Amsterdam canals and house boats are wonderful and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

The canals and the narrow tall houses in different colours give Amsterdam its characteristics.

Many lucky people live in the boats and have their balcony outside or even on the roof of the boat. Many have planted numerous plants and flowers to make their own floating home look like a little paradise.

The best way to see both the canals and the houses around them is to take a canal cruise.

If it is too expensive, buy a normal one way ticket (like bus- or train ticket); you don't have to take a special cruise if you don't want to. Many of the boats are in usual everyday traffic at usual bus/boat prices available for everyone.

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We had only limited time so we visited only the great and colourful looking old ship outside the museum; check picture nr 2 (I know we were stupid not to visit the rest). But the ship was so fantastic that it alone took some time.

It was such a masterpiece; especially when thinking how old these ships were; when built etc and with hands! They sailed big seas, and only the skills of the man saved lives. There was no technology. This is something I admire.

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Phone: +31-20-5232222
Address: Kattenburgerplein 1, Amsterdam
Website: http://www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl

There are clogs on sale in almost every souvenir shop in Amsterdam, I guess. But it might be especially interesting to see how they are done (hand made) and painted, and after that buy a pair to yourself, to your family - or just hanging to your home's wall as a fond memory.

For us it was easy to make this trip as we chose a 4,5 hour trip to the countryside (Marken-Volendam); Netherlands is a small country by area so it's easy to make; and one part of our trip was this clog maker's house.

During the trip we also saw hand making of Dutch cheese, many windmills and a postcard beautiful wooden house village; as well as a very Dutch looking gingerbread-looking lovely small village. (Please see my other tips for those).
We took a bus to the countryside, walked a little after all what we had seen and took a ferry back to Amsterdam.

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Directions: E.g. in Zaanse Schans - "windmill village"

Remember to eat before you go - Dutch cheeses are delicious. The "grand old lady" makes the cheese and at the same time explains (in good English) all the phases. She also usually gives some pieces to people to taste.

She shows the place where the cheeses are stored waiting for aging enough.

Usually in these places you can also buy some souvenirs (Dutch cheese products of course!)

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Directions: Easiest when combining it in e.g. a half-day organized trip. Otherwise you need a car and some knowledge; and perhaps agree the time with the personnell.

I almost had no words when I entered the village. Everything was so in balance, in harmony, even the colours of the houses compared to the nature and compared to each others.

Here and there many windmills still up and running. Summertime you surely see lots of tulips too.

A perfect escape from the city centre (even if Amsterdam is a very nice and friendly and easygoing city itself).

Don't miss this one! Especially if you are romantic, like to photograph, like beautiful things and nature and silence.

Nowadays the place might have become a more touristic place; I was there in 2003 so you might want to check it out first.

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Directions: Zaanse Schans

If you have enough time to stay in Amsterdam, it is perhaps a good idea to rent a car for some time. I would suggest driving to some of the small towns (Marken, Volendam etc.), parking the car and walking (no big distances as the towns are small).

Another solution is to participate in an organized tour, there are several of them to choose from nowadays. We took this option as we had limited time, though we usually like to explore things ourselves and not among groups.

One tour of ours took us to a clog maker's house, to a cheese maker, to a windmill village, and finally to one or two of these gingerbread-towns. After having got familiar with places we took a short but sunny ferry tour back to Amsterdam city.

It was great to get some air and some distance from the city centre.

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Everyone knows what the Nazis did to the Jewish people during WWII, so there is no point in starting to explain it. I don't know how many nations are familiar with Anne Frank's, this 13-year-old victim's, story which is world famous, thanks to her diaries that were published after her death in a concentration camp. She had to hide a long time with her family, keep quiet - and all the time be scared for being found. Think if your youth would be wasted like this...

At least my generation had to read that book "Anne Frank's Diary" at school at our native tongue/Finnish language lessons. That way it strengthened our common civics too.

I think that the web pages speak for themselves, so I suggest people to surf them and borrow the book from the library or to buy it; it is translated to numerous languages. Even if it is based on the diaries of a very young girl, it is not boring or stupid reading to adults either.

One can buy books and booklets also at the Anne Frank's house and museum in Amsterdam.

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

A great tip to see a lot and to save a lot: don't buy an expensive lunch-, dinner- or sightseeing boat tour touring the canals. Buy a normal city coupon or ticket (ask, there are several); and you can use the waterbuses at the hop on-hop off principle.

There was three lines (2003) red, blue and green, and you could use all of them. We didn't need to use the taxi one single time! Just our feet and the canal water buses. And - you can take your pictures of the wonderful canal side narrow houses, bridges and everything. The boats are slow enough and nice. You miss the bar and snacks - but be prepared with a small backpack instead.

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Directions: Everywhere in Amsterdam! All the "streets" that are named (something-)GRACHT are canals. Gracht is a canal in English. (Just a tip when looking at the maps or asking for directions).