Hey there lovely readers!
The week before last, I went on a trip to Amsterdam for a few days. It’s a beautiful city, and I wanted to share with you some of the places I recommend you to go to when you’re there. I’ve put together a list of things you can do in one day in Amsterdam; these are my favourites of the things we did when I was there. Enjoy!
10:00: Visit to the Rijksmuseum
I have to say that this was my favourite museum in Amsterdam. It’s definitely worth it, even if you’re not a fan of museums in general. This is the most visited and consequently the most well-known museum in Amsterdam. There’s a bit of everything, and there is so much to see that you won’t get bored. It’s a very friendly place, and you’re even allowed to take photos. It’s not a cheap price at 17,50€ per entry, and the queues can be a bit long, but it’s worth a visit!
12:30 Lunch at Bagels & Beans
This bagel place we went into spontaneously was a pleasant surprise. It was nice place to have a quick lunch in a quirky district close to where we were staying. Of course, the bagels were delicious. I had a Carpaccio bagel, and while I love Carpaccio on its own, I think that was the best way I’d ever eaten it! I have to say that in comparison to my usual bagel place at home (Coffee Fellows) the quality of the bagels happened to by slightly better. They have a wide array of bagels to choose from, which is a definite plus point, as well as a few smoothies. I think you’d definitely find something to please you here! Alternatively, if you’re more of the fast food type, I’d also recommend Vlaams Friteshuis, which is a small take away place that sells delicious fries with a lot of sauces to choose from, however you can’t sit down there.
14:00 Canal Tour
Honestly, you can’t miss a canal tour when you’re in Amsterdam. It’s a wonderful way to sit back and relax all whilst getting a look at the beautiful little houses of Amsterdam and learn something about the buildings you see. Or, if you’re like me, you can also just plug in your earphones, listen to some good music and just enjoy the ride! They cost about 16€, unless you get an iamsterdam city card, in which case one canal tour is included for free.
15:30 Shopping around Dam Square
Amsterdam is a great place to shop. There’s a multitude of shops, some of which you can’t find here in Germany. For general clothes shopping, I’d suggest going to Dam Square and walking around the streets from there. That’s where you’ll find H&M, Zara, and those kinds of stores, but there’s also a River Island, Topshop and Forever21. If you’re more into designer brands, the department store De Bijekorf sells a lot of high end brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. If you’re not looking for clothes, pop by the little Yankee Candle store in Magna Plaza shopping centre… who doesn’t like scented candles?
17:30 A Walk Around
This is more of a secret tip than a touristy recommendation, but I really think it’s worth it. If you’ve had enough of the busy chaos of inner Amsterdam, step outside for a beautiful walk around the Western islands. Here you can enjoy a peaceful walk that is very different from the centre of Amsterdam, yet has its own little charm. I would describe it as slightly hipster; this district is constructed of old warehouses turned into apartments, is full of trees and nature, and is surrounded by water. It’s also the place you will most likely come across roaming cats (I stroked two). Make sure the weather’s nice before you go here, but trust me with this being a worthwhile stroll. More information about this (in German) here.
19:00 Dinner at Café Loetje
This obviously is more of a cafe than a restaurant, but it has quite a few dishes that are dinner appropriate. I think it’s one of the best places to go eat, and it’s well-placed, quite near the museum quarter. It has a nice, relaxed atmosphere, good service, and the food is tasty. I especially liked their salads (the mozzarella and pesto salad is very good) and their tuna was very well prepared and equally delicious.
That’s about it for my One Day in Amsterdam post! As I said, I didn’t actually go to all of these places in one day and I don’t especially recommend squeezing all of these things in if you’re more of a relaxed vacationer like me. However I really wanted to gather my favourite places in Amsterdam and share them with you! Some of these are quite touristy but others you may never have heard of, so if you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam soon, do check these out! I had a lovely holiday there and would recommend visiting this city to anyone. Do tell me, if you’ve been to Amsterdam, what your favourite places are! I’d love to know.
By the way, I hope you can forgive me for posting this a week late… things just haven’t been the same lately and I’ve been truly enjoying not having the responsibility of blogging! I do have a little something up my sleeve for the next weeks so I hope to be here more regularly now. As I mentioned, I’m now uploading only on Mondays (that is, if I decide to post…) Much love to anyone who is still avidly following my blog even though I haven’t been very active! Feel free to comment or share this post, I’m grateful for all the support. See you next week, have a good one!
The Beauty Lioness 