8 Photos That Will Have You Booking Your Flight to Amsterdam

Thinking about taking a trip to the city where there are more bikes than people?

Amsterdam, the capital of The Netherlands, with it’s 60 miles of canals, over 3,000 houseboats, stroopwafel, Red Light District, world-renowned museums and legal marijuana, often makes it to the top of study abroad student’s bucket-lists.

The enchanting city is like one right out of a fairytale. Below are eight pictures that will have you booking your airplane to Amsterdam in no time!

1. Stroopwafel:  

Sadly (or not because it was delicious), the picture to your right is NOT a stroopwafel but a Belgian waffle. However, I did purchase a package of stroopwafels from the same store and snacked on them all weekend. Stroopwafels are two thin waffle-like cookies that are joined together in caramel-bliss.

2. Museums

One of the aspects I loved most about Amsterdam was their plethora of museums. The Stedelijk Museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art. You can see the unique structure of the museum in the photo on the right. This Museum can be found right next to The Van Gogh Museum, housing a large collection of the Dutch painters work, and the Rijksmuseum, The National Museum of Amsterdam.

Make sure to visit the iconic “iamsterdam” sign right in front of the National Museum.

3. Heineken

The birthplace of my favorite beer!

Head on over to the Heineken Brewery for the two-hour Heineken Experience. You learn about the history and process of making the Dutch beer. Plus, you get two beers with entry! Win-win.

4. Coffeeshops 

If you’re looking to experience the luxury of legal marijuana during your trip, keep your eye out for coffeeshops NOT coffee shops or coffee houses. In Amsterdam, you will have no trouble finding a coffeeshop that suits your weed desires as each shop has a different vibe.

5. Bicycles 

Renting a bike in Amsterdam was the best decision we made all weekend (well… it’s tied with the multiple waffles). This is an essential way to discover the cycle-friendly city. There are bike paths practically on every street and renting a bicycle is easy and fairly inexpensive.

Click on the link below for a comic on all-things bicycles in Amsterdam.

http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/plan-your-trip/getting-around/cycling/cycling-infographic

6. Canals 

Amsterdam is notably known as “Venice of the North”. The canals were man-made in the early 17th century for a variety of reasons. One of them being to transfer beer throughout the city!

Today, the canals are enjoyed by tourists and locals-alike whether on a bridge, boat or even house-boat.

TIP: Our friend stayed on a house-boat during his trip to the city. If this interests you, many are inexpensive (20 euro per night) and a one-of-a-kind experience!

7. Food 

Baby pancakes (poffertjes), deep-fried meatballs (bitterballen) and licorice are some of the must-eat treats.

Head over to the giant food-hall (Foodhallen) for a wide variety of Dutch and international dishes.

8. Nature

It may surprise you, but Amsterdam actually has a ton of activities for nature lovers.

Visit in April or May to be struck by the aroma and colors of the tulips at Keukenhof or take a stroll through Vondelpark during anytime of the year to escape the bustle of the city.

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