The Must Visit City: Amsterdam
Today I was reminiscing of my past travels and how I haven’t taken a booked a trip in a while. (Something that I need to change soon.) In particular was my last visit to Europe of Fall 2013. Though I traveled through 16 different countries and countless cities, there will always be unique cities that stand out or resonate to you more than others. One of those for me was Amsterdam and is a must visit city recommendation if your looking to book a trip to Europe sometime soon.
What made Amsterdam so unique to me (and probably countless other world travelers)? To me one of the biggest factors was the city environment. Yet, it didn’t feel like a city. Walking through the city of Amsterdam is more like taking a page out of The Hobbit and witnessing all the enchanting features that carry out the mystical vibe of the city. Tilted little buildings, variety of artistic flavors portrayed through random objects in the city, one-of-a-kind shops, and deep history that the city of Amsterdam has survived through. You follow one canal path and will find yourself in a very different world all of a sudden. The canals of the city itself have a strong influence on the city and bring out some of the more natural beauties the historical city still entails. Take a stroll through Amsterdam one day and you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
One of the biggest things that help make this city so accessible and enjoyable to traverse through are the Dutch people. Along with being very fashionable people, the Dutch are very sincere and offer a very friendly hand to any questions. Even better is that English is spoken very well if not almost fluently by a majority of the Dutch people. All those American movies can have a big impact on you when you start watching them at a young age. At night you will probably find a good majority dancing out at the abundant amount of electronic dance music clubs dotted throughout the city. If your in the city during October make sure to attend the Amsterdam Music Festival to see some of the world’s elite DJ’s. Whether it be at a bar, museum, coffee shop, or restaurant you will witness the friendly demeanor of the Dutch people. Just watch out for them and their bikes.
If your a big fan of art there are not many other cities that produce more legendary artists than Amsterdam. Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt are but a few of the iconic artists who resided in the city of canals. You can actually visit the Rembrandt house and see a good chunk of his artworks that are still within the old building. While definitely recommending the Rembrandt house I would definitely recommend waiting in line for the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. Both have wonderful exhibits or art to tour through and the Rijkmuseum (which just finished up a massive renovation in 2013) could probably take up a whole day itself. Peddle around the city and I’m sure you’ll encounter more incredible artwork hidden away.
Along with the notable art museum you’ll find countless other historical sites scattered across your Amsterdam map. This includes a variety of Jewish synagogues, the Anne Frank house, the Heineken Brewery, and some other WWII museums. The Dutch Resistance Museum is one I personally enjoyed. Stroll through all those must-see sites and while your at it take a stroll through Vondel Park. The park is huge and will  be a “trip” to remember if you visit some of those coffee shops.
Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities in the world and a must visit city if you haven’t visited yet.
