Within one minute of stepping out of our taxi upon arriving at our flat in Amsterdam Zuid, we decided we wanted to move here. Amsterdam is a wonderfully dynamic and diverse city – as the capital of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Amsterdam brings together a diverse array of ethnic cultures, cuisines from all around the world, interesting people, and an endless plethora of cultural, historical and fun things to do! 

We visited during the month of July, and were delighted to find that it is entirely possible to find a European city that doesn’t experience blistering heat waves like most of the South of Europe does during the summer. In fact, we experienced nearly all four seasons in one day most of the days we were there (pro tip – do not rely on the weather app in Amsterdam – it will prove you wrong.) We experienced nights in the low 60’s and highs in the mid-70’s F, though we also got caught in some torrential downpours of sideways rain and wind even when it called for zero percent chance of rain. Always be prepared with layers and an umbrella, as it can be sunny and warm for half an hour and then within two minutes, dark clouds will roll in, it will feel like it’s 8PM at 12 noon, and the wind will howl. Luckily, storms seemed to pass quickly.

My husband, Sasha and I have spent quite a bit of time traveling and living in Europe, so we have visited a decent amount of European cities. So for us to say that Amsterdam is our FAVORITE European city, it’s a big statement! Below I will list 15 reasons we (and so many others!) think that Amsterdam is one of the best cities in Europe!

*If you’ll be visiting Europe, have a look through my European archives for helpful blog posts all around the continent!*

In this blog post I will cover the following:

1. Great things to do in Amsterdam and fun facts about the city
2. Delicious places to eat in Amsterdam
3. Recommendations for traveling in Amsterdam with kids 

1. There are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam.

This is one of the aspects that makes this canal city so charming. The biking and pedestrian infrastructure is truly remarkable with bike lanes clearly painted in a rusted red color. There are three different light sections when you cross a pedestrian crosswalk here – one for bicycles, one for the city tram, and one for cars. Locals have little patience for tourists who are not paying attention, so be aware of your surroundings and watch your small children, as bicyclists go very fast. Not only is the city accessible by bike, it’s very pedestrian friendly and well thought out. Whether you’re on a boat cruising through the canal, on a bike whizzing by, or taking a casual walking stroll, getting around Amsterdam is easy and stress-free.

In early July, children are still in school (their summer holiday begins later than in other parts of Europe), so we got to see how parents commute their children to school every day – in the front of a bike, of course! This type of bicycle was the most commonly seen method of transportation for families in Amsterdam, and I wish cities in the U.S. would catch on to this, as it’s a brilliant and environmentally friendly way to bring your kids to school rather than driving. We even saw a few bicyclists carrying a grown adult in the front carriage!

2. Public transportation is easy and inexpensive.

The tram runs through the city and costs just a few euros each direction. You can simply scan your phone payment or credit card, but be sure to scan it twice – once when you enter and once when you exit, as the length of your trip is what determines the cost. There’s also a free three-minute ferry to take you to the Northern part of Amsterdam (called Amsterdam Noord), and that’s an experience in itself that you shouldn’t miss! (More on Amsterdam Noord later in this post.)

3. There’s a lovely village called Zaanse Schans, located just a 20-minute train ride (or one-hour bike ride) outside Amsterdam where you can see how locals live and how they produce cheese and clogs prior to modern day technology.

This was the highlight of our entire trip, and an experience I won’t forget! We rented e-bikes in the city center from A-Bike Rental Tours (make sure you bring 150 euro cash for the deposit, which they return to you when you get back, assuming no damage was done.) We felt like locals as we navigated the bike paths in the city (which, I’ll admit, was a bit stressful at first!) But soon it all felt like a well choreographed dance, as bicyclists weaved around one another, passed on the left (without a bell or using their voice.) I guess in Amsterdam there are just so many bikers and so many people pass, it would be obnoxious to use the bell all the time. Another thing I found interesting is that barely anybody wears helmets – even children! It seems that helmet wearing is an American thing, because we continue to see this all over the world – cycling and motorcycling without helmets – yikes!

The bike ride out of the city and into the countryside is lovely and easy to navigate with Google Maps (they provide a cell phone holder for your bicycle). When you enter Zaanse Schans, you will suddenly smell the incredible aroma of chocolate. Why? There is a cacao processing plant along the river, which makes the entire town smell of chocolate. It felt very ala Willy Wonka and I half expected giant blueberries to suddenly appear and start dancing before our eyes.

Here you can walk through the fields and even get to see how the locals live; a serene and lovely experience.

Be sure to try a smoked salmon or smoked herring sandwich from the nice married couple with a stand along the pedestrian path!

Entry into Zaanse Schans is free, though you can purchase tickets to the various museums on site. Entry into the clog museum and cheese shop (where you can do all the sampling your heart desires!) is free. What we loved about Zaanse Schans was how non-kitschy it felt. Even though this is a very popular tourist attraction, it just didn’t feel tacky, and I think it’s because nearly everything they sell is 100% local and from this region, from the cheese to the clogs to the mug and keychain souvenirs in the gift shops. I didn’t see anything made in China, which was a nice surprise.

Zaanse Schans is a great day trip and you should allot enough time to explore the area. Our bike ride took a little over an hour each way (there are also a few restaurants along the way you can stop to get food), plus around 2 – 3 hours to explore the village.

Did you know that clogs were invented to be a working shoe? Farmers wear them in the fields so as not to injure their feet from the cow’s heavy hooves and heavy farming equipment. You can roll a car over a clog and your foot will be none the wiser, nice and snug with all toes still intact as if it were merely struck by a feather (though we did not test this theory ourselves). There are different types of clogs for different regions, and Sundays are meant for decorative clogs rather than functional clogs. Essentially when out and about mingling with folks from other towns, people could take one look at the other person’s clog and know from which region that person is from. Cool, right?

4. It’s Quiet

Quiet? A capital European city? Sure, Amsterdam has its share of party nightlife, but during the daytime, the city feels very quaint and quiet, and locals tend not to yell or speak loudly. We’ve spent quite a bit of time in Mexico, so we’re quite used to constant noisy music with a heavy bass, and a lively Latino culture who laugh openly, speak loudly, and generally take pride in being jolly and boisterous. Amsterdam often felt like a peaceful lullaby as we walked through its quaint streets with not a soul in sight.

5. There’s an entire district dedicated to all the Amsterdam museums, and it’s called Museumplein (plein = square in Dutch). 

We’ve never visited a city where all the museums were concentrated in one walkable area rather than being spread out – this makes it easy to plan your day around which museum(s) you’d like to visit! 

*Tip*: If you plan to visit many museums, it may be worth your while to purchase the IAMSterdam card, which gets you into select sites for free.

If you only have time for one museum in Amsterdam, let the Rijksmuseum be it! You could easily spend all day here if you’re an art lover. Head directly to the second floor to the Hall of Honor for the special collection (this is where you can see many of the Dutch Masters works such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.)

6. Taking a free walking tour will give you an interesting local’s perspective of how the Dutch came to be the way they are from a socio-anthropological perspective, and also to learn about the unique home architecture and design.

One of the first things you’ll notice when walking around Amsterdam, is the lovely tall, skinny shoebox houses – but if you look a bit closer, you’ll notice that many of them are not straight. They are tilting, and most of the front facades lean forward. Why is this? Well, houses are built on 12 meters (36 feet) of mud, and because of their location directly on the canal, the infrastructure is not stable and the homes are literally sinking. This is starting to become a big problem for homeowners because there is no insurance to protect against mitigating this, so homeowners are having to foot the bill to fix it, and it’s not a cheap procedure!

Now look even closer and you’ll notice that each home and building has a large hook on the very top. The reason for the front facade tilting, is because the hooks are how furniture is hoisted up inside the building via a pulley system (the lifts are too small and the staircases too narrow, and most of the homes don’t even have lifts). Think about the physics of this situation – if you hoist a heavy couch up a straight wall and a big gust of wind comes (not uncommon in Amsterdam), it may swing and smash straight into a window. But if it tilts forward, there is less potential for it to swing back into the building. Fascinating stuff!

Other fun facts and stories about Amsterdam:

• 80% of the population lives below sea level
• Bike theft is a huge issue – around 80,000 bikes are stolen each year
• Over 50 cars are pulled out of the canals each year, so they introduced a low railing about half a foot above the ground to help keep cars out of the canal. Whenever a car falls into a canal, a special diving team is called into action. Amsterdam is the only city in the Netherlands that has four professional divers on call 24 hours per day – what a job! Can you imagine that small talk at a dinner party? “So what do you do for a living?” “Oh, I rescue cars from the canals of Amsterdam…oh, in fact, I’m getting a call right now, gotta go!”
• Prior to the 18th century, there were no home addresses, so instead a stone was placed above the door with an icon depicting whatever that business was (for example, a ship for ship builders, a ballet shoe for a dance studio, or a tooth for a dentist.) To this day you’ll still see several stones above businesses with the original pictorial.
• Story has it that the reason behind the flowers that you’ll see decorated on bicycles around the city is that a man had a wife with Alzheimers, and he decorated her bike with brightly colored flowers so that she could find her bike in a sea of other bikes and know how to get home. How romantic is that!

7. Seeing canal views on nearly every street and at each corner you turn, is somehow calming for the soul

I’m from Hawaii, so I love seeing water – any body of water, as long as it’s not a dirty swamp, lol. See the city from a different perspective from a canal cruise. There are all kinds of cruises from a  75-minute leisurely cruise, a hop-on-hop-off cruise, or a romantic dinner cruise in the evening. 

The two photos above were taken just a few hours apart, so you can see how wildly the weather can change within one day!

8. Amsterdam values independent shops.

Which means that while you’ll still see large retail chains such as Zara and H&M, you can also head to De Negen Straatjes or ‘The Nine Streets” – quaint cobblestone streets that connect the main canals between Leidsegracht and Raadhuisstraat. Here you can find over 200 independent shops, including cafes, cookie shops, and retail clothing stores selling locally made products and beautiful Dutch design. 

9. Amsterdam is probably THE most progressive and tolerant city in the world.

Amsterdam has been welcoming immigrants since the 16th century, so the diversity and crossroads of cultures has been ingrained in the social thread of their culture for a long time. I found it interesting that everybody spoke English, and it almost felt like an insult if I asked politely, “sorry, do you speak English?” (I never like to assume when traveling abroad.) The answer was always, “yes, of course.” From the few locals we spoke with, many tend to think that the level of progression and tolerance in the city can be both a blessing and a curse. 

Overall we felt incredibly welcomed in Amsterdam, both when we traveled as a couple and when we had our toddler with us. People were genuinely interested in where we were coming from and if we were enjoying ourselves so far. The vibe is friendly, engaging and communal rather than transactional like we experienced in parts of the Balkans, like Montenegro.

10. It’s highly diverse.

Within the span of ten minutes, you’ll easily hear over 10 different languages from around the globe. People from all over the world come to Amsterdam to work or to study. The city has a young and energetic feel to it and pulsates with life. The food is incredible with a diverse array of various ethnic cuisines, and is usually run by the owner who is from that particular country. We love it when the owner of an establishment is actually the person working there – it feels more authentic, genuine and welcoming, and we always love to hear their story! My husband is an entrepreneur and business owner, so we value these connections when we travel. We tried Indonesian, Dutch, Algerian and Portuguese food just to name a few! Also, at the time of writing this blog post, Amsterdam has 23 Michelin star restaurants. (Read on for our foodie recommendations below!)

11. You can visit the largest street market in Amsterdam in the De Pijp (pronounced “De – PIPE”) neighborhood called Albert Cuyp Market.

Here you can find everything from stylish leather coats to locally made Dutch products, to gyros, bagels, and pickled herring. (Open all year, rain or shine, but closed on Sundays.)

12. One of the best places to view locals living their daily lives, is inside the vast Vondelpark, where you’ll find children’s playgrounds, people doing outdoor workouts, couples enjoying a picnic, and locals generally enjoying being outside.

We walked through Vondelpark every day to get from our flat to the city center, and each time it felt so serene. Amsterdam has done a great job of integrating nature and large park spaces into the city for people to enjoy and slow down. 

*Tip for parents with children*: there is a playground in the back of a restaurant called Melkweg (located inside Vondelpark) with a play structure and giant buses and trucks.

13. There’s a museum dedicated to street art, called Straat – Street Art Museum, located in the Noord neighborhood. 

I recommend taking half a day to explore Amsterdam Noord, which includes taking the free ferry (you can either walk on or come on with your bike – if you’re coming from Centraal Station, you’ll take the #4 ferry). When you exit the ferry, grab some coffee and baked goods from Brood, a delicious bakery and cafe with a lovely seating area to rest and relax. On this side of the city, you’ll also find the A’dam Lookout, which is atop the Amsterdam tower and has a giant swing overlooking the city.

Be sure to head upstairs to the museum’s cafe – it’s a great space to get off your feet, relax, and people watch as they’re art-watching. (I may have fallen asleep in one of the comfy chairs – we walked SO much every day!)

14. Cheese is King!!

The Netherlands is well renowned for their cheese production, particularly Gouda and goat cheese. We sampled our hearts out during our visit to the countryside of Zaanse Schans, with unique flavors like lavender, red pepper, pesto, and even beer! You can purchase cheese to take home with you, as it lasts for about one month unrefrigerated, and the best place to buy it from is Henri Willig. This family has been making delicious cheese since 1974 and they sell it all over the city, including at the airport, so if you forget to purchase it in the city, not to worry, you’ll have one more chance before your flight home!

15. Getting a glimpse into the life of sex workers is pretty fascinating

I would be remiss not to include the red light district in a post about Amsterdam, but I mention it with care. People come to Amsterdam for all sorts of reasons, and the opportunity to see a city where prostitution is legal (and highly regulated), is one of them. Now with our toddler back at our flat with the local nanny, Sasha and I were not exactly looking for a crazy party evening. We simply wanted to walk through the district to see what it was all about. We went around 9PM, which is the time I recommend going if you’re just curious but don’t want to be caught up in a rowdy evening with drunk tourists vomiting into the canal. The great thing about visiting during July, is that it doesn’t get dark until 11:30 PM, so at 9PM it was still completely light outside. 

*Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photos of the working ladies. There is a hefty fine, and our guide told us that they’ve been known to come running out in their high heels to make people delete the photo from their phone if they see someone snapping a sly photo. Please be respectful.*

Now that I’ve covered 15 reasons why we think Amsterdam is such a cool city, let’s dive into the amazing food! Below I’ll list our top favorite places to eat and cafes! 

Before I get into talking about food, I want to make sure you are clear on the local nomenclature: 

Coffee Shop = weed store where marijuana is sold
Cafe = place where coffee is sold

Don’t get these two confused.

Also, a few more fun facts and tips:

• Despite the name, Hollandaise sauce actually does not come from Holland (though this may be debatable if you ask a local) – it was supposedly born in France, but they named the sauce after Holland. Eggs Benedict is a very popular brunch item here
• Tony Chocolonely chocolate is made in the Netherlands! You’ll see specialty cafes all around the city selling mochas using Tony’s chocolate. This brand is sold in Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S.

• Healthy elixir shots are very common and can be found at any supermarket. I love that they come in small glass jars
  

• When you shop at a Jumbo Store (one of the local supermarket chains), you’ll need to print your receipt and scan it to exit the store 
• Try Surinamese food (it was a former Dutch colony)

OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT IN AMSTERDAM

Munch Fit Food To Go (Amsterdam Zuid) – part of a hip gym with beautiful people and healthy food

Clapham Specialty Coffee (Amsterdam Zuid) – owner is from Turkey and lived in London, hence the name of his cafe

The Good Companion (seafood – Jordaan) – delicious seafood with nice patio outdoor seating (covered).

Rue D’Alger (Amsterdam Oud-West) – Algerian cuisine – order cafeteria style and they can either heat it up for you to eat there, or you can heat it at home. The owner is from Algeria and so kind! They make everything fresh and only have three tables so it’s a very intimate setting. Each day they serve something different, and there are lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Good for takeaway.

Little Plant Pantry (just down the street from Rue D’Alger) – home made fresh vegan food (made to order) and zero waste bio store (the brownie was the best I’ve had in my entire life – it’s in the refrigerator)

Box Social Jordaan

Factory Girl (De Pijp) – good for brunch. Great drinks and international flare. Order the Better Than Benedict with smoked salmon

Margo’s (Jordaan) – specialty coffee shop and bakery, selling the most delicious fresh home baked cookies (I’m talking fresh out of the oven) with unique flavors like black sesame and matcha, run by a Lebanese French man

Dignita Vondelpark – brekkie and specialty coffee near Vondelpark – unique menu with a Mexican twist – order the Chuck Nooris (sandwich pictured on the bottom right.)

Night Kitchen Amsterdam (Amsterdam Oud-West) – Mediterranean inspired – all the staff members are from the Mediterranean and Chef is Israeli. Dinner with friends is a set price and you can tell the server what kinds of food you like and they’ll build a surprise menu for you, or you can order a la carte. Excellent place for a date night with a romantic atmosphere

Koffiehuis ‘De Hoek’ (De 9 Straatjes) – historical local diner that is your basic no frills cafe with Dutch workers and a Dutch menu (also in English) – serve home made apple pie – located in 9 Straats

Selva (Rivierenbuurt) – sky bar with the best view overlooking the city – make reservations in advance. Cocktail lounge is amazing and feels like you’re in South America.

Mr. Nata (De Pijp) – This owner (who is from Portugal) sells pastel de nata, and that is all he sells! Sasha and I lived in Portugal for two months and ate pasteis de nata every single day, and these tasted exactly like being back in Portugal!!
*If you’ll be traveling to Portugal, have a look through my Portugal Archives, as I’ve got helpful posts on Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Algarve, and Sao Miguel Island, Azores Islands to help you with your trip planning.*

Kaasbar (Kaas means cheese in Dutch) located in De Pijp – This restaurant is entirely devoted to local cheese! There is standard seating and seating at the bar, where you can admire and enjoy wafts of passing cheese on a conveyor belt. The way it works is you tell your server which flavor profiles you like, and they custom-build a charcuterie board based on your preferences. You can also select local beer pairings to go with the cheese. What a heavenly concept!

WHERE WE STAYED

We found a lovely flat in Amsterdam Zuid (Old South), which is an upscale residential part of the city, located just 15 minutes by walking from Vondelpark and within a stone’s throw of all kinds of great local cafes, shops and restaurants. Our hosts actually live in the home year round, and only rent it out when they’re traveling. They are also parents of young children, so we enjoyed a fully equipped home with all the essentials we needed! We loved this area because it was super quiet, very safe, and we didn’t see a single other tourist around. The homes in this area are built in “Amsterdam school-style” architecture where there’s a huge shared courtyard in the middle, and buildings are only three stories tall.

AMSTERDAM FOR KIDS

If you think that visiting Amsterdam with children is inappropriate – think again!! Amsterdam is so much more than sex, prostitution and weed. In fact, much of the city feels as though it was built for kids! And did you know that Dutch kids are some of the happiest kids in the world? There are even books written about Dutch parenting and what a wonderful upbringing Dutch kids have, centered around lots of time playing outside and eating hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) for breakfast on toast.

If you’ll be visiting during summer, keep in mind that children’s summer break is a bit later than most of Europe and the U.S. Kids get out of school for summer break towards the end of July, so if you can visit in early July, that would be best to avoid the crowds.

PLAYGROUNDS IN AMSTERDAM

If we didn’t live in Seattle (which has arguably the best playgrounds in the entire United States), I would have been decently impressed by Amsterdam’s playgrounds. Nothing compares to Seattle’s parks and playgrounds for kids, but we found enough playgrounds within the city to keep our kiddo entertained. The play structures in Amsterdam are quite basic with an independent slide, swing set, and some rockers, and we did find a pretty cool play structure / obstacle course in De Pijp (keep reading below), but other than that, the playgrounds were nothing spectacular. Out of the ones that our nanny visited with our son, Melkweg (inside Vondelpark) looked to be the coolest and is apparently a favorite amongst local parents.

We visited Amsterdam with our then 22-month-old toddler, and hired a local nanny, which you can do through Sitly. Having a local nanny ended up being a dream for us because Sasha and I could explore the city on our own like we used to pre-baby days, while our kid was having the time of his life riding on trams, playing at playgrounds, and visiting museums for kids. We’ve been traveling internationally with our babe since he was just four months young, and while we typically enjoy spending time all together as a family, Amsterdam was a city that we were keen to visit without having to come back home mid-day for naps because there was just too much to see, so it worked out well for all of us!

Traveling in a European city feels a bit challenging with a toddler in my personal opinion, because they’re so active and mobile and have a ton of energy that needs expending, and spending hours in museums and sitting in a pram along cobblestone streets is not exactly their idea of toddler excitement.

If hiring a local nanny doesn’t feel comfortable to you or isn’t in your budget, there are plenty of things to do in Amsterdam as a family, which I will list below.

Here are some must-visits if you’ll be traveling in Amsterdam with your kids:

NEMO Science Center – every hour a huge ball drops from the second floor to the first floor, and it’s a huge hit for kids!

Rent a clog bike for a fun experience! (Please be sure that you are a comfortable biker and practice a bit before heading out in the town, as it’s an unusual feeling to have so much weight in the front.) However, this is the most common type of bike in Amsterdam for transporting children

TunFun – a huge indoor playground (great for if it’s raining!)

Sarphatipark – located in De Pijp. Awesome wooden play structure / obstacle course with a zipline (more suitable for older children)

Melkweg Playground (located inside Vondelpark) – big life-size toy buses and trucks for children to climb inside

If you have a baby or toddler, check out a wonderful store called Grey Label Re Store – it’s run by a local Dutch Mama and they sell all organic GOTS cotton clothing, both new and used – located in Amsterdam Oud-West. Photo below right of our little one sporting his new Grey Label sweatshirt (it was surprisingly cold in July and we didn’t come very prepared since our next destination was Sardinia!)

Miniature City – located in Madurodam, Hauge (about an hour by car or 1 hour, 45 minutes by public transport from the city)

I feel so grateful that we got to experience Amsterdam during such a beautiful time of year, even though the weather was all over the place! Amsterdam is a city that Sasha and I both agreed that we will absolutely be returning to!

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