Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Cafes and Parks
One of the most popular things to do in this beautiful city is to share a romantic meal or drink in one of the many cafes in one of the many Squares and watch the activity. A few of our favorites are:
Dam Square
A meeting place and main point in the city. You will find the National Monument, many hotels, cafes and restaurants, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and the Royal Palace.
Sitting in one of the Amsterdam Cafes in Dam Squares
On our first visit we stayed at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky with an incredible view of Dam Square. It was a wonderful place to stay, local to most attractions and activity. Dam Square is just a short walk from the shopping are a "The Nine Streets".
Careful though, having a drink here may be romantic and fun but can be expensive. We literally had bread and water (and Diet Coke) and it cost 25 Euros!
OK Fine we had a Diet Coke as well...but you pay for the real
estate
Rembrant Square (Rembrandtplein)
Bustling with activity, you will find locals and tourists shopping, dining
in Amsterdam Cafes and enjoying the square. You will also find street fairs, markets and
artists practicing their craft.
Nieuwmarkt
Enjoy the beautiful Waag, a late 15th century Weigh House. It is a beautiful
building that you can have an amazing lunch or dinner on the patio, or at
one of the many pubs or Thai restaurants in the area.
Amsterdam Parks
If it is a nice day, it is lovely to relax and hang in the park after eating or enjoying a coffee at on of the great Amsterdam cafes.
Vondelpark is the largest city park and the most famous. Close to major museums and Leidseplien it is a great place to take a break together on a sunny day. You will find bicyclists, joggers, roller skaters and people lying on the grass enjoying the day.
During the summer months you will find free concerts at the open air theatre.
Photo from Flickr.com - abmiller99
Museumplein has recently been renovated and is a meeting point in the city. While we visited the Holland was in the FIFA World Cup quarter final and semi final games. This was a great place to watch the games as it was filled with people cheering on their team. It also hosts the largest event for Queen's Day on April 30th of each year.
Museumsplein
Other parks to enjoy the day in and are worth a visit are Beatrixpark, Sarphatipark and Oosterpark.
Another way to enjoy this city is to take a canal cruise along the many canals. You will even find some that offer a hop on and hop off service so you can stop and enjoy some of the areas mentioned above.
There are so many things to do in Amsterdam, like visit the Anne Frank House, or one of the other museums. Make sure you do your research and pick your favorites.
European Travel Guide
Things to do in Amsterdam
Enjoy amazing food, art and culture in the tulip capital of the world. Take a walk on the wild side in the Red Light District, or just sit on a patio on a canal watching the world go by.
Museums
Amsterdam is famous for it's museums and it's art. Enjoy an afternoon wandering through the Van Gogh museum or the Rijksmuseum.
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