Amsterdam Things to Do

It’s the end of a long cold winter and time to get back outside and dance off those winter blues. To do that Amsterdammers will be heading to their iconic music venues Milkveg and Paradiso for 5 Days Off, an electronic music and art festival running from March 6 – 10. The art part is basically to make sure that people do see some daylight hours by providing 5 Days On, a non-music based part of the programming.

The tulips are coming out in Holland – it must be springtime. Every year, March is eagerly awaited by gardeners everywhere, not just because it’s the time when things will actually start growing again and they can get back outside with their buckets and spades, but because March is the month when the Keukenhof park opens each year for its short two month splendor.

I have to say it feels like the Rijksmuseum has been under renovation forever.

In 2000 the decision was made to modernise the 1885 building designed by Pierre Cuypers, and now the date given for the gallery fully reopening is 2013. It does sound like the new-look Rijksmuseum will be worth the wait – the architects are staying faithful to the lovely Cuypers fairytale building, but they are opening it up a bit, adding a couple of new buildings, and modernising visitor facilities, security and climate control for the art works.

One of the best things about Amsterdam is the art history. So many significant artists lived, worked, were born and/or died here. One of my favorites is that tormented genius Vincent van Gogh. Living through the second-half of the nineteenth century, van Gogh was actually born in the southern Netherlands, only coming to Amsterdam to study theology before he really took up painting. Most of his career as an artist was spent in France.Nonetheless, Amsterdam is the location of the museum dedicated to his work and it is well-worth braving the often very long queues to see his paintings in the flesh, as it were.

HURRY! Book by February 12, 2013 to save 50% on the recommended retail prices for a Keukenhof Gardens and Tulip Fields Tour from Amsterdam. This exclusive offer is available for travel dates from April 10- April 28, 2013 on all scheduled departure times and dates (with block-out dates April 19 and 20). Please note that this offer is available for new transactions only and cannot be applied to any existing booking.

Catch the highlights of Amsterdam on this 2.5-hour Amsterdam City Sightseeing Tour that includes the Royal Palace, National Monument, bridges, a market and traditional gabled houses.

There’s also a visit to the Gassan Diamonds factory, which allows spectators to watch the talented workers turn rough diamonds into exquisitely polished stones! This month, one lucky winner will be awarded two tickets to the Amsterdam City Sightseeing Tour PLUS while on the tour they will each receive a Gassan diamond worth €500!

If you’ve only got a few days in The Netherlands, head straight to Madurodam near Den Haag for a mini-tour of the whole country – all in miniature. A 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam and a tram hop (number nine) out of Den Haag at Scheveningen, the park has three themed zones containing intricate models of Holland’s cities and landmark buildings, all scaled down to 1.25.

Sephardic Jews first came to Amsterdam in the late 15th century, escaping persecution in Spain and Portugal, and settled behind Waterlooplein, bordered by the Amstel and the Herengracht canal. They integrated successfully into Dutch life and flourished, with many working in the diamond industry. After enjoying years of religious freedom in Amsterdam, everything changed with the advent of World War II; the majority of Amsterdam’s 100,000 Jews were herded up and transported to Auschwitz and Belsen concentration camps. By 1945, less than 500 survived.

There are two kinds of cafes or coffee shops in Amsterdam – the famous ‘coffee shop’ which is one of the city’s main tourist attractions (though this is fast changing with the new laws coming in), and the brown cafes which actually serve coffee, beer and food and which are where you’ll find the locals relaxing in an atmosphere that is both vibey bar and laid back café.

The Dutch might be the least superstitious people on earth, but in a city as old and full of history as Amsterdam, there’s bound to be some ghosts haunting the place and sure enough there are.