Spending a weekend in Amsterdam in January
Amsterdam – The beautiful city of canals and bicycles
I took a little trip to Amsterdam for the weekend and here is a mini look into what we got up to and suggestions on where you should go.
We arrived in Amsterdam at 7 pm. It’s a very quick flight from London and also just as cold in the winter, if not even colder.
We spent the first day strolling along the canals and through around the dam square. Wherever you go in Amsterdam it’ll bound to be very pretty and clean. Pop into Magna Plaza for their beautiful ceiling and their top floor food court for surprisingly good and some fusion street venders.
(Going clockwise are from the images to the left)
Walking Around Amsterdam
Pretty much everywhere you walk in Amsterdam, could be an Instagram post. The canals, the bikers and the boats create a very unique and wonderful atmosphere.
The Top 3 bridges to visit:
- Lekkeresluis Brug
- Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge)
- Torensluis Brug
Inspired by https://www.aperturetours.com/blog/2019/bridges-of-amsterdam
Albert Cuyp Market Rijksmuseum
Albert Cuyp Market is towards the south of Amsterdam in the De Pijp area of the Oud-Zuid district. The market is named after Albert Cuyp a danish painter and has been running since the 20th century.
You can get a range of different items here, from clothing to flowers and hitting the spot for me danish streetfood.
Unfortunately, it was raining for us when we arrived so we hid away under the covers for a food vendor and tried some bitterballens. Bitterballen are balls of meat, traditionally beef, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Our dish came alongside other deep-fried goodies like cheese and fish.
Next, we stopped at a vendor next door which served chicken ballens which were cooked in a sauce instead of being deep-fried.
Finally stopping at a stroopwafel shop, for a warm and light fluffy waffles. They also sold what I can only describe as stroopwafel crumbs which were crispy sweet treats that were quite cheap, I think they were 50 cents.
Rijksmuseum – The museum of Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum is pretty much the go-to the museum in Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum is dedicated to the history of the city and located just off of the Albert Cuyp market and before you reach Vondelpark.
One of the most beautiful rooms in the museum (apart from the main entrance) and is tucked away is the Rijksmuseum Library. The Rijksmuseum Research Library is the biggest public library in the country and one of the most stunning.
It’s not just beautifully classic with its interior, it has a stunning garden just outside with a garden and a water feature. I can see how people can spend an entire day here.
Vondelpark in Amsterdam
Vondelpark is the biggest and most well-known park in Amsterdam. The parks have been around for over 150 years and are home to an entire array of dutch wildlife.
The park is bustling with people, bikes and families and on the day we were there, it was a race day so full of runners and joggers as well.
It took us about 1.5-2 hours to walk around the park, stopping by the rose garden to rest and enjoy the view. I would definitely suggest taking a stroll or bike ride through the park on a sunny day.
A’DAM Lookout & Eye Film Museum
A’DAM lookout is a trendy 20 story building with a rooftop restaurant and bar with an amazing panoramic view of the city.
The observation deck also has a state of the art interactive exhibitions and a VR floor. The elevator takes you straight from the 1st to the 20th in 20secs including lights and a see-through ceiling so not for the faint-hearted.
They also have a swing on the edge of the building for all the adrenaline junkies out there.
The Eye Film Museum sits right next to the A’DAM building and is hard to miss. This museum holds a huge collection of Dutch & foreign movies to round off this side of Amsterdam.
