My fascination with Amsterdam dates back to my first trips abroad on my own when I was still travelling across Europe primarily by train. Its outlook to the sea and to trade is so embedded into the structure itself of the city and the psychology of its inhabitants, always curious about travellers and tolerant to other cultures and customs. In my early days as a student traveller I was amazed how I could easily get by living in Amsterdam without speaking a single word of Dutch and having so little knowledge about Dutch mentality, which is pretty distinguished in Europe, for its directness and liberal traits.
For such a crammed city it is quite a surprise to find big green spaces in Amsterdam within the urban boundaries. Vondelpark, Tuinpark and Oosterpark are just some of the largest planted area where one can enjoy a quiet walk or some outdoor performances as a break from the intense rhythm of the Venice of the North.
One of the main points of attraction to Amsterdam is the vibrancy of cosmopolitan cultural life as well as the variety of events on offer at any time of the day. My preference goes to classical music and the city enjoys many world class institutions which organise performances for all kinds of musical tastes. The National Opera and Ballet, the Concertgebouw and the newer Muziegebouw are just the most renowned venues with extensive programmes of events any day of the week. Apart from the big productions it is also a great pleasure to find out quality performances organised by smaller concert venues scattered around the city.
The richness of cultural offerings extends of course also to visual arts, with a great choice of museums and galleries to choose from, apart from the obvious National Museum and Van Gogh Museum. The latter is the largest collection in the world of paintings and other artworks by Van Gogh. Upon Vincent’s death, his unsold artistic production was inherited by his brother Theo and later his family. This constituted the core of the collection that is now exhibited in this national museum.
When I am travelling for pleasure I tend to explore local cuisine also through the way the first meal of the day is arranged. These days I no longer stay in hotels but prefer to stay in private accommodation, hence the perfect opportunity to start the day searching for a local cafe serving a cooked breakfast. Amsterdam is a heavenly place for this purpose, with many small outlets that offer a delicious way to kick off the day.
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I share your love for Amsterdam. It was one of the first cities I visited when travelling with friends, as opposed to family. I hope to revisit when we can travel more freely.
Let’s hope that can happen very soon