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Last month when my husband got a conference in Delft University, I deciced to go with him. I heard Holland is a region of spectacular scenic beauty, beautiful canals, wooden windmills, ancient museums and home of glorious tulips. So, I didn't want to miss a splendid journey through history, art and traditions of this low country.
It was only one and half hour journey by plane from Landvetter to Shiphol. From Shiphol Airport Station you can go by train to central station of Amsterdam. It will take only 20 mins. The city has good public transport like other european cities. The trams are very nice, modern, and nearly silent. Tourists can also hire bicycles, cycle is one of the main transports here.
We stayed in a hotel in Damrak nearby the certral station. One can find plenty of cheap accommodations here. After checking in, we went out for a nighttime walk along the famous night life area of Amsterdam, the Red light district. We found some interesting shops, resturants and bars. As it was friday night all had been opened for quite a long time and was huge crowd inside. We planed to stay three days in Amsterdam, later thought it wouldn't be bad to spend one day in Belgium. There are some tour buses from Amsterdam to Belgium that return on the same day. Next day we went Belgium. [Belgium Tour]
Pictures of some lovely canals
Last day we spent our entire time in Amsterdam. After breakfast we left hotel with map in hand to explore the city on foot. Lots of exquisite canals, old decorated churches and typical artistic Dutch buildings raise the city to its prettiness. The placid canals spin web around the city like spider. One will be amazed at seeing how narrow the old buildings can be, but they are really beautiful. Being slender old houses contain hooks at the top to lift heavy stuffs- it looks funny. But the dangerous thing is there are no boundaries between the lakes and roads. Luckily I could escape from falling into while taking pictures. The main tourists attractions are Dam square, Vincent van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Rambrandt's House Museum, Madame Tussaud Wax Museum, Anne Frank Huis, Coster Diamond, Red light district and Flower Market.
Damrak
Dam Square
After few minutes walk we reached Dam square. This place is always crowded with tourists. All were busy snapping photos. On left side of it there is a large shopping mall De Bijenkorf, on right side Madam Tussaud Museum and Queen's Palace is just on across. Who are interested in wax figures can visit this museum and can have pictures with wax statues of celebrities. Since I'm not necessarily a huge fan of the celebrities, this place was of no interest to me. Bijenkorf is the largest luxury deparment store in Amsterdam. The Queen's Palace or Royal Palace is a fine example of the classical Dutch architecture, although it's not attractive enough. We spent some time here and took pictures.
Madame Tussaud Wax Museum
Unattractive Royal Palace
Others museums are bit far from the center. So, we got on a tram. It took us Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum. The latter locates just beyond the Van gogh Museum. In the green square between these two museums the huge slogan 'I amsterdam' stands. Rijksmuseum, despite the largest museum in Amsterdam we chose to see only Van gogh. This museum features a large collection of Van Gogh's work, like most famous "Sunflower", "Potato Eaters". Visitors are provided with ear phones to enjoy the arts with music, but photos are not allowed. Coster Diamond is another nearby attractions. Here you can see how diamond comes in its ultimate form after several stages of cutting and polishing the rough diamonds. Entrance is free but have to register for safety.
Behind the slogan is the Rijksmuseum
Vincent van Gogh Museum
Coster Diamond Center
Later we went Anne Frank House. Here too, photos weren't allowed inside. It's a four-story house where Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis and wrote her famous dairy. It has been a long time since I've read Anne Frank's Diary at school, but the museum put up related quotes from it in the rooms, in both Dutch and English. We back to hotel after seeing flower market, which is held along the bank of Singelgracht.[For more details go this post].
Anne Frank's house
But one thing I really didn't like in Amsterdam... that is drugs and prostitution are legal here. I saw lots of people taking drugs in the bars and even on the roadsides. And in the shops of the Red Light District drugs are openly sold. Every time we were our way to hotel it stank of drugs. Apart from this it is a very sprightly city and enjoyable for the tourists. Below you will find some other photos of the city.
Amsterdam City Center
Rambrandt's House
Canal near our hotel
And some photos inside the flower market
