One Day Bike Itinerary in Magical Amsterdam: Where to Go and What to Eat
Amsterdam | Saturday, 27 July 2019
Amsterdam is a city which is famously associated with only two things: cannabis and the red-light district. Contrary to these two stereotypes, Amsterdam has much to offer with its beautiful, gently flowing canals, fairy-tale bridges, and picturesque architecture reflecting on the water of the canals. The city has an elaborately winding bicycle track – it is the bicycle capital of the world – which makes discovering Amsterdam astride a bike all the more adventurous.
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The people of Amsterdam are kind, good-natured and accepting. You will find the city abuzz with boats motoring down the canal, tram bells ringing along the streets and bicycles trrringing as the Dutch fly past on their bikes.
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In order to truly bring the Dutch experience to life, the first thing to do is rent a bike. There are choices of timings for rentals ranging from an hour to a day and prices vary depending on the shop and type of bike.
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Riding a bike through an unfamiliar city might be a difficult task so here is an itinerary that takes in the best sights (and tastes!) of Amsterdam.
Bike itinerary
1. vondelpark
Start your discovery of Amsterdam from Vondelpark - a large, beautiful park with multiple pathways leading to different exits and entrances. There are ponds with ducks, restaurant areas and food trucks. It is crowded with families picnicking and bikers zooming down the pathways. The air is filled with a freshness that is enlivened with the chatter and laughter of people, mixed with the beautiful sounds of music buskers who play their guitars and harps at the park. Ride down the pathways to clear your head and enjoy the thrill.
2. Go: Museumplein & Rijkmuseum bicycle passage
From Vondelpark, pedal to the Museumplein which serves as a huge garden courtyard to all the museums that surround it - the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum, among other buildings. Cycle along the Museumplein all the way to the Rijkmuseum bicycle passage. Through the glass planes along the sides, you can steal glances into the museum and don’t forget to look up at the vaulted ceiling made of gothic arches which echo. Amongst the echoes you’ll be sure to hear the music of a busker’s harp which will make your ride a lot more delightful.
Image by ilovebikingsf.com
3. Go: Albert Cuypmarkt
Albert Cuypmarkt is a street market that sells everything from clothes and watches, to fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, raw meat and fish, crockery, and handicrafts in its stalls. Additionally, you get to taste famous Dutch foods from its food carts. The market is closed only on Sundays and is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm. Here’s what you must eat when you visit the market (these food items aren’t specific to the market and are available across the city as well.)
4. Eat: Vlaamse Frites
Deliciously hot and thick potato fries with just the perfect amount of fluff and crisp are served in an open top paper cone in three sizes (small, medium, large) of your choice. These filling fries come topped with sauces that you can choose from a variety of options (such as mayonnaise, chilli, samurai sauce, ketchup etc).
Image by tripadvisor.com
5. Eat: Stroopwafels
Once you take a taste of these deliciously delicate, decadent Dutch waffles it’s bye-bye Belgian waffles forever. Hollandse Stroopwafels translates to Dutch Syrup waffles and are so called because these are two thin wafels with a layer of syrup in between. They are hot and are dripping with sweet caramel and immediately melt in the mouth. They come in big or medium sizes and are super thin. In some cafeterias, you can choose toppings such as strawberries, Nutella and whipped cream.
6. Eat: Cheese
Can you really say you’ve been to the Netherlands without having tasted their famous cheese? Alongside and opposite the Bloemenmarkt on the Singel canal, you will find a variety of shops selling cheese. Tasting displays will allow you to sample varieties of the fresh, the aged and the flavoured cheeses such as Basil, Paprika, Walnut, Wasabi etc.
7. Go: Spui Square, Dam Square and Anne Frank’s House
If you’re a book lover, make sure to stop at Spui square to browse the bookstores. Otherwise directly pedal to Dam Square – one of the most important locations of Amsterdam. Here you will find a variety of attractions including the historic Royal Palace, Madame Tussauds, the New Church and the Dam Square Monument. The centre area of the square always has some entertainment ongoing which keeps the crowd enraptured. Head onwards to the Anne Frank house to catch a glimpse from the outside (as getting a ticket is really difficult). Otherwise, directly take the Damrak avenue to Amsterdam Centraal.
Image by holland.com
8. Go: IJ Amsterdam (waterfront) and A’dam Lookout
Behind Amsterdam Centraal lies the panoramic view of the IJ river. Speed bike through the tunnel under Amsterdam Centraal and get on the free ferry crossing across the river to Amsterdam Noord. You can take your bicycle along with you. Enjoy the ferry ride and marvel at the IJ. If you look behind at Centraal, you’ll notice its roof has the word ‘Amsterdam’ written in large, red, capital letters. Once you reach the other side you will see the A’dam Lookout atop which is Europe’s highest swing allowing you a 360-degree view of good old Amsterdam. Give it a shot if you’re not scared of heights and are feeling particularly daring.
Amsterdam is considered to be one of the top destinations in Europe and is a tourist favourite. This is probably because of the magic of the city and how happy one feels while one is there or maybe, just maybe because of the sprinkling touch of a certain mood-altering substance in the air.