Amsterdam Things to Do

For one weekend only, on April 14-15 2012, more than 500 museums around The Netherlands will waive their often-high entrance prices and allow free or discounted entry. Many of them will charge a symbolic ticket price of €1. This is the annual National Museums Weekend. It includes such important galleries as the Rijksmuseum which houses Rembrandt’s famous Night Watch painting; the Van Gogh Museum which also has a rich program of events including a creativity studio for children; and Anne Frank’s House which is one of the city’s most popular visitor attractions.

When I was old enough to start visiting bars (18, as I was in Australia), my eye was immediately drawn to those shiny, pretty-colored bottles gleaming on the shelves behind the bar. They were the colors of precious jewels, much brighter than the rainbow. I confess, for a while I drank only things that matched my outfit–again, I was 18. So, it was inevitable that when I got to Amsterdam, I had to seek out the place that made these magical – and frankly sickly sweet – alcoholic tints.

The House of Bols is located at Museumplein in the center of Amsterdam, very close to the Van Gogh Museum (another house of wonderful colors). It has won a Dutch Design Award for Best Exhibition and Experience.

The Van Gogh Museum is one of Amsterdam‘s most popular attractions, flocked by tourists during all day long. But real insiders know that when the sun sets, the Van Gogh Museum really shines. Every Friday night, the museum is open until 10pm and hosts a variety of programming and events for all the late-night art lovers. Rotating DJs, guided exhibition tours, and lectures on contemporary art projects offer a lot for any curious mind.

Assuming you are going to Amsterdam for the tulips, you can book a pretty little tour to the tulip fields at Keukenhof Gardens. It’s a good way to fill up your camera’s memory cards with pictures of pleasant, Dutch scenery and millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The tours are either half-day or full-day, and there’s plenty of picnicking areas, as well as several restaurants should you want a bite to eat.