Amsterdam is everything I want in a travel destination all nicely packed into one place. It’s a dense city full of iconic architecture and picturesque waterways; it has history, culture, and food at every turn; and it’s surrounded by equally impressive towns perfect for day trips. Even though I researched a lot beforehand, I still learned some surprising facts about Amsterdam. And even though we packed a lot into our three days of canals and culture in Amsterdam, we still didn’t experience everything there is in the Dutch city.
Equally famous for its canals as its cannabis, Amsterdam is a world renowned city that has attracted tourists and transplants for centuries. The miles of canals inspired its nickname as the Venice of the North and its tolerant outlook on society made it welcoming to everyone. (The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same sex marriage in 2001.)
While Amsterdam’s nightlife, famous Red Light District, and cannabis laws inspire plenty of visitors, my friend Heather and I were there to see the city and its canals and, as fellow food writers, eat as much of the cuisine as possible. Unfortunately we hardly scratched the surface of what there is to see and do in the city and barely got a bite of the food scene. (That just means I’ll have to go back!) But still, Amsterdam managed to surprise me — in the good way.
Three Days of Canals & Culture + 5 Surprising Facts About Amsterdam
1. Amsterdam is below sea level.
When my plane landed in Amsterdam the screen monitor said the altitude was -10 feet, which I figured was wrong. Turns out, it wasn’t. Amsterdam is about 6 feet below sea level and the airport even more. In fact, most of the Netherlands is below sea level, which is how it gets its name — it literally means “lower countries.”
Because it’s below sea level, most of the city is built on reclaimed land from the 16th Century. A system of dykes, dams, and even the canals help prevent the city from flooding. Amsterdam has more than 60 miles of canals, which are collectively a UNESCO Heritage Site. Most of the canals are navigable by boat and passed by pedestrians, cars, and bikers with over 1,200 bridges.
Originally, some of the canals served as defense moats in the Medieval Ages, restricting the city from expanding outward. Since Amsterdam was one of the world’s most important cities in the 1600s (hello Dutch East India Company) and people from around the world moved there, a lot of people squished into a small area. It’s now one of the most densely populated countries in the Europe.
2. There are more bikes than people.
After spending a few days in the Hague, Heather and I arrived in Amsterdam only to be blindsided by the hustle and bustle of the city center. It felt like risking death just crossing the narrow streets because so many bikes whizzed passed, motorcycles buzzed by, and cars came out of nowhere. Oh and the tram — watch out for that too!
Later we realized we arrived right at rush hour and things weren’t quite so hectic all the time. And even though I knew there’d be a lot of bikes, I was surprised just how many are in Amsterdam! The Netherlands has a population of 17 million people, yet there are 18 million bikes in the country. And that seems obvious in Amsterdam; bikes are everywhere! I’ve literally never seen so many bikes in my life.
And these aren’t your ordinary bikers. Everyone of every age is riding them, and almost no one wears helmets. Parents ride with two and three kids on one bike, all saddled up, zooming through the city. We were a little intimidated to join the bikers, so we opted for the trams and trains instead. They are easy to navigate and more convenient than cabs, who are restricted by the narrow one-way streets circumnavigating the canals.
3. Amsterdam has some really good food.
The first thing we did in the city was eat. Since we were staying at the NH Museum Quarter Hotel near the Rijksmuseum, we went to the nearby RIJKS restaurant. The Michelin-starred restaurant is classy but casual and our impromptu tasting menu was one of the best meals of our trip.
The funny thing about traveling with a fellow food writer is neither of us mind eating. A lot. We were almost to dessert on our fabulous lunch when we realized we were about to be late for dinner. (Which, it’s worth mentioning, was awful! Also Michelin-rated, Ron Gastrobar had terrible food and even worse service.)
Beyond Michelin restaurants, some of our favorite dishes were streetside vendors or casual spots we didn’t plan. One day we went to the Albert Cuyp Market to shop while nibbling on street vendors. We ate Dutch pancakes, Stroopwafel, and even a Turkish wrap called a Gözleme, made with spinach and feta in a flatbread.
Another night we made a point to have a bowl of Japanese ramen in Amsterdam, continuing my worldwide search for one of my favorite foods, at Ramenya. The basement ramen shop serves a dozen different bowls plus Japanese go-tos like gyoza. The ramen was perfectly comforting (although not as outstanding as ramen in Frankfurt) but the best part was the Nikka whisky was only 8€.
4. Amsterdam is surrounded by beautiful places perfect for day trips.
There’s no doubt Amsterdam has an iconic culture all its own. And while it’s known for cannabis and the Red Light District, it’s worth noting that I didn’t notice either. In fact I’ve smelled more weed walking down the streets in Chicago than I did in Amsterdam! (Tsk, tsk, Chitown!)
Dutch culture, as a whole, is equally as iconic. And we wanted to experience the seaside towns, famous windmills, and wooden shoe makers that are iconically Dutch. So on our second day we took a day trip through Holland from Amsterdam to see Edam, Volendam, Marken, and Zaanse Schans. We ate edam cheese, learned how to make stroopwafel, rode a ferry through the bay, watched wooden shoes be made, and toured a working windmill. It’s safe to say we covered most of North Holland… all in time to return to Amsterdam for a canal cruise through the sunset! (More on our day trip here.)
We previously saw South Holland on our day trip to Gouda and Delft from The Hague (which is also doable from Amsterdam). Seeing the Netherlands beyond the big cities was amazing and I highly recommend taking a day trip to a smaller town while you’re there.
5. Amsterdam is inundated with history.
On our last day in Amsterdam we finally made it to the Van Gogh Museum. There are 75(!!) museums in Amsterdam covering everything from art, photography, history; even beer and sex!
The Van Gogh Museum tells the story of the famed painter’s life and how he posthumously became famous. It was touching, but don’t expect to see all of his iconic paintings. Many, like the Starry Night, are elsewhere in the world. (Some are actually in Chicago.)
We also saw the Anne Frank House, a museum to the young Jewish writer. Held in the actual space where her family hid for years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, it told the story of their lives and how her book came to be published. It was touching in a completely different way. Visiting the somber museum is a must while in Amsterdam, so be sure to buy tickets beforehand as far in advance as possible. (Only a limited amount are allowed in per hour and times fill up fast.)
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Like all great trips, right as we got our bearings straight and got used to the bikers it was time to move on to Berlin. But Amsterdam is one of those cities that I know I’ll be back to and probably sooner than later. Or at least, I hope so!
Stay tuned for a day in North Holland. Until then, here’s why you should go to The Hague plus a day trip to South Holland.
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