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A Mini Guide To Amsterdam, Four Nights and Three Days

Text and Photos by Tab Hauser tab@tabhauser.com

Amsterdam is one of the more unique cities in the world. It has miles of canals that ring the city which are lined with quaint old brick gabled buildings. It is one of the easiest cities to get around and should be on your list of places to visit. It is also a great place for those that are “time challenged” for vacation needs. To get here you can leave on a overnight flight from the States and spend 3 days and nights without the feeling that you were being rushed. I would say this place is the perfect getaway if you want to be immersed in a completely different kind of European city. Amsterdam offers museums, canal rides, visits to period homes along the canal as well as good food and the freshest Heineken you can get. It is a place where getting around by foot and tram is very easy. If you want to act like a local you can rent a bike inexpensively for the week to do your sightseeing that way as well.

We spent 4 nights and 3 complete days there exploring the narrow streets and unique neighborhoods that make Amsterdam special. We arrived in Amsterdam on a Thursday night and checked into the Marriott hotel using points near Leidseplien (Plein is square in English). It should be noted that it is hard to get bad a location in Amsterdam for a hotel because everything is easy to get to via foot or tram.

After checking in we appreciated being a 2 minute walk from the square as there are over 2 dozen places to eat and drink in the area. We went to the Satellite Sports Cafe because their kitchen was open after 10PM and they are known for the pancakes. Pancakes in Holland are what we call crepes in the States. The food was good and we liked the fact we were outside watching the nightlife go by. Leidseplein is lined with pubs where one can have a drink outside until late at night. There are also a few dance clubs to meet and greet both tourists and locals. There is a Casino around the corner if you are so inclined to go. We found this place a good stop for our first night here.

Before starting our first day (in the rain) exploring Amsterdam we bought two “I Amsterdam” cards good for 48 hours. These allowed unlimited use of public transportation as well as can get you into 26 museums, two canal cruises and some other attractions all by flashing your card. It also gave you discounts in other places. With cards and transportation passes in hand we hopped on a tram to the east side of Amsterdam to visit Flower Market, Rembrandt’s house and the Jewish Quarters. To get there we took a tram to the floating flower market stop known as Bloemenmarkt. Here you can see 15 vendors selling bulbs, potted plants, seeds, beautiful cut flowers and souvenir items that include plastic tulips. The shops are set up with the store floating on the canal but much of their goods placed on the street. From here we walked a several minutes to Rembrandtplein to catch another tram. Rembrandtplein is another square with shops and places to eat and drink but its main attraction is the statue of Amsterdam’s most famous painter, Rembrandt van Rijn. Besides his statue in the square there is a unique 3 dimensional look at one of his most famous paintings named “Night Watch”. Of all the paintings in the world this one is amongst our favorite. Seeing it in the square with each character as a life size statue is impressive. It is almost like walking into his painting.

Night Watch Comes More Alive In Rembrandtplein In This Panoramic Photo

After admiring the statues we hopped on another tram to take us to the Jewish Quarters to see Portuguese Synagogue and nearby historical museum. The Portuguese Synagogue dates back to its start in 1671 and was built by exiled Spanish Jews who called themselves Portuguese. They did this because the Dutch were in the Eighty Year War with the Spain. We found the synagogue very imposing with the alter on one side and the pulpit on the other side. There were bench seats as well as candles placed at each bench to help with the light. To further give light it had large brass chandeliers hung in different areas as well as large windows. (We noticed these exact chandeliers in the De Nieuwe Kerk or church next to the Royal Palace). Jews back in the 1600’s were “tolerated”. They were not required to live in a ghetto like there were in Venice or some other cities but they were not allowed to hold many jobs. From the temple we crossed the street to see the Jewish Historical Museum. This museum is unique as it combines the New Synagogue built in 1752 with the Great Synagogue built in 1671. On display here are artifacts and history of the Dutch Jews as well as typical items one would find in a Jewish home. We learned here that in 1939 there were 139,000 Jews in Holland, most of them in Amsterdam. By 1945 80% were killed by the German occupiers.

Portuguese Synagogue Rembrandt's Home

The reason we started our day in this section of Amsterdam was because our next destination down the block. This was the Rembrandt House. Before getting there we strolled through a flea market looking at various antique looking things and clothes. From there we went around the corner to where Rembrandt lived from 1639 to 1656. This house went through a meticulous restoration that was completed in 1999 using the same looking period furniture. The reason the curators knew what to put in the building and where to place it was because when Rembrandt went bankrupt the liquidation sale had everything written down that was sold. On top of this, Rembrandt made drawings of his house. This gave the curators a snapshot of how he lived. For instance they knew not only where he painted but they even had a detail on where a sheet was attached to the ceiling by a window to reflect light. What you will see here is a large house for its time, the type of bed he slept on, kitchen, lots of paintings and a room where he made prints from copper plates. The Rembrandt museum has a printer to demonstrate this craft regularly throughout the day. When visiting Amsterdam put this place on your “A” list of places to visit.

After seeing Rembrandt’s house it was off to the Rijksmuseum via two trams. Being it was Friday we knew the museum would be open late and the crowds would be light. If you go be aware that Rijksmuseum is under a complete restoration until 2012 and only 13 rooms are open. While I found this condensed version of art adequate for me, my spouse could have stayed half a day had the place been fully open. I liked the short version because I felt the 90 minutes needed to be here covered the highlights of Dutch art. (It reminded me of the 90 minute tour given by the British Museum which covered the high points) The big event at the Rijks for us was in the last room that held Rembrandt’s “Night Watch”. Originally this painting was named “The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch" to be hung in the Musketeers' Meeting Hall of this militia. Rembrandt was paid a large fee of 1600 guilders of which each member contributed to be on the painting. The name “Night Watch” came about after the varnish in the painting faded giving it a look as if these men are getting ready to head out at night. “Night Watch” is an impressive 10 feet by 14 feet although the left side was cut by 2 feet to make it fit in the meeting hall. In the room seek out the handheld laminated copy of the painting that highlights different parts of it.

Scenes In Front Of the Rijksmuseum

Not wanting to be overly cultured in too short a period of time we headed back to the hotel for a short rest and Heineken Beer before taking in the late Friday night hours at the nearby Van Gogh Museum.

The Van Gogh Museum is a small one compared to the Rijksmuseum. Most of his paintings are on two floors which can be seen in about an hour. As with the Rijks, you can rent a portable audio guide that points out special paintings. We opted to use a tour book we had and read about some of the paintings on display that interested us. After leaving the Van Gogh Museum at 8:30 we headed to a popular Indonesian restaurant down the street. Indonesian food is a speciality in the Netherlands because it was brought back to Holland during their age of exploration and colonizing from that area of the world. (See If You Go below for details)

Tasty Indonesian Dinner at Samo Sebo, Amsterdam (we did not have a reservation so we ate at the bar)

On our second day and in the rain we decided to take a road trip and to visit the village of Muiden only 45 minutes away. The reason I picked Muiden is because it is known for its castle that was built in 1370 over the ruins of another castle built in 1280 at the end of the harbor. We have always been intrigued by real castles and on previous visits to Europe and Japan always made it a point to see them. This is not the stuff of Disney or fairytales but a real four tower version complete with a big court yard and well in the middle. It also has a moat and gardens surrounding it. Getting here is easy and inexpensive. (See the If You Go section below for details) After being dropped of on the corner by the highway and main road we followed the Muidenslot signs over a small hill on a gravel path that has us cross a small hand operated lock. From here we walked on a cobblestone road that started this quaint village. After about a third mile on this narrow road we made a right turn at the villages only cross street that took us across a set of larger locks. At this intersection we had lunch at the corner pub before proceeding another half mile on a cobblestone road passing old homes on one side and pretty old sail boats along the canal on the other.

Village Muiden Less Than 1 Hour From Amsterdam

At the end of the street we came to the castle entrance and could see this magnificent structure. After crossing the drawbridge a docent pointed us to the two self guided walks in the castle. We opted to take the tower route first. This led us up the stairs to a tower facing land. In the tower was a bedroom and some old documents. From here another stair case took us to the high wall between the towers that allowed us to climb into the tower closer to the village. This one over looked the drawbridge and had a video game next to an opening in the tower that had soldiers drop rocks or hot oil on the opposing forces that may have stormed the castle. The video game at the opening had rocks on a joy stick with the screen looking down on village people and soldiers running into the castle. The idea was drop large rocks on the bad guys while missing the innocent people running in. It gave you an idea on one of the ways of protecting the door. From here it was down to the court yard and onto the Knights Route. This took you to the tallest tower on the water side of the castle with a good display of armor, weapons and costumes you can try on for a free picture if you used your own camera. There was also an interactive children’s area here. After surveying the inner structures of the tower and its view we headed back down to the court yard for a falconry demonstration. Here, we were explained this ancient art of how to deal with falcons and saw some one fly through some children's arms. They also discussed how this bird was used to scare off other birds and pests from runways or fields.

The Muiden Castle and One Of The Rooms On The Way Up To A Tower

On The Walkway Between Towers Slot For Soldiers To Throw Rocks & Hot Oil On Intruders

From Muiden, we reversed our route and made it back to our hotel in 45 minutes where we caught a 3:30PM seventy minute canal tour with the Blue Boat Company. This cruise was included in our “I Amsterdam” card. Like all major tour boat, this is an enclosed type offering some narration in four languages via tape staying on the larger canals. Touring the canals is a must in this city as it is the water that gives this place one of its unique identities. The ride was flat calm so seasickness is not an issue here but it was hard to look out the windows in the rain. We stayed on the open aft section getting a little wet.

Scenes From Canal Tour Boat

After dinner at a Dutch style restaurant we hoped on the tram to take us to the Victoria Hotel to meet Randy Roy’s Red Light Tours. The red light district is yet another unique feature of Amsterdam. We decided on taking the walking tour so that the history and workings of the district can be explained by a guide rather than just think this place is just about girls in windows. At 10PM we met our guide Kiki as well as 14 other women of different ages and nationalities. Kiki said it was her first tour with only one man and I was it. After paying E$12.50 Kiki walked us towards the red light district stopping every so often to explain a particular street or answering questions. She showed us the entrances to what she called the tacky the sex museums, a store called the “Condomeria”, and the gay section where she explained the different clubs in detail. Before we went past the girls in the windows she said the normal price for the their services was about E$50. Kiki said they must rent a room for 8 hour shifts, get inspected and pay taxes. They even join the PIC union. We were also advised not to take pictures of any of the girls or people in this area so the photos on this web site respects everyone's wishes and shows no details.

Statue of Lady In Door Way Some People Know How to Diversify Their Business

We were told that the current conservative government shut down or bought out one hundred of the four hundred legal places of business and there was concern that these women would go illegal which would not make it safe for them or their customers. While the crowds of people were a bit lively that Saturday night Kiki said that the red light district was one of the safest places in Amsterdam as long as you are off the streets by 4AM. This is due to a pickup in police presence using cameras installed all over the place. The big concern for tourists in the district would be getting your wallet picked in one of the tight alleys or buying bad drugs from the street. She also said it was a desired area to live in because of its location. Before passing the girls we passed the different “toy stores” where anything is available. Kiki did stop in front of the one "ladies only" shop and pointed out how well lit and cheery the place looked. She said this store was started by a woman who learned that women would consider going into a store if it was open and bright. She said men go into a store that is generic looking and stay to themselves while woman go together and “giggle” while they shop.

Red Windows Where Ladies Ply Their Trade. (most were actually in doors) Well Lit and Safe In This Area

After the shops we passed the main attraction of the district in the different streets and thin alleys. Here woman dressed in very limited attire stand in front of full glass doors and attempt to attract clients with eye contact and a smile. We also passed the different coffee houses where marijuana, hash and mushrooms are legal. (Coffee shops are not only in the red light district.) On the last street we were told about the different night clubs where the final act on stage, well is the final act if you know what I mean. From here Kiki took us to a bar for a drink and sat with us another half hour to talk about anything in or out of the district. We highly recommend this tour and liked the fact we took it late on Saturday night when it was full of people.

Garden and Kitchen At Museum Van Loon

Sunday was our last day and night and we decided on our first non rainy day to the make the best of it. We started our day by seeing the Museum van Loon. Built in 1672 this double canal house (more like a mansion) was first lived in by painter Ferdinand Bol, one of Rembandt's most famous pupils. In 1884 Netherland’s famous van Loon family moved in and updated the structure to its present day grandeur. Here we saw lavish rooms, a garden, and the servants building. From here we walked through an area with trendy shops called the Nine Streets and continued up towards Westkerk to stop and buy a piece of Delft Pottery at store nearby. We had to pass on seeing Westkerk, one of the world’s largest Protestant churches due it being closed this day. Next to Westkerk is the Anne Frank House. We passed on visiting the Anne Frank House only because we were there in 1983. This house tells the amazing story about an amazing young girl who kept a diary while hiding under the German occupation of Holland. Near the end of the war the family was caught and she was killed in the death camps but Anne Frank’s diary was found and printed in just about every language. Visiting this house is also a good example of what an Amsterdam home looked like back then and you can see the hiding area they stayed in. If you decide to visit Amsterdam both Westkerk and the Anne Frank House should not be missed.

Scenic Amsterdam Strolling Antique Boats, Gardens and Quaint Canal Homes

From the Anne Frank House we crossed into the Joordan section and strolled through it having a nice lunch on Westerstraat. From there we walked to a very pretty section of canal houses at the end of Lindengracht. We continued back to main square by the Royal Palace and New Church (De Nieuwe Kerk) with its long painted glass windows. From here we caught a tram back to our hotel for our next event. We had been on our feet covering many scenic canals and areas of the Amsterdam from 9:30 to 3:30 and it was time to do something seated that we were looking forward to.

The Royal Square With New Church Next To It. (note detailed carvings above Palace as Well As Church Windows )

After dropping our trinkets acquired in the city at our hotel room and picking up a bottle of chilled Champaign we headed down to Leidseplein to the Boom Comedy Club. Here we signed up earlier for the 6PM canal cruise operated by the St. Nicholas Boat Club. At the club we were met by young couple acting as our captains. They took us to a 24 foot open boat named the Athena This boat cruises both the large and small canals seeing things the bigger boats miss. It is also a lot more fun. The St. Nicholas Boat Club is a non-profit organization that put that puts it money back into the old restored boats. They are not allowed to charge a fee but instead have recommended donation of E$10. They also encourage their guests to bring anything to drink or smoke while on board if desired.

Our Captain's For This Late Afternoon Cruise Tab & Maureen Hauser With A Chilled Piper Hiedsieck

This was a cruise I am happy to have found in my research on Amsterdam as we wholeheartily recommend it. We were joined on this tour by ten others who were from Australian, New Zealand and England. They had brought their own ample supply of beer and hard cider. During the tour both our Captain’s took turns piloting as well as pointing out interesting things along the way. (We learned that over 20,000 bicycles are dredged from the canal bottom each year).

The Seven Bridges Of Amsterdam Cruising Down Smaller Canals

We enjoyed being on many of the smaller canals as well as being on the small main canal in the red light district. If given a choice between the large formal cruise we did 2 days earlier and the Boom Comedy Club version, take this one and bring your favorite cocktail on board. (see If You Go for details on how to sign up). We will say the E$10 was well worth it.

Scenes From The St. Nicholaus Boat Club Tour

For our last night our goal was another Indonesian Restaurant and to take some photos at dusk of the city. Earlier our cruise took us past an area where the canal went near the Amstel River. It was here I remembered taking a night picture of two typical gabled buildings in 1983. I wanted to go back and try again but this time with digital images. We also wanted to shoot a lit up bridge our captain told us earlier to take further up the Amstel River. As Amsterdam is generally a safe city, we strolled almost 2 miles that night from the restaurant at the Beginhof tram stop to the river and back up the Herengracht Canal to Leidsestraat and then to Leidseplein to complete our last day.

Dusk On Canal Houses (note left ones leaning forward) Moon Over Amstel River

Last Look At Rembrandt's Night Watch (at night) Concluding A Wonderful Amsterdam Day

Tips:

· Where very comfortable shoes. While we took trams to many places we also opted to stroll along the canals. In our last entire day and evening we estimated we covered several miles.

· Buy the “I Amsterdam” Card. This covers a lot of museums and all tram rides. We got more than our money’s worth from it and it can speed you through a few lines. It is also convenient to have tram tickets to flash rather than pay all the time.

· We found the maps that the hotels were giving out very good. It has units in meters as well as minutes to walk.

If You Go:

I Amsterdam Card: For general information about Amsterdam go to www.iamsterdam.com. This is also the site for information on the card that is good for museums, attractions and transportation. The card can be bought in hotels and many shops near tourist areas. We bought the 2 day pass for E$43.

General Info: www.amsterdam.info with give you information on hotels and tours

Rijks Museum: www.rijksmuseum.nl A good time to visit is Friday evening when it is open late.

Van Gogh Musuem: www.vangoghmuseum.nl The Van Gogh also has Friday evening hours. It is a 3 minute walk down the road from the Rijks.

Rembrandt House: This is open 10 to 6 everyday. For information see www.rembrandthuis.nl.

Museum van Look: Located on the Keizersgracht canal less than 15 minutes from Leidseplien or 10 minutes from Rembrantplein. See www.museumvanloon.nl. Allow about 45 minutes here.

Canal Tours: We took two cruises. The first was with the Blue Boat Company as part of the I Am Amsterdam Card. See www.blueboat.nl The second tour was with The St Nicholas Boat Club at www.amsterdamboatclub.com. Of the two we found the second cruise more fun but you need to sign up in person at least a day in advance.

Red Light District: See www.randyroysredlighttours.com for details on how to make a reservation for this fun tour.

Castle Visit: To visit Muiderslot ask your hotel which tram will take you to the bus station then take the 101, 152 or 157 bus. Ask your bus driver where to get off. The official www.muiderslot.nl web site is all in Dutch so go to www.castles.nl/muid/muid.html for a link on this castle in English. I would leave 10:30 have an early lunch and then see the castle after. It is less than an hour commute each way to this pleasant canal village.

Food:

Satellite Sports Café for Dutch Pancakes and more in Leidseplien . We had our first meal late at night as well as breakfast here on our last day. www.satellitesportscafe.nl. This is basic and inexpensive food.

Sama Sebo: This is a fun Indonesian place where we ordered a sampling of many different small plate dishes. We found the food very good and reasonably priced for what we were served. This place is just down the block from the Rijksmuseum and is popular so make reservation or eat at the bar like we did.

See www.samasebo.com or call 0206628146. Dinner for 2 with 2 beers $79

Kantjil: Indonesian Style www.kantjil.nl. Dinner for 2 with beer E$62

The Pantry: The Pantry is in the Leidseplien area and specializes in Dutch style food. We did not eat enough Dutch food to know what is “authentic” and what is on the tourist end so we are not experts. While not gourmet we did like the food and served here. Order the pea soup as a starter. See www.thepantry.nl or call 31206200922 for reservations or information. Dinner for 2 with beer E$40

De Blaffende Vis: Located at Westerstraat 118 we found this the best place for lunch in Joordan after looking at many other places in the area.

Muiden: On our road trip to Muiden we were pleased with our pub lunch at Café Ome Ko right in the middle of the village opposite the locks. No reservations are needed. There is another place for lunch of dinner opposite this place if the menu here is not what you want.

Heineken: Heineken is the main beer. For some reason it taste better in Amsterdam than in the U.S.

Minor Warnings: There is something called the “silent killers” in Amsterdam. What a tourist has to get used to is looking both ways when crossing the street for the bicycles used daily by the locals. On many streets there is a bike path that people forget to look out on. We saw many close calls of tourists almost getting hit. The other silent killer are the trams. They go by quickly and quietly and one should really take caution when crossing a street as you sometimes need to cross bike paths, tram paths and then the regular roads. We jokingly said out loud when crossing the streets “look left, right, left, right, left and right out in more than a few areas.

email tabh@hascorelays.com if you have any questions regarding this mini-guide. HOME PAGE www.tabhauser.com

Amsterdam Thumbnails: Please click picture to enlarge: