As a man, it seems that any time you say to anyone "I'm going to Amsterdam", you get the same raised eyebrow response as if the assumption is you're going there to smoke weed and hit up the red light district. I hope this guide shows quite clearly that neither of these things truly make up the cities charm, culture and bohemianism. Although, both are signs of the countries liberal attitude and project it's cultural identity as place for freedom of expression.
CitizenM Hotel
Potentially the most swoon worthy interior I've seen in any hotel I've stayed in. There's nothing more that I love than a shelf full of picture books and a choice of well designed chairs to browse them in. Coupled with an aggressively cosy giant bed, this hotel does a good job of making you not want to leave it. But there's a city to see, so if you can pry yourself away from this place then I recommend you do.
De Pijp
This is a district of Amsterdam I was often recommended to visit due to my predictable and unashamed "hipster" interests. The area is home to plenty of coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants and stunning residential streets.
The Meets Eatery
Coffee & Coconuts
The streets of De Pijp
The Nine Streets and Jordaan
You can expect the normal tourist areas in Amsterdam and if I'm honest, I found the center quite hectic. The city's old town streets were not built to be a tourist trap. That being said, areas such as "the nine streets" and Jordaan offer charm and refuge from the typical tat and madness you'd expect to find in any city center.
The nine streets and Jordaan are where you can find the Amsterdam the postcodes promise. Picturesque canals, crooked houses, street are and cobbled streets. This is also where you'll find the best places to shop.
If you've made it this far through the post, thank you. This is probably the most photographic city i've ever been too. The Dutch have such a pedigree in design and architecture, it's engrained into fabric of Amsterdam as a living city. The perfect place for a few days away and it's just a short jump of the sea.
I'd love to know your recommendations, as I'm sure i'll be back.
Dan x
I visited 'dam when I was 19, and I didn't really get to explore it the way I would have liked too. And I've not been back since, but I really hope to soon. This is getting bookmarked.
ReplyDeleteBuckets & Spades
I can't believe it had taken me so long tbh. It had this "Lad" ethos built around it for so many years which didn't appeal to me. I'm really surprised you haven't been back actually, it's definitely seems like a place you'd be into! Thanks for checking the guide out :)
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