posted by Sublimity at 7:38 PM on June 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Other big hits: Micropia, the only microorganism zoo in the world—amazing and so well done….
Albert Cuyp Market—the fresh stroopwaffels from Rudy’s cart were hands down the best we had.
Rijstaffel—we ate at Restaurant Blaue just west of Vondelpark but heard great things about Max’s near Jordaan as well.
Seconding the Blue Teahouse in Vondelpark.
Finally—I just finished reading the book Amsterdam by Russell Shorto and wish I’d read it fully before we went! Such a fascinating city and the book lays out layers of history and culture.
posted by Sublimity at 7:38 PM on June 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
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Donkey Republic app was recommended to me by a friend living there. You can rent for a day.
posted by moiraine at 1:03 PM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]