A visit to beautiful Amsterdam & windmill town Zaanse Schaans

It is not possible to visit Netherlands and not visit Amsterdam. The energy, the diversity and the independence that it offers are truly appreciable. Nevertheless, you cannot go unnoticed the beauty of Amsterdam. The city has something for every traveler that comes to visit. Canals to museums, parks, red light district to so many coffee shops, things to do are countless!

We reached Amsterdam late in the evening. After coming out of Amsterdam Central, took tram number 2 to reach our airbnb room. Freshening up and taking some rest, we headed towards “Leidseplein” to see the night beauty of Amsterdam.

Night life in Leidseplein

The famous Dutch cheese

After walking around for a while enjoying the vibrant streets, we found a pretty nice restaurant right at the center of Leidseplein. The Heineken bar had a nice ambiance with delicious food, perfect for a romantic time with loved ones.

Day 2: Rijksmuseum

On day 2, the first visit was to the well-known Rijksmuseum.

Photo in front of Rijksmuseum

In the year of 1885 Rijksmuseum was opened to the public. If you are interested in art and history, you must visit this Dutch national museum. The beautiful Rijks building has neo-Gothic elements which were designed by the Dutch architect Petrus J.H. Cuypers.

Tip: To dodge huge crowd, avoid visiting the museum during 11:00 till 15:00 hours.

"Iamsterdam"

Iamsterdam sign has become one of the popular tourist destination nowadays. Not to mention the crowd throughout the day. There are a couple of "Iamsterdam" signs to take a look at. The one I captured was right behind Rijksmuseum. The second set of letters is in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The third one is moving sign. It changes its location.

I could not get Iamsterdam sign all for myself, but I managed to get this one 😛

Tip: These set of letters are always filled with tourists. If you want to avoid the crowd, it is better to visit the place during wee hours, when there is not much crowd.

Van Gogh Museum

Right in front of „Iamsterdam“ sign, there is another museum dedicated to art „Van Gogh“

For an art lover, Van Gogh Museum is a must. This is a museum dedicated to Dutch painter Vincent Han Gogh whose work dates back to late 18th century.
Tip: The museum is less crowded during afternoons. It is always better to book your tickets ahead.

Walking around the city

Undeniably, walking can grant a unique experience of the city. It brings so much fun if you are in your one of the most comfortable pair of shoes 😊

As we walked down the streets, we entered "Dam Square" where people were enjoying amusement rides. Dam Square is known for its beautiful buildings and a frequent funfair events that make Dam Square a well-known tourist attraction.

Dam Square in April

While hanging around the city, don’t miss the opportunity of trying few Dutch foods especially their famous Stroopwafels, Krokants (Croquette) and authentic Dutch cheese products (Dutch cheese is the tastiest I ever had!)

Night visit to the Red Light District

Walking around the streets of Red Light District brings a unique experience and must do to all tourists that visit Amsterdam. During days, the street looks just like any other streets of Amsterdam. As night falls the place comes into life. Whole streets lit up red, girls standing behind their window trying to seduce customers and a flow of curious people strolling on the streets. Not only that, the streets also have a number of pubs, coffee shops, sex shops and live sex show theatres.

P.S., Taking pictures of girls standing behind the windows are strictly prohibited. If seen, they will throw your camera in the canal 😃

Night Canal Cruise

If you have a special occasion during your Amsterdam trip, sailing through the canals of Amsterdam could be a good option while enjoying your drinks, snacks or dinner with a stunning view of old city.

As the sun goes down, canals lit by several tiny light bulbs and buildings across the canals become a real feast for the eyes! Along with spectacular views, it is a fine way to get to know Amsterdam for first timers, as this canal cruise has an audio guide that explains tourists about famous landmarks across the city.

We got a chance to relish these moments in “Amsterdam Candlelight Cruise” organized by “Lovers Canal Cruise” with a live guide, unlimited drinks, and some delicious old Amsterdam cheese.

Day 3: Half day trip to Zaanse Schans – Town of windmills

This windmill town is in the northern part of Amsterdam and using Sprinter it can be reached in 30 minutes from central station. Even if you are planning only a few days’ trip to Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans is worth a visit. The village has some ancient windmills which attract tourists from worldwide.

We enter the village passing through beautiful Dutch houses where residents of Zaanse Schans are living in. As you walk further, beautiful ancient Windmills come into the picture.

Zaanse Schans has several Oilmills, Sawmills, Musteredmill and Dyemill. Each windmill serves their unique purpose. It is even possible to take a tour inside the mills.

Along with ancient windmills, the village has some exciting museums such as Clog workshop that shows making of famous Dutch shoes, Zaanse Gedaan Cocoa Lab where you can enjoy traditionally made chocolates, Catharinahoeve Cheese Factory – that has some delicious Dutch cheese, De saense lelie – a stroopwafel baker along with Zaans Museum, Soap Factory and many more.

Furthermore, it has few restaurants such as De Kraai pancakes restaurant for pancake lovers and few shops for souvenirs 😊
We decided to refresh ourselves with some fresh waffles!

We had to limit our Zaanse Schaans tour to half a day as we headed towards Dutch country side same evening to adore panoramic tulips that I will share you all in my future posts 😊

Thanks for reading my post. Hope you enjoyed the whole journey.
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Chaithra Bhat