In July 2022, we were on our way to Europe to take a two-week river cruise. Since the cruise left from Amsterdam, we decided to go early and spend a few days exploring the town before the cruise. As you may recall, the summer of 2022 was notable due to the meltdown of the airlines and the lack of baggage handlers, which created worldwide chaos. We were not immune to this, and upon our arrival, we found that Air Canada had lost our bags. To make a long story short, we did some unanticipated shopping for which we were reimbursed, and two weeks later, our bags made it home before us!
Having read several articles on transportation from the airport to downtown Amsterdam, we decided to take the train to Amsterdam Central Station and then walk to our hotel. The airport and directions to the train were very well marked, and directions were easy to follow. We purchased our tickets, boarded our train, and got to our hotel easily and without incident.
We stayed at a small hotel called Hotel CC, about two blocks off Damrak Street, the main thoroughfare through downtown Amsterdam, and about a ten-minute walk from Central Station. The main complaint in the hotel’s reviews was about the size of the rooms, so I made sure to book a larger room with a canal view. It didn’t cost much, and we were very happy with our room.
We arrived about twenty minutes early for our canal cruise, which allowed us the chance to have our pick of seats. We picked out a few nice seats by the window and were given headphones you plugged in and could select from several languages. As we wound our way through the maze of canals, we saw sights like the Amstel River, the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House, the world-famous Skinny Bridge, and many churches, bridges, waterfront houses, and houseboats.
The following day, following a trip to the airport and back to check on our luggage, we set off on an afternoon of touring and shopping for new clothes. On a side note, if you wear US sizes large or bigger, you will have difficulty finding clothes in Europe. The primary sites we wanted to visit were the Royal Palace and the Anne Frank House. Many of the sights in Amsterdam are within walking distance, and these two were no exception.
The Royal Palace was the stop. Since we were there before it opened, we had a light snack at a lovely cafe across the street and did some people-watching. Since the palace lighting did not lend itself to good pictures, I have instead shared photos from the palace’s official website as well as the site visitamsterdam.com.
The palace was designed by Jacob van Campen and opened in 1655 as Amsterdam’s Town Hall. Though modest compared to many of Europe’s great palaces, when it opened, it was proclaimed to be the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World.’ reflecting the confidence and status of the city during the so-called Golden Age period.
In 1808 it became an imperial palace and brief residence of Louis Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon) who had been installed as King of the Netherlands. In 1813, it was taken over by Prince William of Orange and remains in use by the Dutch Royal House. The Royal Palace is now used mainly for entertaining and official functions, such as state visits and other official occasions.
Afterward, we shopped at one of Amsterdam’s most famous department stores, Bijenkorf’s. It was quite interesting and architecturally beautiful, but very expensive. Then, of course, we needed an ice cream break! Amsterdam has some of the best ice cream you will ever find! It was delicious!!
Following another trip to the airport the next day, we headed to the Anne Frank House. Nearly all the major attractions in Amsterdam are within walking distance of downtown, making it really convenient. We had passed the Anne Frank House previously on our canal cruise. It is located on a bustling street just off of one of the canals. It is hard to imagine that she and her family lived there for over two years. It is also just a block or so from Westertoren Church. She could see the clock tower from the secret annex and hear the bells ring. This was mentioned several times in her diaries. Anne’s father was the only surviving member of the family after World War 2, and, at his request, no furniture was put in the house as he wanted it left the way it was after they were taken and the Germans ransacked the house.
We had three full days to visit Amsterdam, and unless you wanted to explore additional museums in-depth, it was sufficient time. I hope you get the chance to visit someday!