Amsterdam Celebrations

If you are looking to go to Amsterdam and want to join in some local calibrations then you have to go on Queens’s day, the Dutch celebrate the birthday of the Queen mother but in reality they use it as an excuse to party hard, any old excuse.

The best cities to stay at whilst celebrating Queens day is the Hague, Rotterdam and off course Amsterdam, although the hole of the Netherlands celebrate this occasion these cities have a special atmosphere during this spectacular party.

In particular Amsterdam has something special going with an estimated ¾ of million people coming into the city to party, many of whom wisely travel in by train. In the city centre hot spots like Leidseplein, Spui, Rembrandtplein, Damrak, Rokin and Dam you will find a great atmosphere with everybody dressed and partying in orange.

Also on Queens’s day you will find that all the street trade is unregulated so it makes it a good day for some second hand shopping, and in Vondelpark all the kids’ show of their business expertise by offering a wide variety of attractions.

As well as having a diverse range of museums, coffee shops, restaurants and bars - Amsterdam is also a fantastic shopping destination. Indeed many people take trips to the city purely to go shopping - and who can blame them. Almost every concievable type of store available can be found in Amsterdam, from major retail chains to the trendiest designers in the world and thrifty open air markets and stalls, Amsterdam shopping has something for everyone.

Rather than post a long list of our own, which would be far too detailed (although Kalverstraat is a must obviously) - we felt that we would link to some of the best posts on the web about shopping in Amsterdam. Hopefully, you will find some valuable information on shopping in Amsterdam.

• Top 10 Amsterdam Shopping Areas - from About.com: Great guide from About. Includes ten districts with reasons why you should go to each to find shopping heaven.
• 10 best - Amsterdam Shopping: 10 best is an interesting site which lists the 'Ten Best' (funnily enough) in a number of different categories. The Amsterdam Shoppping guide is great as it includes a break down of each area as well as user reviews and opinions of people who have actually been there.
• Tripwolf - list of Amsterdam shops: Tripwolf compiles a list of shops with som einformation on where they can be found - great if youre looking for something in particular.
• Amsterdam Info - Shopping Streets: Great post on the main shopping streets in Amsterdam - quite general but well worth a read.

Thanks for reading - if anyone has any shops they feel must be visited during a trip to Amsterdam, let us know.

Just a quick heads up for anyone thinking of traveling to Amsterdam soon - as part of Ferry Fortnight, DFDS Seaways are currently offering two for one on their 2 night mini cruise breaks to Amsterdam, and you can take your car over for free as well, making it a total of £65 for two people and a car (a saving of £64) - ideal for these credit crunching times! - See the DFDS Seaways Ferry Fortnight page for more information.

Ferry fortnight is an initiative set up by the Passenger Shipping Association to encourage more ferry travel from the UK, most of the major operators are offering special deals during this period.

Amsterdam city is a vibrant place to be with hundreds of quality and historic attractions to visit.

Right in the middle of the centre of Amsterdam is the Dam square; it has a lot of culture and includes the National Monument Commemorating the fallen Dutch soldiers of WWII, there is the wonderful Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) that is flanked by the Royal Palace.

If you go by the Kalverstraat all the way to the Spui, then take a right and follow along until you come to the Begijnhof, There is a lovely traditional although small chapel that is defiantly worth a visit if religion or history is your kind of thing, the courtyard shelter next to the Chapel that is surrounded by the enclosing homes along the edge is home to single religious women who devote their time to their religion.

Beyond is the rest of the fabulous city that is surrounded by monuments and churches that are punctuated by the canals that are used for navigation through the city. The Largest and most distinctive building in the city has to be the Westerkerk (West Church) that can be recognized by its large blue crown. Neighboring the Homomonument is the popular tourist attraction Ann Frank House. Walking along down towards the Haarlemmerstraat by the Prinsengracht you will come across boutiques, restaurants that disperse in either direction. Just by the Haarlemmerstraat towards central train station and you will come across the multi storey bicycle park rthat is used by thousands every day, cycling is regarded as one of the easiest ways to travel around Amsterdam as it is almost completely flat.

Amsterdam is easy to get to, especilay by ferry, there is ferries arriving and going from Amsterdam ferry port in IJmuidennoon day and night from varouse european countrys.

Just a quick note on a nice little article posted on the Times Online website yesterday. Authored by the Rough Guide to Happiness guru Dr Nick Baylis is a great list of The ten happiest places to holiday - and our beloved Amsterdam males it into the list! According to Dr Baylis:

Amsterdam: saving our souls from the over-use of technology

In old Amsterdam, cars come a clear second to bikes, (in both legal precedence and practical terms), proving that we really can do it - rather like we’ve proved smoking can be stopped in public places. Chattering couples ferry each other around the canal-sides on big curvaceous bicycles with sit-up-and-beg handle-bars and two-tone bells. In fact, I own just such a beauty, with the unlikely name of The Sparta Granny.

It seems odd to agree with him on the 'saving us from technology' point while we are sitting here writing a blog, but we know where he is coming from! - We have made these points in numerous posts on this website.......

Bavarian style "lager" beer was growing popular way back in 1870; this is the year that the 2 year old son of C.A de Pester (Ernest de Pester) laid the first brick for the Amstel brewery.

There was already 559 brewery’s up and running across Holland at that time but there was only 2 brewing Bavarian style lager.

With the fast growing popularity of lager, 2 businessmen (J.H. van Marwijk Kooy and De Pester) caught on fast to the demand of the lager and started planning the build of the Amstel Brewery.

Amstel hails its name from the river that runs through Amsterdam in Holland and now produces ten different types of lager that sell in over 75 countries worldwide with Amstel Lager being the first produced, the most famous and most popular lager of them all, a true classic beer.

A vast and vibrant city such as Amsterdam is never far from the news. Also, let's be honest, Amsterdam is one of the more liberal cities in the world which means that it tends to attract a rather eclectic mix of people. There is no shortage of weird and wonderful events taking place in Amsterdam on an almost daily basis, this constant churn of activity is part of what gives the city its unique character - lets hope that it doesnt lose this anytime soon.

Here are a few of our favourite Amsterdam stories of recent times:

• This picture was seen on a drawbridge in Amsterdam, witty, subtle and disturbing all at the same time!:

• Detailed and informative Time Magazine report on the efforts of the Amsterdam authorities to 'clean up' the city.
• Some great photos of cyclists around Amsterdam! - three on a bike at once is not uncommon.

• A greetings card from Anne Frank discovered outside Amsterdam - incredible find.
• Amsterdam is so busy that these architects have proposed an underwater city!
• This Google Map of Amsterdam shows a glowing star, where is this divine venue?

View Larger Map

• Amsterdam Airport has flies etched into the urinals - studies reveal that most men aim for them!

These are but a few of our favourite Amsterdam stories, do you have any to share?, please let us know!