8 things to do in Amsterdam

At the beginning of July I visited the wonderful city of Amsterdam. During our visit, we stayed at the Bastion Hotel Zuidwest located just one train stop away from Schipol Airport and just a five minute walk to the nearest tram stop that took us easily around the city. In order to save money, we bought a four day travel pass that allowed us to use all the buses and trams throughout Amsterdam for around twenty-five euros, but if you are staying for three days you can buy travel passes that cover tram, bus and train transport for twenty-six euros if you buy it online in advance. Here are just a few of Amsterdam's wonderful museums and attractions that we had the pleasure of visiting:

1. The Anne Frank House

As soon as we arrived at our hotel we unpacked our things and headed straight back out to visit the Anne Frank House. To get there, we hopped on the tram and got off at Westermarkt in Prinsengracht and the museum was about three minutes from the stop, maybe even less. On planning our trip, we had hoped to book our tickets for the exhibition in advance as we had heard from friends who had previously visited Amsterdam that the queue to buy tickets on the door was often two or three hours long. However, when we went to book our tickets we discovered that all of the tickets for the duration of our trip were completely sold out, so we had no choice but to join the queue and waited just under two hours to get in. The tour itself was very emotional to say the least! Having read Anne Frank's diary as a child, being in the building where Anne and her family had hidden during World War II was an extremely surreal and heartbreaking experience. Before you begin, you are given a headset to listen to an audio tour that runs throughout the entire exhibition, which I enjoyed as I felt it let each visitor create their own personal experience in the museum and allows you to go at your own pace and to listen to what interests you. The Anne Frank House was definitely one of my favourite things to visit during our trip as I have always been fascinated by her life, however, I think that even if you have never read Anne's diary or simply don't know a lot about her, the museum is still worth visiting (especially at the small price of nine euros) as it is a truly unique experience.

2. Van Gogh Museum

The following we day we spent most of our time in Museumplein, which again was not at all far from our hotel. After our breakfast at Bagels and Beans we wandered around the Rijksmuseum gardens (which we had decided not to visit as the admission was quite expensive and it would take at least half a day to look around it all) and took some photos by the famous "I amsterdam" sign before heading to the Van Gogh Museum. Similarly to the Anne Frank House, we knew that the museum was quite popular and tended to have heavy queues so we decided to book our tickets online in advance at seventeen euros each. Although the entry was fairly pricey, the Van Gogh Museum was brilliant. The exhibition not only takes you on a journey of his artwork, but also unveils the ideas and ambitions that drove Van Gogh to invest himself so deeply into becoming an artist. The museum is home to many of his iconic masterpieces, such as Sunflowers and Almond Blossom, however I was rather disappointed to discover that my favourite Van Gogh painting, Starry Night, was not part of the exhibition as it is actually kept at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Overall, our visit to the museum was an enlightening experience that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who enjoys art or is intrigued by the interesting life of Vincent Van Gogh, although I would suggest buying food or drink after you visit as it is very very expensive to dine in the cafe!

3. Moco Museum 

Also located in Museumplein is the Moco Museum, a 20th century townhouse dedicated to the works of Banksy and Salvador Dali. As students, we were able to get a discounted entry fee and ended up paying ten euros each to get in. Although the gallery was not very big, it certainly left an impression on me, particularly the pieces by Banksy. I have always been slightly fascinated by Banksy but I have only ever seen his most famous work online or in photographs, so to come into such close contact with his iconic pieces was certainly a memorable experience. I think what interests me the most in Banksy's work is that his political and social statements are often put forward in  quite an outlandish and comical way that is unlike any other artist. His combination of a unique street-art style and controversial themes definitely distinguishes Banksy's work from that of other artists and I would highly recommend visiting his work at the Moco if you have the time.

4. Canal Tour

During our visit to Amsterdam, the canal tour was the only thing we purchased from one of the many Tours and Tickets Amsterdam stalls sprinkled throughout the city. We paid sixteen euros each and made our way to Leidseplein to hop onto our boat that took us on a one hour audio guided tour around the canals of Amsterdam. Personally, I felt that the canal cruise was not only a nice opportunity to have a rest for an hour, but it also allowed us get our bearings of the city and to see how far certain things were from each other (as we had been travelling around by tram and hadn't got to grips with everything yet). Not only this, but I thought that the tour also gave us new ideas about places  to visit and allowed us to witness some amazing views and take some wonderful photos that we wouldn't necessarily have been able to achieve by travelling on foot. 

5. Vondelpark 

After our canal tour, we had some dinner at one of the many pizzerias in the city then decided to walk through Vondelpark, a huge park that stretches across one hundred and twenty acres of land. The park itself is mostly made up of gardens and ponds, but there are also children's playing areas, a cafe, and even an open air theatre. Vondelpark is a great place to spend the afternoon, especially if the weather is nice, as you can sit on a bench or on the grass and watch the many cyclists or joggers go past whilst enjoying a lovely ice cream and taking in the beautiful scenery. 

6. Sexmuseum

The next morning, we started the day off by going to The Ice Bakery for a Nutella crepe with Kinder ice cream, then walked through Dam Square and down the busiest street in Amsterdam to the Sexmuseum. I can understand that this particular attraction may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for just four euros I think it is definitely worth a visit as there is truly nothing quite like it! The museum is completely dedicated to the phenomenon of human sexuality, displaying everything from photographs and paintings, to ancient sex toys and costumes. Although some may think the museum would be weird or crude, I think that anyone travelling through Amsterdam should stop by if they can. Whether you are fascinated by the history of sexuality or simply just want to have a laugh with your friends, the Sexmuseum is definitely an unforgettable experience.

7. Red Light Secrets

After our visit to the Sexmuseum, we headed towards the famous Red Light District and came across Red Light Secrets, a museum dedicated to the world of prostitution. Again, this may not be of interest to everyone, but if you want to learn more about the history of the Red Light District and are curious about how such a place came to be, then a trip to Red Light Secrets would definitely be worth your while. Some people may think that a museum revolving round prostitution could be a vulgar or uncomfortable experience, but I personally felt that the exhibition was very tastefully done and really shed an interesting light on the history of prostitution and the laws and dangers of sex work. Overall, at the admission price of ten euros, I'd one hundred percent recommend this museum to anyone planning to visit Amsterdam.

8. Body Worlds

Finally, the last big attraction that we visited was Body Worlds. Located very close to Dam Square and just a few minutes walk from Centraal Station, Body Worlds is a science exhibition completely dedicated to the human quest for happiness. Each level of the museum focuses on a different part of the human body, from the impact that exercise and activity can have upon our mentality, to the influence that hormones and neurotransmitters have upon our ability to be happy. However, the most interesting thing about the exhibition is that the bodies that are on display are actually real human bodies of people that have donated their bodies to science and have been preserved through plastination. The entry to the museum is a little on the expensive side at twenty euros each for an adult, although I do think that the price is worth it for this one as it is such a weird and wonderful exhibition that can be enjoyed by everyone.