Anne Franke and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

If you know the story and have seen the movie etc then you will be very familiar with this landmark. The diary of Anne Franke was even part of compulsory reading at my High School. The house evokes a number of emotions given the history of a WW2 Amsterdam and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The house is part of many tour groups itinerary and, though not a must see, is a worthwhile spot to have a look.

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Phone: +31-20-5567100
Address: Prinsengracht 267
Website: http://www.annefrank.nl

Amsterdam has a very relaxed approach to many things very, very illegal in my home town. Shops selling coffee etc with either a Jamaican flag or plants in the window generally have menus of drugs for sale. The picture for this tip was a shop that seemed to sell only these products which I think even stretches the local approach to the topic.

There are some very good places and some total tourist traps. Grey Area and De Kuil were recommended as a couple of the best with Bulldog Cafe and Grasshoppers at the other end of the scale.

Be wary of people offering you stuff in the street!! Who knows what they are really selling you (unless you are an expert?). The coffee shops seem to have a reliable product (so I am led to believe.....) so you are generally safe selecting from the stuff on offer.

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Like the London version, this place has a vast array of famous people including a few locals & royals. Not really my 'cup-of-tea' but an easy way to kill some time before wandering off to catch your train at Central Station

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Phone: +31-20-5230623
Address: Dam 20
Website: http://www.madametussauds.nl

Amsterdam has some very well priced diamonds in a number of shops around Amsterdam. The stones are brought in and get cut and polished by the locals tradesperson then sold in a variety of sizes and settings. This is a good place to buy diamonds to bring home (is in NZ anyway) as you can buy them duty free and then get a local person to make your ring etc. If you visit a shop you can often see one of the staff working on the stones.

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The national flower of the Netherlands is the Tulip with one nick-name for the Dutch being Tulip Munchers. The history of this name relates back to WW2 when Nazi occupation of the surrounding area stopped food coming in. This forced locals to eat whatever they could including Tulip bulbs. Wierd but apparently true.

The flower market is a phantasmagoria of colour, noice and people. It's worth a visit just to see the action as buyers go after their flowers of choice.

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Address: Singel