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MORNINGAFTERNOONEVENING

Good morning
Amsterdam!

Welcome to Amsterdam – the city of masterpieces, canals and bicycles. This city charms all visitors – and whether it’s art, cosy cafes or romantic strolls you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here.

MORNING

The city’s just about to wake up … ready to go?

Play it DJ

Get in the Amsterdam mood with a bit of local music.

Listen here

Explore with one click

Explore Amsterdam’s various sights with this virtual tour.

📍Royal Palace

📍NEMO Science Museum

📍Anne Frank Huis

📍De Hallen

📍Rijksmuseum

 

Start here

Helicopter tour

Take in the prettiness of this city from the sky.

 

Watch video

AFTERNOON

Get comfortable on your sofa … we’re about to start the tour to the heart of the city.

Talk like a local

Dutch is spoken by around 24 million people as a first language and 5 million people as a second language, constituting the majority of people in the Netherlands and Belgium (as one of three official languages).

It’s the native language of Suriname where it also holds an official status, as it does in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

Ready for a bit of Dutch?

 

Start the class here

Greetings

Hallo / Hoi – Hello

Goedemorgen/Goedemiddag/

Goedeavond/Goedenacht – Good morning/good afternoon/good evening/good night

Tot ziens / Doei (informal) – Goodbye

Showing courtesy

Alsjeblieft / Alstublieft – Please
Dank je / Dank U – Thank you
Graag gedaan – You’re welcome
Het spijt me – I’m sorry

Gezelligheid

Often equated to cosiness, gezelligheid is so much more than that. For the Dutch, gezelligheid represents equal parts fun, jovial or amicable situations all underlined by a sense of personal comfort and togetherness.

Uitbuiken

After eating a delicious meal Dutch people get uitbuiken, which literally translates as outbellying. Uitbuiken expresses that bellies need time to relax after a particularly hearty feast. This is done by unbuckling belts or loosening tight clothing to allow a healthy digestion.

Op Die Fiets

Literally meaning “on that bicycle”, it’s used to express your understanding following a previous (explanatory) statement, explaining something you didn’t understand (fully) at first, as in “I now understand how that happened”.

Lunch time

The Dutch love herring, which they call Hollandse Nieuwe or ‘New Dutch herring’. It’s usually eaten raw on a bun or as a snack with some chopped onions and pickles. Tasty and healthy … what more could you ask for?!

Find the recipe

Afternoon at the museum

In love with Vermeer and Rembrandt? At the Rijksmuseum you’ll find all the masters of the Dutch Golden Age, and much more.

Visit the Rijksmuseum

Fun Facts

Amsterdam has more bridges than Venice. For anyone who’s visited Venice, it feels like there are thousands of bridges, but there are ‘only’ 409, while Amsterdam boasts a whopping 1281 bridges. The Magere Brug, also known as the Skinny Bridge, is the most famous.

There are more than 1 million bicycles in Amsterdam, but only around 821,000 people. Around 100,000 bikes get stolen every year.

 

Amsterdam City Guide

Travelling with kids?

We’ve got you covered! Prepare them for their trip to Amsterdam with this fun colouring book.

 

Download it here

EVENING

A busy day calls for a relaxing evening. Mix a drink, snack on something heavenly and immerse yourself in a bit of Dutch culture.

Happy hour

Genever has a long tradition in Amsterdam, and though it’s been seen as something an older generation might enjoy, it’s been making something of a comeback. Try mixing it yourself and create a fresh “Fast Running Break” cocktail.

Here’s the recipe

The munchies

Dessert for dinner … yeah, it’s that kind of an evening. The local delicacy Stroopwafel might just be the perfect thing to snack on.

Here’s the recipe

Cultural encounters

Dutch culture and history is so rich that you’ll need plenty of time to take it all in.

Film

A Dutch World-War-II-period drama film based on the life of banker Walraven van Hall, who financed the Dutch resistance during the war.

Binge-watching

This horror drama series tells the story of a young medical student in Amsterdam, who joins a secret student society, only to uncover some horrifying secrets.

Books

One of the most remarkable accounts of the horrors of war, written from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl living in Amsterdam. A must read!