Relaxing St. Valentine holiday in Amsterdam
As St. Valentine’s Day is coming, there are plenty of things that one can do to feel relaxed and in great mood. This is especially so, if you and your loved one plan to be in the city of Amsterdam during the days around St. Valentine’s Day. The capital of The Netherlands has a romantic appeal during all days of the year, but it gets even more romantic for that special time of the year, when everyone wants to feel more loved and to express one’s feelings even more than during the rest of the year. There are many interesting things that one can do in Amsterdam and here I will point just a few ideas.
Among the things that the couple can do is a walk down the Amstel river. During that winter season, the city is very beautiful with its white gown and even if the temperatures are a bit lower, the overall experience is quite romantic, hugging your loved one and looking towards the water. The river walk can start from the Waterloopein and go to the east, covering landmarks such as the historical and cultural museum the Hermitage, the theatre Carre, many beautiful bridges and park zones, many restaurants, etc. Another nice area for a romantic walk is the Amsteldijk area, which is placed in the area between Buitenveldert neighborhood and the Amstelveen city. This park is also based on the Amstel river banks and has nice alleys, a statue of the famous painter Rembrandt and an old mill that dates back to year 1636. My advice would be to visit this park in the morning, as the winter days could be quite short in the winter. If you happen to be there around lunch, you can also go to the “Het Klein kalfje” restaurant.
Another great way to spend a relaxing day in the city of Amsterdam, you and your loved one can go to the Jaap Eden Baan for some ice skating, which is a very popular activity during the winter days. This ice ring is quite big and is visited by beginners and by professionals when it comes to ice skating. The atmosphere is very pleasant and it seems that everyone is having fun. One can rent pair of skates on the site of the ice ring. A visit to the ice rink is a great fun, but it could make you feel colder. If so, you can go to two nice places to get warm and relaxed after you have been that active. I am talking about a visit to a nice sauna and a massage studio. The sauna that I have in mind is called “Badhuis Da Costa.” and it is ideal for those couples who are on a budget. This sauna is placed in an old bath house in the Out West neighborhood, close to the city centre. For a nice massage you can go to the “Corpus Rub Massage Studio”, which is a very pleasant massage studio, located in Oud-Zuid area and offers different massages that guarantee that afterwards you will feel very relaxed.
Tags:
Three religious places to visit in Amsterdam in November
Now that the most beautiful festive season is almost here and Christmas is at the door, I want to present three beautiful religious homes in the capital of The Netherlands, Amsterdam city. These places have great importance as far as religion is concerned, but are also very nice landmarks with great architectural significance and historical appeal.
The first place that is in my focus today is the church De Krijtberg, which is one of the most beautiful churches in the country. This is a Catholic Church, placed on Spui in the center of Amsterdam. It is made for services of the Catholic church and is open for visitors every day except Friday, from 13.30 o’clock just half ah hour before the mass starts and is closed at 17 o’clock. The official name of the church is Roman Catholic Church of Sint Franciscus Xaverius, however locally the church is known just as De Krijtberg. The place has been visited by people who wanted to pray since year 1654, but the building of the church was officially started many years later, in year 1881. It has Neo Gothic style and comes with high windows. The church has a large organ, called the organ of Adema, which is used here since year 1905. Travelers say that De Krijtberg is among the most beautiful churches in the city of Amsterdam, since it has detailed paintings and many colors on the walls and ceilings. The place is full of light and the atmosphere is pleasant and inviting.
This photo of Evangelical Lutheran Church
The next church to be presented is the Lutheran Church, which also serves as a wedding chapel and a library. The church is named after the reformer Martin Luther and was built back in year 1633. It gave shelter to the Lutheran refugees from many European cities and also to the Suriname people. Since year 1961 and still today, the church has been rented by the Amsterdam University along with its accompanying buildings, which are used for various congresses and conferences, orations and doctoral degrees. The Lutheran Church features seven houses, which are constructed in a row. This includes one main church on three floors. The capacity of the place is several thousand people. Now there is also a library here, the Tetterode Library, which is set next to the wedding chapel. The place is open every day.
This photo of Old Church (Oude Kerk)
Now, the last place sto be described here is Oude Kerk, which is the oldest building of Amsterdam, constructed in year 1306. The church is located in the Red Light District of Amsterdam and is open every day, as follows Mpnday to Saturday from 11 to 17 o’clock and Sunday from 13 until 17 o’clock. Before the Amsterdam revolution from 1578, the church was Catholic, but later it was adopted by the Protestants. On that same year, the Oude Kerk became also a place for marriages. For a certain period of time, it was also used as a city archive. Interesting to be seen here is the largest medieval wooden vault on the continent and the Estonian planks which create the finest acoustics in Europe. The church is thus used for concerts and exhibitions.
Tags:
November Clubbing in Amsterdam
November is a great month to go clubbing and dancing. It is cold outside, it is warm and nice in the pubs and clubs, and the atmosphere is joyful, since everybody is waiting for the Christmas holidays that are coming. There are a few places in Amsterdam that are great for some evening entertainments and they are all offering great music and reasonable prices.
Among the good places for a nice evening in Amsterdam this month is the concert hall Het Concertgebouw. There one could attend an opera or an orchestra concert of classic or jazz music. The place offers also an orchestra made of young people, and there are also free lunch concerts and Sunday Morning Concerts. For those who have more time, there is a Concert Hall tour before the Sunday morning concerts.
Now, those who are more into the wild clubbing than the orchestra concerts, there is the club De Kring. This is usually a members club, but now it is open for clubbing during the weekends. Next to it is the Club Up, which has a separate entrance. Both places are great for parties and thus there is often a queue outside. The music here is great and the atmosphere is joyful. The program of the club is given on the club’s website. The place opens at 23 o’clock and works until 4 o’clock in the morning.
For those who love the underground music, there is the place De Nieuwe Anita, which is a great bar with good music. Downstairs, there is a venue for an alternative music, special dance parties and underground films. The place is famous as the club where the good bands play just before they get too famous to go clubbing. The people who love to come here are usually artists and students, and real adventurers. The club is placed on Frederik Hendrikstraat in Amsterdam and is open after 20 o’clock.
Another interesting club to consider is the Chicago Social Club, which is placed in the center. Here are organized great house, hip hop and techno parties, but this is not a big club, rather it has an intimate atmosphere and one dance floor only. The place comes with a large bar serving cocktails. There is an entrance on Fridays and Saturdays and no entry fee for the rest of the weekdays.
Those who love alternative music should try the independent music club De OCCII. They are known for playing punk and experimental music, hardcore and often techno. The music played is very loud and the live concerts organized there could be quite noisy. The place is an independent event and concert hall, which is run by volunteers. Sometimes there are indie and electronic, as well as dance parties. The prices are just right and the bands performing are great. The music club De OCCII is located on Amstelveenseweg and its working time depends on the event organized.
Tags:
Several nice places to eat out while in Amsterdam this month
Eating out in Amsterdam is easy and affordable, since there is a great diversity of restaurants, pubs and bakery shops. I will try to sort out those cozy places that are worth to be checked in the morning or in the afternoon, which tempt with nice and friendly atmosphere, hot drinks and palatable dishes. Most of the nices places to dine out in Amsterdam are located along the Utrechtsestraat. This street starts at Rembrandtplein and ends at Frederiksplein and crosses all the canals in the city. This is a great shopping street and good for those who like good food. The street is full of cafes, bars and restaurants and there one could find a variety of cuisines that are good for any budget.
Now, a good place that should be mentioned by its name is De Bakkerswinkel, which is a lovely bakery, where one could find tasty scones with clotted cream and jam. The choice of sandwiches here is great and all the ingredients are very fresh and tasty. The bread here is also very, very good. And so are the scones that come with cherries and raisins and chocolate. De Bakkerswinkel place is open every day.
This photo of Broodje Bert
Another great place, which is worth to be considered is Broodje Bert, which serves some of the nicest sandwiches in the world. They come with big piece of bread stuffed with grilled lamb meatballs. There is also tomatoes and peppers, lettuce and a lot of sauce. The place also serves omelets and burgers. That place is on Singel Street 321 and works every day.
In case that you need a very good cup of coffee in the morning, then the Coffee Company is the right place for you. There are many cafes of the brand, most with appealing and personal atmosphere. They usually come on two levels. People who come here are locals and tourists, students and elderly people, basically – everyone. Coffee Company cafes are open every day.
The other good place that we will feature here us the Comfort Caffe, which is placed on the eastern side of Amsterdam, which serves delicious food, like for example cheese, ham, bruschetta with mozzarella, or pasta with parmesan cheese. The place is good for lunch and for early dinner, since the kitchen closes at 21h.
Another good place for lunch is Lunchroom De Bruen, which offers tasty sandwiches and soups. The spot is set between the Amstel river and Weesperplein area. The staff there is quite friendly and there is an open-plan kitchen, so you can see how they prepare the food, which is interesting to watch. The food is tasty and the portions are big, while the prices are reasonable. The Lunchroom De Bruen is situated on Sarphatistraat and is open only Monday through Friday, from 8h in the morning until 15h in the afternoon.
Tags:
Three great Amsterdam venues for culture and art
Amsterdam locals are into art and culture a lot and there are always nice new places to attend there, as well as various venues in the city where culture and arts meet. I have selected three such places that deserve the attention and which are favorite meeting spots of the locals. The first one to mention is the former shipyard Noorderlicht, which is now a café. The café is placed at the industrial wharf, at the waterfront. It is a considerably new place, which is becoming very popular now and is turning into a trendy venue for organizing different festivals and other cultural events. The address of the café is T.T. Neveritaweg 33 and one should better check it on the map before heading towards it. During the day, the Noorderlicht Café is a wonderful place to sit outside, enjoy the water view and a view towards the central station on the other side, drink something or choose a meal from the menu. Sometimes here are organized music and art events, as well as some performances and in general the atmosphere is laid back and relaxed. The same is valid for the atmosphere in the evening, when the parties start and many people gather here.
This photo of Noorderlicht Cafe
This photo of Noorderlicht Cafe
The other thing that has provoked my interest is a kind of an event and it is called “Tour de Force”, which combines art with … cycling. This is a very interesting new project, which is organized by several young artists from the city of Amsterdam. The project is called “Volleband the Audiovisual Cycling project” and it is as interesting, as it sounds. The event starts at about 9 o’clock in the evening and the group gathers in front of the bicycle shop Kwikfiets, on the street ‘de Ruyterkade’ 105, behind the Central station. The night usually starts with a smoke pong game and then goes on with a ferry ride to the other side of the river, where several audio and video performances take place. These performances are then followed by intermittent bicycle rides to the next place. Though currently these tours are not that often organized, this shall change in the future. In order to participate in such a performance, one should come with a bike and have good mood. The mood gets even better with a few cold beers that are offered at the bike bar.
The third venue to be featured here is the Friday Next Café, which is a kind of combination of a café and a store. It comes with a café, an exposition room and a lifestyle store, which features some inspiring collection of design furniture, leather bags, jewelry, etc. Actually, on every two months a designer or brands are being asked to expose their work here, so the items are unique. The place looks like a beautifully arranged apartment with a café in the middle of the store. One can have lunch here as well. the address of the place is Overtoom 31 Str.
Tags:
Main happening in Amsterdam in November
The capital of the Netherlands is not the first city one will think of if planning a trip in November. Even so, Amsterdam has its charm during the winter months as well. The city has a busy cultural agenda, that will make the tourists loved it even more. Amsterdam in November is the perfect time for attending film festivals, going on special screenings at the art houses and theatres and also time for attending the burlesque nights. The nights in November in Amsterdam are long and the sun is low, but there are so many places to be visited, so many concerts to be attended and a great variety of pubs, where one could get warm and relax with a few drinks.
On the first Saturday night in Amsterdam is organized the so called Museum Night. Each year on that day, the Amsterdam museums open their doors through the night and offer special programmes for the visitors to enjoy. Then, on the third week of November in Amsterdam is organized the Air and Antique Fair pAn Amsterdam. This is the largest national antique fair in the country and it lasts for one full week. The fair is taking place at the congress and exhibition center RAI and is actually open not for antiques, but also for high quality modern art.
In the period 20th – 24th November, Amsterdam shall host the High Times Cannabis Cup organized by the Pax Party House and held at various coffee houses around Amsterdam. The event goes on for six days of music, forums, events and of course tasting sessions. At the end of November there will be also a Shadow Festival in Amsterdam, which is a small film festival that supports the bigger event which is the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival – IDFA. The Shadow Festival focuses on the creative and original documentaries and usually features the work of various students from the film schools. The discussions with the authors of the films are open after each of the screening, which is good for a flow of ideas that might come out of this. Now, the big event in November is the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam, which puts on screen more than 200 documentary films and videos.
Another major event in Amsterdam in that period of the year is the Arrival of Saint Nicholas, which is scheduled doe the Sunday in the middle of November each year. The celebrations for the arrival of Saint Nicolas are very joyful, since he brings gifts to children and they gather to greed the entire procession. Saint Nicolas comes with his black servants around him, on a deck of a ship and the parade goes to the center of Amsterdam. At that very Sunday more than five tons of candies are given away to the children and their parents, as well as to all participants in the festivity. The Saint Nicolas parade ends on the Leidseplein, where Saint Nicholas is welcomed by the Amsterdam mayor.
Tags: