Amsterdam in 48 Hours

Bicycles. That's the first thing any visitor to Amsterdam notices - lots and lots of bicycles. They are the traffic of Amsterdam, the people - of course you'll see cars, but there is nothing that stands out quite as much as the bicycles. Bicycle parking lots number in the thousands, and such is the prevalence of bicycles that they even have their own dedicated lanes on the road.

Bike-car-tram-tram-car-bike. Memorise this sequence, for it will save you from being run over; I swear that Amsterdam has probably one of the most hazardous roads I've ever been on. First, look LEFT and watch out for bikes, cars, and trams, then look RIGHT and watch out for trams, cars and bikes. No wonder no one jaywalks in Amsterdam!

So, Amsterdam - you'll probably want to visit the I AMSTERDAM sign, which has become a brand and symbol of Amsterdam. It's become a symbol of people as well as the city, and the white and red lettering stands out against the old buildings. It's a fitting contrast, one which captures the old-new dynamic in this old city.



I love that you can still find the most quintessential of scenes - ducks on the bank of river, even amidst the Amsterdam hustle and bustle and changing modernity of drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll.

Or maybe I just wanted a reason to show you my photo of these nice ducks.



If you're hungry, one of the things which you absolutely must try are pancakes. Amsterdam is known for these - all flavours of pancakes, sweet and savoury, equally suitable for breakfast lunch or dinner. Another must-try food is the stroopwafel - a syrup-filled baked waffle which can be found anywhere.



Amsterdam's Concertgebouw (literally concert-building) is a world-famous performance venue with intricate architecture, famed for its acoustics. Some 900 concerts a year take place in the concertgebouw, from Mahler to Pink Floyd; despite that its acoustics are best suited to the late Romantic style, it has played host to musical styles as varied as jazz and world to hard rock.

In summer, a tour of the concertgebouw is available that lets you explore the soloist rooms, artist’s lobby, tuning rooms, choir practice room, attic, basement, and auditoriums. It's a dream come true for any music geek!



Join a walking tour - an easy way to see the top sights in Amsterdam. Sandeman's New Europe: Amsterdam free walking tour is a great way to see the city on a tight budget (tips are encouraged at the end of the tour). Not only do you get to see Amsterdam, but you get stories and history thrown in as well - a great deal if you ask me!



A must-visit attraction is the Anne Frank House - the museum dedicated to the world-famous Jewish-Dutch girl and her diaries written during World War II. In visiting the original annexe where Anne lived, you are struck with a deep and profound sense of sorrow and sadness. It is like stepping into the life of this girl, who tried her hardest to make life as normal and cheerful as possible despite her being in hiding.

Today, the annexe and museum are stripped bare of furniture, left unfurnished as Otto Frank, Anne's father, requested; the rooms are poetic in their emptiness, with only posters that Anne pasted on her room wall serving as the reminder that she once lived here. The rooms have only been refurnished once for the purposes of photographs for the museum.



If you're into cheese, Amsterdam won't disappoint. There are cheese shops abound here, with walls upon walls of cheeses of every kind. Goat, cow, sheep, aged, fresh, flavoured - you name it! With cheeses sold in whole wheels as well as in cheese slices, you're certain to be spoilt for choice.







Of course, who can visit Amsterdam without seeing the Red Light District at least once? This place is known for being sleazy, with women wearing next to nothing flaunting their bodies in glass door displays. Be careful - not all women may be women, although if that takes your they'll be perfectly content to service you. Sex shows are openly advertised, and adult shops are a dime a dozen.



Drugs and sex are Amsterdam's anthem; feel free to head into a coffeeshop for some weed (if you're above age, of course). Surprising to many visitors, marijuana is in fact not legal in the Netherlands, although it is very widely tolerated and the authorities don't really give a damn - shops that sell marijuana are around every corner and you can buy joints for about €12 a pack of four pre-rolled. And it's not just weed that you can get here - mushrooms and salvia are there if you look.

The smell of weed permeates the air and becomes the perfume of the city. Yet despite the high availability of drugs and associated sleazy image, Amsterdam is surprisingly safe. Sure you wouldn't go waving your big camera and massive expensive bag just anywhere, but I found it far more comforting to have calm people high on weed than violent drunks.

And if you're hungry after getting high, have a Febo burger - where you put a coin in a select a burger in the display. It's almost like Japanese vending machines that dispense just about everything.



And that, my dears, was my Amsterdam in 48 hours.