Zaanse Schans | Amsterdam City | Afsluitdijk Dam
This is the story of my 3-day trip to the beautiful city of Amsterdam. This blog post is part 2 of my Paris-Amsterdam trip or, you can say, France-Netherlands Trip. It is very easy to commute to any country in Europe. They have one of the best public transport systems. We took a Thalys Train from Paris to Rotterdam station and from there changed one more to reach Heemstede.
Honestly, for me, the Netherlands was equal to Amsterdam. But I was lucky enough that one of my cousins stayed there (which I realized after booking my hotel, but nevertheless, I cancelled my bookings and stayed at my cousin’s place). And because of her, I got to know a lot of other beautiful places that the country has to offer. So, if you are a first-timer in the country, these are the suggested places that you should include in your itinerary.
3 Day’s Itinerary for First-Time Visitors in Amsterdam
Day 1 – Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans is a beautiful unique part of the country. This place is well known for its historic and well-preserved windmills. It also has a museum, a souvenir shop, and one of the best cheese factories. When i reached this place, i was mesmerized with the entire view in front of me. Simply majestic. There are windmills all around and an open field at a stretch. We went here post lunch and stayed there till sunset. It got extremely cold immediately after the sun had set. Watching the sunset at Windmills all over was the icing on the cake.
Tip: Keep at least 4-5 hours for this place, like a half-day tour. And keep in mind it gets closed by sunset (around 5 pm in winter and 6 pm in summer). A must-see place.
Day 2 – Amsterdam
The next morning, we decided to visit Amsterdam. We took a train from Heemstead to Amsterdam which is just half an hour. Amsterdam is a small city, and everything from a tourism point of view is nearby. After coming out from the metro station, we headed towards Adam Lookout, our first place to see.
Tip: Adam’s Lookout is opposite the other tourist attractions, so you should do this either first or should keep it last (so that you don’t have to go back to the other part of the city). But I would suggest visiting Lookout first, for two reasons, there are a lot of things to do in the city so it will be difficult to come to the opposite side and two, you will get a beautiful view in the early hours.
A’dam Lookout – The observation deck at A’dam Lookout is on the 22nd floor from where you get a panoramic view of the entire city. And if you are an adventure lover, you have ‘Over the Edge,’ Europe’s highest swing, which is 100 m above ground level. Two people can swing at a time, but, I was all alone. Initially, the swing was terrifying, then, slowly I got used to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. And you also get two photographs clicked as a bonus.
Next, we moved on a canal cruise; your visit to Amsterdam is incomplete if you miss this. It is 45 mins one way, and you can see the entire city through this cruise – buildings, bridges, market, everything.
We then experienced Heineken Brewery. Here, we learned about the entire Heineken history and saw how a Heineken is made. It is a must-go place. And for all beer lovers, you also get to drink one of the best beers, “Heineken, ” in its unique way.
At this point, we realized that we had skipped the lunch in excitement. So, by the time we had our lunch, it was evening. Then we decided to go to the famous ‘Dam Square’. We went there all the way walking, watching liveliness in the market as it was Christmas was approaching. The streets were glowing with lights, and shops were decorated with Christmas trees. On the way, we did some shopping as well. Dam Square is beautiful.
And our last stop was “The Red Light District or De Wallen”. I know many of you got excited after reading this. In this district, you can find everything from sex workers displaying their services and sex toys to sex shows, theaters, etc. You get everything here. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands. And it is very interesting to see how things work here. Visit this place during evening hours, when it is lively. And let me tell you, this place is extremely safe and photography is a strict no-no here.
The other places you visit in Amsterdam are – Anne Frank House (it showcases World War II), Madam Tussaud Museum, Nemo International Museum (if you have kids older than 10yrs old), Rijksmuseum (if you love art), The Amsterdam Dungeon (for ghost lovers) and Leidseplein Square (for discs and restaurants).
And that was the end of Day 2.
Day 3 – Afsluitdijk, Den Oever
The next morning, after our breakfast, we went to Afsluitdijk Dam. It is a causeway that links the provinces of Friesland and North Holland over a length of 32 Km. What’s interesting here is that this is a man-made mega causeway bridge that has a lake on one side of the road and a sea on the other side, and a road in between.
I went here on a cold, windy day. The moment we moved out of our car, it was freezing outside. We went on the bridge to get a good view. And for the first time, I understood how you feel when you get pushed by the wind. It was difficult to walk on the bridge. It actually reminded me of some Hollywood movie scene, where i am trying to cross the bridge and the wind is pushing you back, it is raining and you are freezing. But trust me, it was a superb feeling. I loved this kind of experience/adventure. You can try this place on a sunny day if you are not an adventure type.
You should have at least half a day to visit this place. There is a nice restaurant and a good seating arrangement to enjoy the beautiful view.
So, that was it. With this trip I created a lot of memories, unique experience, which i am going to cheer for a very long time.
Quick Travel Tips
- Food to try: Falafel (for vegetarians), Chur-Chur (those who have a sweet tooth) – It is made up of Maida flour, long stick shapes with white/brown chocolate topping, Wafful – Many varieties available
- Eat the food from street shops instead of big restaurants. The street/small shops food tastes better.
- Where to shop – (economical shopping):
- C and A, Primarc, Uniclou
- It is best if you take combos for sightseeing. They are more cost-effective. The best combo, according to me is A’dam Lookout+Heineken +Canal Cruise. The other things you can buy individually.
- Visit Giethoorn – if visiting during summers and you have kids. A fun place for little ones.
It was one of my best trips to Europe. To read the part 1 Paris Trip