Amsterdam - what do I ^have^ to see?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I'm going this weekend. I'm staying somewhere central, will no doubt bike around ... No kids!

Anne Frank's House.
The Rijksmuseum.
The Red Light District (directly behind the station).
An Indonesian meal.
And a bag of grass (if you're not averse to it).

With a bike, you should definitely cycle to Volendam, Markem, Edam, etc. You're out in the country in no time!

Have a fabulous time.

shopping in the jordaan. a bit of a cliche, but it's lovely.
the portoguese sinagogue
just walk and look inside the houses, they are beautiful
I'm

I'm ashamed to say that when I went there I spent the entire time in the 'coffee' shops, but it is a gorgeous place. Would love to go back one day and just spend half of my time in the coffee shops.

A cruise on the canals, obviously. Some of them do a evening cruise, very romantic.

Anne Frank House, didn't go myself, but Mum said it was good.

A wander around Jordaan, an area just outside the town centre, not so many tourists and some lovely wee streets and yummy restaurants.

Have fun!

... the brown cafes ... Oh those smoky little dens of iniquity [sighs]

I can't actually stand drugs, but I always used to buy a bag of grass when I went there. It makes you giggle insanely for about twenty minutes, and then you're as right as rain again

You do get the impression that Amsterdammers have absolutely no time at all for the drug tourists. Can't blame them really I suppose. And I did see myself as being a cut above the sex tourists, at least.

The Dutch are a blunt lot, aren't they?

hi,

the anne frank house, take a canal boat tour- they leave from the damrak, get on a tram and see round the city a bit, the red light district is good but don't take any photos!! koan float on herengracht(www.koan-float.com) is great and really relaxing although go before going to the coffee shops , the van gogh museum and the heineken factory if you thing you'd enjoy it.

if you're staying central and fancy a smoke can i recommend baba coffee shop, music is good and they serve lovely warm apple pie and coffee . hunters is good too - they're both on the warmoestraat.

hope you have a great time

Anne Franks House
The Van Gogh Museum
The Stedelijk Modern Art Museum
The Rijksmuseum

I don't know if I'll go to the coffee shops. I'm certainly not going for the coffee shops. I haven't had pot in years and years, and was never that fond of it.

It does seem against the whole spirit of having a child-free weekend in Amsterdam, though, to completely skip that bit.

Ooooh, koan float is a massage centre! I had a really nice very short shoulder massage in an airport last week (really really good and worth it, even though it was only 10 minutes) and it reminded me of how much I like massages. But I was nervous about the idea of trying to find a massage in Amsterdam ...

(I don't know how much I'll do museums, tbh. I don't really like old paintings .)

I do realise Koan Float is a relaxation tank thing, but I suspect I would go doolally in a relaxation tank, tbh.

You will like the Dutch old paintings I guarantee it, and the 3 musuems are all on situated conveniently close to each other on , guess where> Museumplein.

Go to the Leideplein and hang out in the evening, pop into the American Hotel for a drink.

Go to the Melkweg (the milkyway) Club right opposite the main police (politie) station in Amsterdam. There will be live music, a cinema, a bar, etc etc

Sorry the Leidseplein

But I don't like any old paintings, really. Oh, I saw an ok one at a British museum (Tate Britain?) a while back, but it's rare I see any point to them. I am just a philistine, really. I don't mind new paintings, unless they're by Picasso or Rothko or someone else shite.

come on nqc, just one vermeer... ?

Anne Frank House is unmissable IMO and Sex museum of course

Cammelia is the Melkweg still going? I went there about 15 years ago and saw The Australian Doors. fab.

Second the Anne Frank House. Also go and have a pancake somewhere. They're stuffed with literally anything.

So... you're going to Amsterdam and you don't like grass OR old paintings. Are you also hydrophobic? Got a thing about wooden shoes?

Spice cake in a coffee shop........

Oh sorry..Space cake

what's your take on cheese?

No! I like bikes, and want to see Amsterdam for the bikes. Obviously.

And I like water fine, am looking forward to lots of canals.

Not sure I'll do Anne Frank, I was mad for her when I was a teenager, but it all seems a little weird to me now.

Wordsmith, nothing much changes in Old Amsterdam

Oh come on NQC, Rembrandts "Night Watch" in a room all by itself, beautifully lit, how can you not?

Or the whole of Van Gogh's life in one museum, which itself is a work of art (and the cafe does the best Dutch apple cake)

You will come back a convert

Cheese is fine. As long as it's not emmenthal or suisse (Brussels was a bit of a nightmare ).

I plan to walk around a lot. Maybe go to a club.

Sex Museum sounds good, too, I'll go to that. I never went to the penis museum, and I really do regret that.

Dykes did you say

Oh no, sorry, bikes.

Rembrandt is the one who kept doing paintings of autopsies isn't he?

Can't stand Van Gogh. Well, he's better than Picasso [grudging].

Right, maybe I'll see some Rembrandt.

The rijksmusuem it is then