Exploring Amsterdam with Friends

September 12, 2014

Discovering new places can be great fun, but it’s even better when you’re with friends. Amsterdam has something to everyone, from all ages.

If you’ve not been to the Dutch capital before, embrace the Dutch national colour and look to hire an Orangebike. From just €6.50, get around like the locals for three hours, and take a whistle stop tour with your friends. You can hop on and off as you enjoy snacks and nibbles at all the hotspots along the city’s canals. It’s great fun and you’ll begin to wonder why we don’t cycle more in the UK!

Whether you discover Amsterdam by bike or foot, head to Nieuwmarkt – it’s a great spot a drink with your friends & for sampling traditional Dutch cuisine. Be sure to try the bittenballen – a deep-fried ball filled with a meaty sauce, served with mustard. The area boasts over 20 cafes and coffee shops facing the square, so if there are many tastes in your group of friends, there will be a spot for everyone! Don’t forget, if you’re there on a Saturday, try the organic food market.

Love shopping? Haarlemmerstraat (& its continuation Haarlemmerdijk) is packed with individual & quirky shops – Leidsestraat, Kalvertstraat and Damrak are the popular shopping routes in this area. You can even take a break in one of the trendy salons, or enjoy a film in the oldest cinema in Amsterdam. No matter where in the world you’ve been and seen, this little gem will appeal to everyone.

One of the most popular attractions and well-recommended attractions in Amsterdam when visiting with friends is the Heineken Experience. Located in the old Heineken brewery, where beer was brewed for 100 years, this interactive tour takes you through the dynamic ages of this world known beer. Find out what it is like to be a bottle of beer – take a self guided tour around the brewery with staff on hand to tell you all about the beer at various stages along the way.

Carrying on with a similar theme – try the House of Bols. Visit the world’s oldest distilled brand, Lucas Bols, in Amsterdam since 1575. You can even taste the traditional drink, Genever. & even better, the tour includes a cocktail! The tour includes the Hall of Taste, where you can discover the 38 Bols liqueurs – you can even learn the art of flair bartending with the specially designed Bols flair bottles. The House of Bols is located next to the Rijkmuseum in Museumplein square of Amsterdam.

No trip to Amsterdam is complete without a quick look around the infamous Red Light District – it leaves nothing to the imagination! The area is always busy with visitors and tourists, & it’s worth grabbing a map to venture out and exploring it for yourself. It’s not all about stereotypes though – the Wallen (rosse buurt) is the oldest part of Amsterdam. It is full of culture and interesting shops, pubs & restaurants, as well as carrying historical features, such as leaning gabled houses and charming canals.

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