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People who have traveled here can probably all agree on one thing: The story of Amsterdam is the tale of two cities – one during the day, and a radically different one at night.
While the sun is up, the largest city in Holland sits quietly on the Amstel River, which feeds the various canals running through the Centrum area making up most of the city’s downtown. You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi.
But when the sun goes down, the partying begins – in the mega clubs, in the infamous Red Light district, and in coffee shops where curious tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke.
Several areas of the city clearly illustrate the two worlds that rule Amsterdam depending on the time of day. And they are all within a short cab or tram ride of each other.
For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful hotels are mainstays there, in addition to the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
Walking along Damrak Street and several other side streets toward Centraal Station, you’ll find a shopper’s bonanza of clothes, food and souvenirs. American shoppers may want to curtail their impulse purchases, however, given the dollar’s current weakness against the euro.
But as Dam Square darkens for the evening, the party people begin to pack the Leidseplein neighborhood, beckoned by the call of house music blaring from Club Paradiso, or hip hop or funk at the Melkweg. These are two of the most popular clubs in Europe, frequented by some of the best turntablists in the world, so if you come, be ready to dance. Hundreds of restaurants and bars fill the neighborhood; watching the beautiful people flirting with each other is as entertaining as taking part.
The clubs don’t shut down until 4 a.m. Make sure to get back to your hotel in time to catch some sleep before your next daytime adventure.
And while you’re here, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don’t worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions.
First there are the tramlines, which run in each direction from Centraal Station, all the way to the outskirts of the city. They charge by distance, but a ticket that costs $8 or $9 will go a long way.
Second, you’ll notice half the people in the street are on bicycles. They rent for $17 to $20 for a whole day.
Finally, Amsterdam has an elaborate canal system. For between $2 and $9.50, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise the city while taking in the picturesque canal house architecture – row upon row of neat, narrow four-story brownstones, lined with large windows, many of them several centuries old.
Even if you had a late night, it’s advisable to start your canal tour early. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and some places, such as the Anne Frank House, have a long line of people waiting to enter.
You might also want to jump out of the Canal Bus at Museumplein and start walking. The Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk, and the Van Gogh Museum anchor the area. Note that photography is prohibited inside these museums.
As evening falls, the Red Light District lives up to its name – it is literally lit up in soft, red lights. The canals and streets in the Red Light District are lined with sex shops reminiscent of what New York’s Times Square was once like.
After a night of adventure, you might sleep through breakfast the next morning and wake up with one thought on your mind: Food. Many regard Dutch cuisine as bland, but there are some unique treats. Try the frites – french fries – commonly dipped in mayonnaise. Frites shops are everywhere and it’s not unusual to catch about a dozen people standing in front of them chatting and munching on fries or broodjes (sandwiches). A broodje gezond is tomatoes, eggs, and cheese; broodje kaas is bread and cheese; broodje hamkaas is ham and cheese.
Several restaurants serve the popular Rijstafel, a smorgasbord rooted in Indonesia’s Dutch colonial heritage; mussels are served in most every upscale eatery, and there are plenty of places to get a variety of thick pannekoeken (Dutch pancakes). At fish stands, you can try haring or paling – pickled herring or eel.
By nighttime, it’s party time again. That means hitting Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein, or one of the other centers for evening revelry.
After a few days and nights sampling Amsterdam, it’s time to head to Schipol Airport for the trip home.
Before you go through security, be sure to discard anything that might be illegal back in the states. It’s not unusual for individuals to be searched if officials become suspicious for any reason. But if you want to bring back bulbs to grow some of Holland’s famed tulips, that’s OK, as long as you can say where you got them.
And while you’ll need to catch up on your sleep, your trip to Amsterdam will certainly leave you with the urge to go back for more.
- Amsterdam: Sightsee by day, party by night, Macon Telegraph, Apr. 3, 2005
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