Amsterdam Things to Do

Amsterdam in spring means flowers; Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse only open for a couple of months a year – in 2013 from March 21 to May 20. Every year seven million bulbs are planted here, forming a psychedelic carpet of flowers, with some 100 varieties of tulip as well as daffodils and hyacinths. The Gardens are xxx from Amsterdam and there is a direct bus from Schiphol Airport Plaza.

As the capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam is its biggest city and home to a hip and multicultural population, with a rainbow of nations all bringing their colorful heritage to town. The result is a vibrant, happening city with plenty of street life and cultural events.

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!

Christmas preparations kick off in mid-November in Amsterdam, when the streets are adorned with Christmas lights and store windows decorated with festive scenes. On the third weekend in November, Sinterklaas and his helpers arrive in The Netherlands and sail down the Amstel River before parading through Amsterdam’s streets to check on the behavior of the city’s youngsters.

Amsterdam in 2012 celebrates Christmas with a Light Festival—The Netherlands’ capital city comes alive with magical laser shows piercing the night sky and glinting off the canals over the Christmas season.

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.

As you’d expect from a country that made its wealth out of international trade in spices, and these days is one of the world’s most visited and international cities, Amsterdam has a huge range of foods and flavors. A few things not to miss while you’re there: