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Amsterdam Port

Thank you so much, but the steep steps concern me. My husband has mobility issues and I don't think it would be safe for him. Sounds like a great place though. Wonder if they have any 1st floor rooms.
Find somewhere else if stairs are an issue. They have a chair lift, but relying on that seems like it would be a pain. Be careful of this issue when getting lodging in Amsterdam. Make sure they're easily accessible. Steep stairs are common in the historic canal homes.
 
Just to let you know, the numbering of floors is different in the Netherlands (Europe?) than in the US.
What the US calls 1st floor is ground floor, or 0 in the Netherlands. The first flight of stairs you climb brings you to the 1st floor.

So if you plan to go to a historic hotel in Amsterdam, double check rooms on the ground floor or if there is an elevator. Historic buildings don't always have space for an elevator.
Same goes for certain tourist attractions. The Anne Frank House is not fully accessible to people with mobility issues. If your husband has an issue with the steep stairs, he will only be able to visit the modern part of the museum. https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/practical-information/accessibility-museum/

Thank you. Going up and down in a hotel might be tough, but I don't think he's going to want to miss Anne Frank's House. We'll just make sure one is behind and one is in front LOL
 
Today I went to Amsterdam to go to the Rijksmuseum and because I am bored/procrastinating I decided to use this thread to post some things about Amsterdam.
In the next post I'll leave some pictures of my day.

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So top right corner is the Cruise Terminal. According to Googlemaps it's a 17 minute walk to Amsterdam Central station, but I guess it's a bit shorter. You can also get public transport from here, but I would suggest just to walk if you can.

I would advise against hop-on-hop-off bus tours, to be honest as the city center is not made for a lot of traffic, and definitely not made for touring cars or buses. Yes, they are there, but traffic goes slow and is all one way. Hop-on-hop-off boat tours are a better options. But I would still say to go by foot, and only do a canal cruise at the end of the day when you are tired. Going by foot will show you plenty of opportunities to admire the architecture of Amsterdam/The Netherlands. In a bus or on a canal cruise you cannot stop. When you go by foot, you can :)

Map of Amsterdam
The purple areas are docks to get on a canal cruise. There are more, but these are closest.
The route on the map is from the Cruise Terminal to Central Station and from there the route I took this morning to the Rijksmuseum. My walk took me 20 minutes at a brisk pace. If you stop for pictures, go for 30 - 40 minutes.

Below landmarks/activities/museums are very random. I've chosen them because they are well known, or because I find them interesting, or because I walked by them this morning.

1. Passenger Terminal Amsterdam
https://www.ptamsterdam.com/You will disembark here if you are arriving by cruise ship.

2. Anne Frank Huis- Anne Frank House
https://www.annefrank.org/en/
The house where Anne Frank was hidden during WWII.
See my remarks about the Anne Frank House and booking tickets earlier in this thread.

3. Homomonument - Gay Monument
https://www.homomonument.nl/ (Dutch only) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homomonument
Started as a monument for the Gays who died in WWII. As the Jews and the Gypsies had their own monuments to commemorate the victims of WWII, but the Gays didn't have this. So on May 4th (Dutch Remembrance Day) you will see flowers on the monument.

4. Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder - Our Lord in the Attic
https://opsolder.nl/en/museum-our-lord-in-the-attic/It's a hidden catholic church in the attic of a home. The Dutch were pretty tolerant and you could believe whatever you wanted, but that doesn't mean everything happened / was allowed in public. As it was a protestant country in the 16th century, Catholic churches were hidden in all kinds of houses. This one is well preserved.

5. De Oude Kerk - The old church
https://oudekerk.nl/en/Origins go back to the 12th century, and therefore the oldest building in the city. It's both a museum and still a working protestant church, if you visit on a Sunday there are services.

6. De Wallen - Red Light District
https://www.amsterdam.info/red-light-district/
Oh my... the Dutch are so scandalous! Yes, we are, or just practical. It's the oldest profession in the world, it won't go away, better have the ladies pay taxes and get something back. There is a list of do's/don'ts for this area, stick to it. Especially don't take pictures of the women.
If you go by day, keep an eye on your bag (pickpockets) and just walk through it... nothing can really happen. At night it's a different story, but in daylight, especially early in the day, most windows are still closed and less tourists.

Bring you kids or not? I get the objection, but kids probably see only what they want to see and what they can understand. The women are dressed (in lingerie), no one is naked, no one is flashing boobs on the streets. To give you an example of an interview a famous Dutch guy gave a few years ago. He was in Amsterdam with his young daughter ( I think she was 4 or something) and they had to go somewhere and as a shortcut they walked through the red light district, and he hadn't thought about it. They were already there before he realized it.
The daughter sees the women in their lingerie and starts to laugh. "Papa, why are all these women wearing bikinis?"
The father starts to panic and thinks how to answer. He decides not to explain and instead ask: "What do you think?"
The daughter thinks and then says: "Oh, maybe they will go swimming later." And that was the end of the conversation. Also by then they were out of the district, it's not really a large area.

So if you are curious and just want to have a look, but you have your kids with you (and don't want to/can't split up), walk through it and don't make a big deal out of it.

7. De Nieuwe Kerk - The New Church
https://www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/No longer used as a church, it is a museum and used for organ concerts. It is also the place where our king & queen are crowned and where the royal wedding took place.

8. Paleis op de Dam - Royal Palace on Dam Square
https://www.paleisamsterdam.nl/en/It is used as a palace during state visits and at the time of the coronation. At other times you can visit the building. Although, I must admit, the website is vague on what you can see there. Sometimes there are special exhibits.

9. Madame Tussaud's
https://www.madametussauds.com/amsterdam/en/Okay. you know the waxwork museums. If you're into it, apparently they have also some Marvel statues. Who knew!

10. Amsterdam Museum
https://www.amsterdammuseum.nl/enRelatively new museum about the history of the city.

11. Dungeon Amsterdam
https://www.thedungeons.com/amsterdam/en/For those who like to get spooked! Walkthrough with actors.

12. Torture Museum
http://www.torturemuseum.com/
If you want something else than the regular museums ;-)

13. Bloemenmarkt - Flower Market
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/shopping/amsterdam-markets/flower-marketIf you need / want tulip bulbs, this is the place to go. Check your customs website to see if you can bring them home!

14. Rijksmuseum - National Museum
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/enThe place to go for the 16/17th century masterpieces. Here you find The Night Watch by Rembrandt, but also some other famous works by Vermeer, Frans Hals etc. It's mainly Dutch artists, but also some others. Get early in the day, start at the top for the most famous pieces and work your way down.
I saw a lot of couples with young children. However, it's not aimed at children. No hands on exhibitions etc. There are some programs for kids and also in the gift shop
you will find a lot (also in English) to familiarize kids with art. So maybe go to the gift shop first?

It's mainly classical paintings from Middle ages to early 1900s. But there are also objects like porcelain, jewellery, musical instruments, at the moment there is an exhibition on ship models and armoury. The paintings are mainly a fixed exhibition, the other objects rotate more.

15. Diamantmuseum - Diamond Museum
https://www.diamondmuseum.com/This one is on the list because I still want to visit it :P Where do diamonds come from, Amsterdam was an important part of the diamond industry throughout the ages and it has a collection of crowns!

16. Van Gogh Museum
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/enThere is a self portrait of Vincent van Gogh at the Rijksmuseum, but you will find more paintings by his hand, plus more about the man and his life.

17. Stedelijk Museum - Urban Museum
https://www.stedelijk.nl/en
Go here for modern art

18. US Embassy
https://nl.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/amsterdam/In case you would need it.

19. Nemo Science Museum
https://www.nemosciencemuseum.nl/en/
All kinds of science. Very suitable to bring your kid.

20. Scheepsvaartmuseum (Maritime museum)
https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.com/visitAlso more suited to bring your kid. All you want to know, and it's great (especially in summer) to get on the ship and get a feel what it was like. The VR experience was fun.

21. Museum Het Rembrandthuis - Rembrandt's home
https://www.rembrandthuis.nl/?lang=enThe house where Rembrandt once lived. You will find paints/sketches/drawings, but also more information about the man and painting in the 16/17th century.

22. Portuguese Synagoge / Joods Historisch Museum - Jewish Historical Museum
https://jck.nl/en/node/963
The museum has several buildings, the museum and the Portuguese synagogue among them. But also a dedicated children's museum.
This museum has all kinds of exhibitions related to Jewish life & art.

23. Verzetsmuseum - Resistance Museum
https://www.verzetsmuseum.org/museum/en/museumAll kinds of stories about WWII in NL and the resistance.

24. Hortus Botanicus - Botanical Garden
https://www.dehortus.nl/en/
25. Hermitage Amsterdam
https://hermitage.nl/en/
Part of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg Russia. There is a permanent collection here in NL, and next to this exhibits change a few times a year with other pieces from Russia.

26. Albert Cuyp Markt - Street market in the Albert Cuyp-street.
https://albertcuyp-markt.amsterdam/?lang=enYou can get everything here. (Think the song Portobello Road in Bedknobs and Broomsticks), but mainly go here for fresh snacks like warm stroopwafels!
 

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Today I went to Amsterdam to go to the Rijksmuseum and because I am bored/procrastinating I decided to use this thread to post some things about Amsterdam.
In the next post I'll leave some pictures of my day....

Thank you for your wonderful and helpful post!
 


@Karin1984 OMG, thank you, bookmarking this. Amsterdam was on my 2020 cancelled cruise, and its on my rescheduled 2021 cruise. I haven't started planning yet, but this will be very useful :)
 
So join me on my walk from Amsterdam Central Station to the Rijksmuseum

Central Station. I love this building so much (on the outside, on the inside so much has changed)

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Bijenkorf (means Bee Hive) is our Macy's, our Selfridges.
Below is not a normal situation. This is around 9:00 on a Sunday morning, during Covid. Normally the sidewalk I am walking on is busy!
Pro tip 1: Walk on the other side of the street, right next to Bijenkorf. It's usually much quieter.
Pro tip 2: DO NOT WALK ON THE BIKE LANES. They will kill you. Rule of thumb: Sidewalks are grey, bike lines are red.

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Palace on Dam Square
In a normal summer this is where you find living statues. Madam Tussaud's is on the left of the square.
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National monument for WWII on Dam Square

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So below picture is about a 5 minute walk from Central station, so maybe 20 - 25 minutes from the Cruise terminal. Before you have joined your tour group and constantly wait for everyone else, here is the Amsterdam architecture! The special houses, some a little wonky and askew and the little pully system at the top.

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The flower market, not all the stalls were open, and of course, this time of year, not a lot of fresh flowers.

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Your typical Amsterdam view with a bicylce attached to a bridge.

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Rijksmuseum. Same architect as Central Station.

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The Night Watch by Rembrandt. You can't get close at the moment due to Project Rembrandt (also posted about this earlier in the thread). During the week they are doing some studies of the painting, they are scanning the different layers etc.
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Another tip, get the audio tour, or use the app (can be downloaded on forehand). There was a problem in the morning with the app, so I decided to rent the audio tour (5 euro) and it was well spent.

They have a short explanation about the painting, but also 2nd and 3rd audio / video clip with more information. Not necessarily about the painting, but let's say there is a musical instrument on the painting. Then one of the clips can be about how did the instrument sound, or what do we know about the person on the painting.


More Dutch masters

Girl in blue (on the right) by Verspronck
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The Milk Maid by Vermeer

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More Rembrandt.
On the right, The Jewish Bride.

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The newest aquisition, 80 million euro (it was quite some news when they bought this, because the government helped).
The special thing about these paintings is that this couple decided to get portrayed in full. Most marriage or engagement portraits are only half of this.
Expensive, but very beautiful.

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I forgot, they also have two gorgeous doll houses from the 17th century. They are behind glass, but they are absolutely gorgeous.


Disney in the gift shop!
In the US you have Mickey Mouse Magazine, in NL Donald has his magazine. So that's why you will find here some books, calendars and puzzles with Donald (and others) in famous art works.

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And Miffy! for the youngest kids.

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i have been away taking care of matters at home, but am so grateful to those who kept posting. Karin1984, your informative posts and pictures are incredible and will be so helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time.

We have kept our cruise in August (so far) to leave from Amsterdam, but are cancelling our cruise in April to Belgium. We are sad to do it (because each postponement brings the likelihood that my husband won't be able to travel next time), but neither of us feel safe to be on a cruise ship yet and to venture to another country -- not yet anyway.

So I'll keep hopes alive for our Amsterdam round-trip and our chance to see Norway and Iceland finally. Did get in on HAL's new sale that allowed us to get a free interior room for our adult daughter -- made her day to have her own room. Terrific promotion, plus got 20% off our excursions. Only have to decide whether we want to rent a car in Reyjavik, do a private tour or do a ship's excursion. It's nice to dream -- hope it comes true ;)
 
Karin1984 -- sorry it's been a while, but we are just now planning this trip forward as we are hoping the cruise line is still going. Do you have anay hotel recommendations for something close to the center and Anne Frank's house? Thanks much.
 
Anyone know anything about a day tour to Arnheim from Amsterdam?
 
The Netherlands is about twice the size of New Jersey and could be dropped into Texas and lost forever. It is one of my favorite places to visit with some of the best food.

If you are there in spring try Keukenhof for the tulips.
 
We haven't been to Arnhem but explored the broader Netherlands on our own. It sounds like your cruise is departing from Amsterdam - how much time do you have?

Activities that we did on a land tour:

- City centre day, including visiting the Anne Frank house and other nearby attractions - something like a morning city walk/attractions visit, an afternoon canal boat tour, and an evening stroll through the red light district

- Windmill tour, which you can self-drive or join a tour bus for

- Self-drive through coastal cities such as Rotterdam and The Hague

If you have the time, see if you can do a day trip to the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. Depending on your timing, you might be able to see a DCL Triton class ship under construction.

Day trips to Brussels and Bruges also good options.

We didn't stay in the city centre as we wanted to tour the rest of the country more easily.
 

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