At the time of this trip, I had worked at Grand Angle for a year and a half in the administrative and accounting department. A mother of two children, I love mountains, skiing, beautiful landscapes…and travel, of course!
My partner and I left our two children with their grandparents for a few days away as a couple…we were looking for a European destination, easy to access, not too far away but fascinating: heading to Amsterdam!
The spring was the ideal time for this trip: pleasant temperatures and climate, and especially, we were in the peak season of the famous tulips in the Netherlands, which generally bloom from late March to mid-May. The colourful scenery made this stay unique.
Here are my must-sees for a 4 day stay in Amsterdam
1. Exploring the city by bike (day and night!) in 2 or 3 days
Amsterdam is THE city where there are more bikes than cars!
With its countless cycling paths, the bike is the most practical way to visit the city and explore every corner.
By cycling throughout the city, we were able to admire the emblematic canals (“Prinsengracht”, “Leidsegracht”…), the typical houses and the many bridges (“Magere Brug” (the “Skinny Bridge”) in particular).
- The museums: for culture enthusiasts, Amsterdam is renowned for its many prestigious museums; notably in the “Museum Quarter” with the “Rijksmuseum”, the “Moco Museum”, the modern art foundation “Stedelijk Museum” and the “Van Gogh Museum”. But if, like us, you are not necessarily fans of indoor visits, know that they are still worth seeing, even from the outside; the architecture of the buildings and the surroundings are magnificent and unmissable.
- Amsterdam’s Royal Palace: It is located in the centre of the old town, on Dam Square.
- Anne Frank House: This was our greatest regret of the trip; we were unable to visit the house, situated just 10 min from Dam Square, in the Jordaan neighbourhood. Indeed, we had not booked in advance and unfortunately there were no more places available… so be sure to book in advance if you wish to visit it! Anne Frank House tells the story of a young Jewish girl during the Second World War. She kept a diary while she and her family hid in this house for more than 2 years to escape the Nazis…it must be moving!
- “Damrak”: Main central avenue that connects Amsterdam Central Station and Dam Square, ideal for strolling, shopping, eating…while observing the canal houses.
That lunch, we had Flemish fries at the most famous chip shop in Amsterdam, at “Manneken Pis”.
- “De Wallen”: We crossed the famous “Red Light District”. It is the oldest part of the city, with many coffee shops typical of Amsterdam, as well as the Oude Kerk (the “Old Church”).
- “Nieuwmarkt” is one of the main squares in the city of Amsterdam, home to the “Waag” building. Here we ate a filled waffle; there are plenty of them everywhere… it’s very… indulgent!!!
- The parks: we wandered through the pretty parks in the heart of the city. My favourites were “Vondelpark” and “Oosterpark”: fountains, little lakes, flowers, wooded paths… simply beautiful!
- The markets: We went to the famous “Bloemenmarkt” flower market. There are plants, flowers, lots of tulips (even wooden ones!), plenty of bulbs… And to the “Albert Cuypmarkt”, the busiest market in the Netherlands. You can find everything there: clothes, local products, culinary specialities… and especially “stroopwafels” made on the spot. Perfect for bringing back a typical Dutch souvenir!
- The “De Gooyer” windmill: Further east in the city, there is a pretty windmill next to an industrial-style brewery. The windmill is very beautiful: worth seeing!
- In the north of the city, there are other cultural sites such as the “NEMO” science museum and the “National Maritime Museum”. And finally, the “A’Dam Lookout” swing: more unusual, this swing is located 100 m high; breathtaking view over the city.
What struck us the most was the history and construction of this city. More than 100 kilometres of canals run through Amsterdam! These iconic canals have earned it the nickname “Venice of the North”.
A cruise along the canals could have been nice, but we chose the cruise through the Dutch countryside, which I will tell you about a little further down.
The typical houses, often leaning or even crooked, are impressive. They were built on wooden piles, on very soft ground, right at the water’s edge. As the ground is unstable, the houses sink unevenly, leaning on their neighbours: they call these the “dancing houses”.
Looking more closely at the traditional houses in the historic centre, we also noticed hooks at the top of the façades.
We learned that they were used in the past, and are still used today, for example during house moves, to hoist furniture and goods up to the upper-floor windows (the attics were used as warehouses for trade).
As the houses are very narrow and tall, the staircases were steep and narrow, so it was impossible to carry bulky items up through the inside.
They were also built with a slight forward tilt to stop objects from hitting the façade while being hoisted.
2. Cruise through the Dutch countryside and visit to the “Keukenhof” garden (1 day)
We took an excursion from Amsterdam.
In the morning, we took the bus to Abbenes for a one-hour cruise on the splendid “Kagerplassen”. We sailed through the polders: an immersion in the history of the Netherlands! The guide explained that the Dutch made their own country: they created artificial stretches of land by reclaiming them from the water, building dikes, then using windmills to drain the marshes. As the water was removed, the ground sank. The ground level dropped by several metres. It is this unique history that explains why this land now lies below sea level. “Kagerplassen” is in fact one of the lowest places in the Netherlands (5 m below sea level). It was a fascinating landscape where we sailed at the height of the rooftops of the houses!
However, this balance remains fragile. The guide explained that these polders are threatened by rising waters; it is worth knowing that 26% of the country lies below sea level. This cruise was very enriching.
At the end of the morning, after the cruise, the bus took us to the magnificent “Keukenhof” garden, renowned as the most beautiful spring garden in the world! Every year, more than 7 million bulbs are planted by hand over 32 hectares. There are 800 different varieties of tulips. We went at the ideal time to enjoy the tulips in full bloom. We strolled through fields overflowing with colourful flowers, a real living postcard!
In this park, there is also a historic windmill that you can visit. It offers a magnificent view of the tulip fields all around.
With the last bus back to Amsterdam at 6:30 pm, we were free to explore at our own pace. We even took a little nap among the tulips (on the lawns where this is allowed, of course)! The only small downside of the day was lunch. We ate in a cafeteria in the park, and the meal was very average.
A few tips and tricks:
- How to get to Amsterdam?
We flew from Geneva (the tickets were cheaper than from Lyon).
- Amsterdam in April?
Ideal for visiting the city (lovely weather and pleasant temperatures) and especially the “Keukenhof” garden (tulips in full bloom).
- How to get around the city?
For more freedom, rent bikes directly at the hotel (rather than taking the bus).
Hotel -> airport journey: Uber (fast and easy to use).
- Our hotel?
“L’Olympic Hôtel” is not right in the centre, but we easily got into the city by bike along the cycle paths in about 15 minutes.
The meals at the hotel were excellent, as was the breakfast.
A little anecdote from our trip!
Without knowing it, we landed in Amsterdam on King’s Day. Seeing everyone dressed in orange, we wondered…we looked it up online and it turned out to be King’s Day. Indeed, each year it takes place on 27 April (unless 27 April falls on a Sunday, in which case the celebration is moved to 26 April, which was the case this year).
It is one of the most popular events in the Netherlands: the city transforms into a massive open-air festival: with orange everywhere, concerts at every street corner, markets, people celebrating…quite an atmosphere!
It was nice to see, but it was a bit complicated to get around the city… we even found ourselves, at times, in pedestrian traffic jams. Best avoided if you don’t like crowds!!!
Amsterdam is a very beautiful city…definitely worth visiting! We particularly loved the relaxed vibe of this city. Cycling along the canals, observing the typical houses and beautiful buildings, strolling through the city’s parks and the flower garden at Keukenhof, or taking a cruise through the Dutch countryside and learning more about this city’s history… it was an incredible and enriching stay.
Grand Angle offers a wide selection of trips, including bike/boat, to discover windmills, polders, tulip fields or the Keukenhof garden: colorful trips!
Most of these trips start or end in Amsterdam, the perfect opportunity to add one or two additional nights to take time exploring this must-see city.
Article written by
Elodie Buisson
Administrative and Accounting Coordinator
