Canals, Museums and History – A look at the flipside of Amsterdam’s colourful culture.
Probably one of the most popular destinations for students, Amsterdam seriously lives up to its wild reputation. With return flights costing around £60 and ferry tickets at about £70 it is definitely well worth a short visit. As Amsterdam is so popular with tourists there are many cheap hostels in very central areas. I ended up staying at the not so aptly named ‘Hotel France’ where my two cousins and I were greeted by a friendly middle-aged Dutch lady and a suspicious smelling cloud of smoke from one of the back rooms. The hostel happened to be right on the doorstep of the red light district. We weren’t aware that we were quite so close to the ‘action’ and it was quite a shock when we first ventured out into the city and came across shop windows displaying women ‘for sale’; however the sight of these scantily clad ladies became as frequent as the china shops and canals, so it soon washed over us.
As well as the lenient laws regarding the sex trade, it is often the ‘coffee shops’ and their legal sale of marijuana that tempts millions of tourists into the city every year. Although if you do plan to visit one of these establishments it is recommended that you go to one with a license otherwise you can end up very much worse for wear and in the company of some very shady characters.
In addition to the social aspect and the often unruly night life, the city itself is very beautiful, boasting some of Europe’s most incredible architecture. This is best viewed on the numerous tours that are given throughout the city. We were lucky enough to stumble across the New Europe tour group who run free walking tours in many cities including London, Paris, Berlin and Edinburgh, amongst others. An Irish girl called Agnes, who was studying in Amsterdam and had an encyclopedic knowledge of every tiny detail about the city, gave us an extensive tour. She literally pointed out everything, from the individual and delicately carved gable stones on some of Amsterdam’s oldest houses, to the ‘urinoirs’ which were strategically placed sheets of metal, covering lampposts and the corners of buildings so that any drunken young men out to relieve themselves would get a nasty shock as their urine deflected back onto them!
Along with the walking tour, my two cousins and I found that another great way to see the city was on a canal boat with each tour of the city’s canals only costing about ten Euros. We visited Amsterdam in April so the tourist season hadn’t really begun. Due to the fact that there were very few people around, when we took our canal tour we were the only passengers on the boat. As the tour progressed, the owner of the barge decided to liven up the tour by letting us drive! This could have gone horrifically wrong, especially with all the twists and turns in the canals, but it actually ended up being quite easy and very entertaining.
Among the many other attractions Amsterdam has to offer are its museums and galleries. For those looking to discover more about the history of the city there is the Rembrandt museum and the Anne Frank House. We visited the Anne Frank House, advertised as ‘A Museum with a Story’. It certainly reveals the sad truth regarding the Frank family and their time in hiding during the Second World War. For those looking for something a little less somber and more enlightening with regards to modern Amsterdam there is the Sex Museum and the Hash, Marihuana, and Hemp Museum.
Amsterdam is a brilliant location for a short city break; we stayed for three nights and came back with some brilliant experiences. From the Condomerie on the Warmoesstraat selling novelty contraceptives for the masses, to the canals lined with boats of all shapes and sizes, there is something to be enjoyed for everyone.
Venetia Stefanou
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