Travelling to Amsterdam? Lucky you! It’s one of the best places to visit in Europe. With more than one million inhabitants in its urban area, Amsterdam is Netherland’s largest city, as well as the country’s financial, cultural, and creative centre.
The name Amsterdam derives from the city’s history and origin as “dam” on river “Amstel”. Amsterdam is also known as Venice of the North because of its lovely canals and its impressive number of bridges ( there 1,500 bridges in Amsterdam!).
This amazing city attracts over 7 million international travellers annually, thus being one of the most popular destinations in Europe.
It is said that there’s something to do for every traveller in Amsterdam. Therefore, coming up with a list of 7 things that you can do during a business trip there wasn’t that difficult.
Hop on your bike for the best sightseeing experience
In Amsterdam, cycling has become a way of life, with over 800,000 bicycles in the city. You will soon see that Amsterdam is one of the world’s most cycle-friendly cities, as this is the best way to explore the city’s streets, canals and attractions. Cycling in Amsterdam is not only safe but also enjoyable and easy. There are plenty of places where you can rent bikes, such as MacBike and Rent-A-Bike. To make sure you won’t miss anything, you can book a guided tour from the Yellow Bike company.
Stop at Museumplein
This is considered to be the cultural heart of Amsterdam and is situated in Oud-Zuid (Old-South), one of Amsterdam’s most elegant neighbourhoods, with impressive manors and chic boutiques. This is where you can visit the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art. Alternatively, you could spend some quality time in Vondelpark which, we guarantee, is one of the most beautiful parks in Europe.
Visit Anne Frank’s house
The Prinsengracht house is where diarist and writer Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis for two years during World War II, after fleeing persecution in Germany. Although the front of the house is now a museum, the back annex was left untouched to show the difficult times that families hiding there were put through. In the museum, you will find all sorts of documents, photos, and objects that actually belonged to the people hiding there. Anne’s original diary and other notebooks can also be found in the museum.
Go on a canal cruise
Amsterdam’s Canal Ring was built in the 17th century to keep the sea at bay and is now an UNESCO protected site. Each year, Amsterdam’s canals host a number of events on or alongside the water (e.g. King’s Day, the Gay Pride Canal Parade, the Grachtenfestival, etc).
There are many different canal cruises that you can choose from. You can either hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tours or attend night time cruises with food and wine. Here is where you can find out more about Amsterdam canal cruises.
Do a bit of vintage shopping
When it comes to shopping in Amsterdam, everyone heads to Kalverstraat which can be compared to London’s Oxford Street. However, if you really want to purchase one-of-a-kind items (from vintage accessories and second hand designer apparel to retro furniture), you should definitely take a walk on the Nine Streets. These connect the main canals between Leidsegracht and Raadhuisstraat and contain some of the most unique shops in the city.
The Nine Streets area was constructed in the first half of the 17th century and is now home to a multitude of restaurants, cafés, galleries and amazing shops.
To access a list of shops and locations, visit the 9 Streets website.
Visit the Rijksmuseum
This is one of Amsterdam’s most well-known museums. It is home to a wide variety of artefacts that reflect more than 800 years of Dutch history, including painting from famous artists like Rembrandt and Van Gogh and historic art by Vermeer and Frans Hals. The museum’s large collection also includes Delftware, sculptures, archaeological artefacts, clothing, Asian art, prints, items from Dutch maritime history and many other.
Visit the only floating flower market in the world
The Bloemenmarkt was founded in 1862 and it is located on Singel between Muntplein and Koningsplein in the city’s southern canal belt. There are 15 florists and garden shops which stand on the houseboats. Visitors can purchase tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and flowers. In December, the market also sells green Christmas trees.
Accommodation for EAN 2017 & Amsterdam sightseeing
If you’re going to Amsterdam for EAN 2017, it would be a pity not to visit this wonderful city and attend at least one of the events above. You know what they say: mix business with pleasure whenever possible.
We can help you find the right accommodation for EAN 2017 in 7 of the best hotels in Amsterdam:
- Sir Albert Hotel – 4 stars
- Mercure Hotel City – 4 stars
- NH City Centre – 4 stars
- DoubleTree Centraal Station – 4 stars
- WestCord Fashion Hotel – 4 stars
- JAZ Amsterdam Hotel – 4 stars
- Ramada Apollo Centre – 4 stars
Travelling to Amsterdam for EAN 2017? Book your accommodation now!
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