There are countless things to see whilst in Amsterdam and it is always a difficult decision to know what to include and miss out from what will undoubtedly be a packed itinerary.
In an effort to help, we have put together a list of 5 things to see - take a look and there may be a few which you would like to include when you go sightseeing.
Anne Frank House: Probably one of the top "must sees" on the majority of tourists list of things to do in Amsterdam. However, be warned, due to its popularity you may well have to queue to get inside. Once in, you will be rewarded by learning about the story of Anne Frank - a Jewish girl who hid here from the Nazis.
Stone Picture: Keep your eyes open for these wall plaques [also known as cartouches or gable stones]. They are most prevalent in the Jordaan district where they were originally used to identify houses before the numbering system was introduced. Each plaque would be a picture which would identify the house owner and his trade.
Coster Diamonds: Spend a while here and you will be able to see how they take a rough diamond, cut it and polish it to become a stone to be used in jewellery. This is one of the most well known diamond-cutting houses in Amsterdam with a top reputation.
St Nicholaas Boat Club: If you are tired on being crammed onto the typical Amsterdam canal cruiser, then head to this Boat Club where you will be able to ride on an open-air boat which seats a maximum of 11 people. Not only a more pleasant way to see the city, you will also be able to go up the smaller canals inaccessible to the larger cruiser.
Amsterdam Bridges: The River Amstel is the name of the river on which Amsterdam was originally built. Take a walk along the river and you will see both pleasure boats and boats transporting coal and grain. There are 2 bridges to pay particular attention to namely Blue Bridge [Blauwbrug] which is highly decorated both in terms of its ornate lamps and boat shaped piers.
The other is Skinny Bridge [Magere Brug] which is probably the better known due to the fact that it appears in so many pictures of the city of Amsterdam. Originally named the skinny bridge to the fact that when built it would only take 1 person at a time due to the tiny width. It is the only wooden bridge in the city and is brightly lit at night.
So, take your pick. With a nearly endless list of things to see in Amsterdam there may be one or two above which you can add to your itinerary.
If you would like more information about visiting Amsterdam please click here.
