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| One of the most popular activities in the city is nothing more than walking along the canals. / Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee Han |
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STUTTGART, Germany — Amsterdam is like the king of travel destinations: it's international, clean, offers easy-to-use public transportation systems and a lot of bicycles, full of interesting museums and galleries, offers various cuisines, a good number of souvenirs and postcard-worthy photo spots for any type of social media fan.
No wonder it's full of exchange students, families, couples and even locals from other regions of the Netherlands. But like any other city, it's always a good idea to have a plan.
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| The history of the Amsterdam's architecture is in fact very rich and interesting. Maybe even more than the canals. / Courtesy of Rachel Sang-hee Han |
First plan: art
Amsterdam boasts a number of interesting museums and galleries and while it's possible to visit every single one of them, it can be helpful to have some priorities. The most popular would be the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. And for all good reasons.The Rijksmuseum is where you can witness the high and low of Amsterdam's history, art and culture while the Van Gogh Museum highlights the many famous works of the Dutch artist, not to mention frequent events with DJs, cocktails and music. The Anne Frank House spans the life and devastating times of Anne Frank and her family and is the third most visited museum in the city, following the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.
However, my personal favorite was the Rembrandt House Museum, which is a little away from the city center but nonetheless easy to find. The museum is the actual house where the Dutch painter Rembrandt lived and worked for several years. The inside has been reconstructed to resemble the 1600s, which was when the painter resided, and it displays his paintings, etchings, and his collection of various objects. It's not the biggest museum, but instead of watching artworks behind glass, visitors get to experience the overall ambience of the space where Rembrandt lived, ate, worked and slept. Like the little bed in the kitchen that was used for the maids. It's unbelievably small, but that was because during that time, many people didn't lie down to sleep, they sat straight, according to the guides.
The highlight of the visit is the etching demonstration. Rembrandt was the master of etching and the museum offers various tools and paints that he actually used in Rembrandt's printing room. The demonstrators show how etchings were printed in the 17 century, complete with the techniques, tools and even the printing machine that is operated by hand from start to finish. Quite a sight since etching is a complicating and enduring process compared to painting, and the demonstrators do explain how Rembrandt became the master of such an art form.
For more information, visit www.rembrandthuis.nl.
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| The market is one of the best places to buy souvenirs. Including flowers, seeds and bulbs. |
Second plan: flower market
The first tulips of the Netherlands came from Turkey during the 16th century but it has now become one of the top reasons why so many people visit the country and also its capital. (There's even a tulip museum in Amsterdam.) One of the most popular flower markets is the Amsterdam Floating Flower Market. The market is indeed located right next to the canal, but it is not in any sense "floating," which I was quite disappointed about. Nevertheless, the shops, especially the first one that welcomes visitors, are impressive with its carpet of beautiful flowers hanging from the ceiling, protruding the walls and covering the floors.
As for the shopping, there's more than simply flowers, tulip bulbs or seeds. The market is one of the best places to find souvenirs, and although some my seem a bit "cheap" and disappointing, you can still find a good deal of interesting things, including magnets, postcards, books, mugs and glassware. Not to mention the flowers do make the perfect backdrop for photos. Shopping tip: if you are traveling from overseas and are not sure if it's possible to bring back certain seeds or bulbs back home, ask the sellers. They are experts on this particular department.
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| The highlight of the visit is the etching demonstration, where you can learn how the magic happened back in Rembrandt's day. |
Third plan: the architecture
But then there is nothing more enchanting than the canal itself. It stretches out for more than 100 kilometers, connected by some 1,500 bridges and dividing the area into some 90 islands. The three main canals were formed in the 17th century based on a very intensive city planning project. Urban planning became essential to accommodate rising number of immigration around the city, where the river Amstel runs through.
The canal itself is, well, a canal. But thanks to the buildings surrounding and lining up the canal, you get yourself romantic, charming and unforgettable sceneries.The history of the city's architecture is in fact very rich and interesting. Buildings in the city started out with wood as its main material, but were later replaced with bricks in the style of what is now called "Dutch Renaissance." Then came the baroque style in the 17th century, followed by French influence in the 18th century, the neo-gothic style in the early 19th century and Art Nouveau at the end of the 19th century. Before the modern era, buildings followed the Art Deco style and also made way to the city's very own architectural style called "Amsterdamse School."These various architectural styles meshed together naturally brought that unique romantic, gothic yet modern ambiance to the streets. Add the canals, lights reflecting from the waters and travelers from around the world and you have yourself one of the most beautiful, trendy and photographed cities in the world. So next time when you're looking at photos of the canals of Amsterdam, check how radiant and stylish the buildings around it looks.
Rachel Sang-hee Han is a former staff reporter at The Korea Times and former editor at CNN Travel. She lives in Germany and runs a travel blog at rachelsanghee.com.
