Booking a last minute getaway with my little sister for her birthday has become something of a tradition for the two of us in the last few years. While she’s away at Uni and I’m working full time it can be hard to spend time together, which is why little trips like this are so important.
Having always travelled together since we were little with our parents has meant that we have both developed not only a shared love of exploring new places, but also a laidback approach as to how we go about doing so. I thought our weekend away would be fun to document and serve as a little inspiration for someone else looking for a short break away with their friends, partner or family.
If you’re after an easy-going city break that requires minimal flight time (from the UK at least!) and one that can be booked over the course of a bank holiday weekend to ensure you save as much of your precious holiday allowance left over as possible, then Amsterdam should be your go-to!
Food, shopping, history, art… you name it. Amsterdam will keep inspiring you to go back.
Dam Square
Why not begin your exploration of Amsterdam in the most central area of the city, The Dam Square. The overwhelmingly large area of open space is propped up by the monument of freedom, Nieuwekerk church and the Palace of the Queen. However if architecture and history aren’t your thing, then the De Bijenkorf department store is just around the corner, doubling up a museum to designer brands as well as a shopping destination for luxury goods.
Vondel Park
Vondel Park was actually the very first place my sister and I visited after landing and quickly checking in to our hotel. It was impossible not to fall in love with the city after spending some time here and made for a the perfect place to recharge our batteries and relax.
We would HIGHLY recommend popping into a nearby supermarket and grabbing a bag (or two!) of snacks so that you can really enjoy a hot summer’s day here and sunbathe. I loved seeing big groups of friends and families setting up BBQs and playing games in the immaculately landscaped gardens. Here you truly forget that you are in a busy capital city of over 800,000 people!
Van Gogh Museum & Museum Square
Art lover or not, I would always recommend taking the time to explore the Van Gogh Museum in the city’s Museum Square. The area surrounding the museum is beautiful and great to wander through, if for nothing more than just to take in the ambience.
It’s worthwhile getting your tickets to the museum in advance as queues can be LONG, especially during the summer months. The museum itself is incredibly easy to navigate and you can even take photos throughout which is not always something you can do in many other European cities! I think anyone would be able to visit and really appreciate Van Gogh’s story, even if the art itself isn’t your cup of tea.
Address: Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Not Your Usual Street Food
Now this may not get everyone excited, but being Russian and used to eating all kinds of fish prepared in weird and wonderful ways, my sister and I were very much looking forward to trying out what is meant to be a very traditional food in the Netherlands: raw herring! Don’t knock it ’till you try it…
There are numerous stalls selling this healthy snack around the city but Herring Stall Jonk was the one we visited. We had ours in a roll with chopped onions – cheap and cheerful!
Address: Spui 7a, 1012 WX Amsterdam, Netherlands
A’DAM LOOKOUT Tower
In my opinion, one of the coolest ways to take in whatever city you happen to be in is through seeing it from above! We saved the A’DAM LOOKOUT Tower for our last day as it meant we could spent our last few hours in Amsterdam close to Amsterdam Central Station which would take us straight to the airport afterwards and get some incredible skyline photos to finish off our photo album.
Located in the North of Amsterdam, A’DAM Tower could not be easier to reach by ferry from Amsterdam Central Station. Behind the train station you will need to follow signs for IJ Side (or IJ-Zijde) and hop onto the FREE ferry to Buiksloterweg which takes about 3 minutes and runs every 15 mins or so. Once you arrive on the other side, the tower is a short walk away and costs costs about €12,50 to enter (which is far less than most museums/ galleries in London!).
For those of you who love heights as much as my sister and I do, I would highly recommend paying the additional €5 to swing our over the edge of the tower on Europe’s highest swing, ‘Over The Edge’. You will see the whole of Amsterdam at your feet and leave totally invigorated following the adrenaline rush and inevitably sweaty palms!
Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market)
A trip to Amsterdam is not really complete without checking out the world’s one and only floating flower market. The market is open pretty much every day of the year and is a great place to take a break from the bustle of the city.
And, should you get bored of the flowers, the opposite side of the market is lined with underground cheese shops where free tasters are pretty much guaranteed. Just saying’…
Address: Singel, 1012 DH Amsterdam, Netherlands
Anne Frank’s House
I’m not sure I need to say anything other than JUST GO.
Whether you studied Anne’s book in depth at school, are interested in her story or history in general, there really is no excuse to exclude this from your travel itinerary and find out more.
But be warned, you need to book well ahead! My sister and I had no idea just how quickly tickets are sold out here and had to spend hours queueing for entry (thankfully we got lucky!). Book online and as soon as you possibly can to avoid disappointment.
Address: Prinsengracht 263-267, 1016 GV Amsterdam
TOP TIP
Make getting around Amsterdam a breeze by getting your hands on an Amsterdam Travel Ticket from the train station linked to Schiphol Airport. Depending on the length of your stay, choose a 1, 2 or 3 day ticket to ensure you can get to and from the airport and around the city via tram, bus and metro without having to think twice.
Learn more here: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/plan-your-trip/getting-around/public-transport
The Fault In Our Stars Bench
I’m sure I am not the only one who fell in love with the story of Hazel and Augustus from John Green’s book ‘The Fault In Our Stars’. Naturally my sister and I were excited by the prospect of being able to visit where a part of the film was shot and so I Googled how to find the bench from THAT romantic movie scene. If you know, you know.
I will have to let you down gently by saying there is good and bad news. Sadly the original bench used during filming has apparently been stolen. However there is another one in its place now so you can indeed satisfy your inner movie geek and get a photo to show-off for the ‘gram. I personally also love how the bench is covered in cute movie quotes and love-locks too!
Location: The corner of Leidsegracht/Herengracht
Pancakes!
If that isn’t an attention grabbing heading, I don’t know what is! Do yourself a favour and get yourself down to The Pancake Bakery one way or another whilst in Amsterdam. They do beautiful breakfasts and an incredible array of batter-based treats that will satisfy both a sweet and savoury palette. I would recommend trying to wrangle a canal-side table and ordering the poffertjes. You can thank me later.
Where We Stayed
Booking last minute can sometimes result in losing out in terms of great places to stay. Thankfully, I managed to get a great deal for Hotel V Fizeaustraat as our booking was for only a few weeks or so from their opening. This particular hotel is a short train/ tram ride from the city centre which was nice to retreat to after a day out exploring. The room decor, ambience, service and breakfast were all incredible, so I would recommend this hotel to anyone. There are a few Hotel V’s in Amsterdam and if this one was anything to go by, they will also be fabulous!
Considering that this was our very first visit to the city I think my sister and I did a decent job navigating our way through and seeing/ doing the sorts of things that we found interesting at the time. We also really appreciated how easy it was to get around and how incredibly easygoing and relaxed the whole vibe of Amsterdam seemed to be.
My final bit of advice when visiting? Wake up early, wear comfortable shoes and look both ways (twice!) before crossing the road as someone on a bicycle is more than likely to be heading your way.
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
