Queen's Birthday in Amsterdam April 30
Feb 18th, 2010, 08:13 PM
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Queen's Birthday in Amsterdam April 30
Just found out that the annual celebration the Queen's Birthday will be held when we're in Amsterdam. Evidently the city will be packed with revelers. While the city-wide yard sale sounds interesting, we're way past partying the night away. We're staying in Haarlem and planning to ride bikes to see the flowers, enjoy a lovely quiet dinner or two, wander the Jordaan, that kind of thing (we've been to Amsterdam before). If you're familiar with this event, can you please provide a few suggestions about how to enjoy a taste of the festivites without being totally overwhelmed by the crowds?
Feb 18th, 2010, 10:55 PM
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I can't give you any help, but I will be in Amsterdam at the same time. The city-wide yard sale sounds like it could fun. I know there is a parade. Do you think it will affect transportation? I also would love to find a place it sit back and observe. Of course, it is vacation time....you could find yourself an orange shirt and blend in with the locals and write a trip report that will make me jealous.
Hopefully someone will respond to your thread and we can both get more details.
Hopefully someone will respond to your thread and we can both get more details.
Feb 19th, 2010, 12:58 AM
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You should be aware that the trains may stop running to Centraal if it looks like Amsterdam is getting too crowded, and there may be limited trains in any case. If you decide to go into Amsterdam then get off at Sloterdijk and take the tram to van Baerlestraat, near the Museumplein.
Every village, town and city has something going on for Koninginnedag. If you are staying in Haarlem, then why not sample the Haarlemse version of it, which will be less crowded, and more authentic? There will still be the market and fun.
There is no parade ltr. Trams and buses run, but may follow different routes. The Metro runs as normal. The canals are full of boats, and operate a one way system on some of them.
There is a children's market in the Vondelpark, which is nice, as originally the intention was for children to sell things on Koninginnedag to raise money to buy their mothers something for Mother's day. Only later did it turn into a mass jumble sale.
The partying actually starts about 7pm the evening before and goes on until May 1st. There are free concerts and events throughout Amsterdam. Museumplein has the biggest usually. This ends at 10pm on the 30th.
Wear something orange, or buy something silly and orange from a stall, and enjoy it wherever you decide to be.
The Queen will be visiting Zeeland this year, in Wemeldinge and Middelburg. Following last years tragedy security will be a lot tighter in these places this year.
Read more about what is going on in Amsterdam here: http://amsterdam.nl/koninginnedag
Every village, town and city has something going on for Koninginnedag. If you are staying in Haarlem, then why not sample the Haarlemse version of it, which will be less crowded, and more authentic? There will still be the market and fun.
There is no parade ltr. Trams and buses run, but may follow different routes. The Metro runs as normal. The canals are full of boats, and operate a one way system on some of them.
There is a children's market in the Vondelpark, which is nice, as originally the intention was for children to sell things on Koninginnedag to raise money to buy their mothers something for Mother's day. Only later did it turn into a mass jumble sale.
The partying actually starts about 7pm the evening before and goes on until May 1st. There are free concerts and events throughout Amsterdam. Museumplein has the biggest usually. This ends at 10pm on the 30th.
Wear something orange, or buy something silly and orange from a stall, and enjoy it wherever you decide to be.
The Queen will be visiting Zeeland this year, in Wemeldinge and Middelburg. Following last years tragedy security will be a lot tighter in these places this year.
Read more about what is going on in Amsterdam here: http://amsterdam.nl/koninginnedag
Feb 19th, 2010, 01:04 AM
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In big parts of the city people will indeed be partying the day away. Areas that you probably want to avoid are around Central station and the streets leading from the station to places like Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein where huge parties will be going on and beer will literally be flowing in the streets. It will be busy anywhere but at these places the crowds will indeed be overwhelming.
Vondelpark is a nice and fun area to go. It is reserved for children and commercial vendors aren't allowed. People will have games set up and kids will be selling you freshly squeezed orange juice or playing musical instruments.
I always like the Jordaan as well. There will be bands playing (on smaller stages) and people selling stuff and performing as well. Maybe you could start out early in the Jordaan and then slowly head towards Vondelpark before the party really gets going. This is what I plan to do as well before fleeing the city to escape the thumping beat of the techno party that will be going on in front of my house all day. I think my partying days are over as well
Festivities will start as early as 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning and end around 9 in the evening. Public transport will definitely be affected.
Vondelpark is a nice and fun area to go. It is reserved for children and commercial vendors aren't allowed. People will have games set up and kids will be selling you freshly squeezed orange juice or playing musical instruments.
I always like the Jordaan as well. There will be bands playing (on smaller stages) and people selling stuff and performing as well. Maybe you could start out early in the Jordaan and then slowly head towards Vondelpark before the party really gets going. This is what I plan to do as well before fleeing the city to escape the thumping beat of the techno party that will be going on in front of my house all day. I think my partying days are over as well
Festivities will start as early as 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning and end around 9 in the evening. Public transport will definitely be affected.
Feb 19th, 2010, 03:58 AM
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I, too am lucky to be in Amsterdam, but from May 3 - 7. I wasn't aware of the Queen's birthday, but our reason to visit is to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII. From what I read, there will be quite a number of people in the area for this celebration. If you are interested in history and are still in the area, this might be of interest to you.
tC
tC
Feb 20th, 2010, 02:55 AM
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I'm a veteran of several Queen's Day celebrations. It's an all day party. Here is some of what I saw and participated in two years ago. http://tinyurl.com/yln3hrp.
Feb 20th, 2010, 04:25 AM
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Several years ago I arrived in Amsterdam on the day after the Queen's birthday celebration. The city was in absolute shambles with foul-smelling mounds of garbage everywhere. It was much worse than the aftermath of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. While the city was able to clean it up fairly quickly, the smells lingered and it was a terrible first impression--unfortunately it's the thing I remember most about the city.
Feb 21st, 2010, 09:20 AM
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Thanks, everyone for your thoughtful replies. We arrive in Amsterdam in the afternoon of 27 April, so will use that evening and the next day to enjoy Amsterdam. We'll definitely celebrate the Queen's BD in Haarlem, maybe heading out on bikes into the countryside.
One more question: We leave Amsterdam the morning of Saturday 1 May at 10:16 on the Thalys from Centraal. Will public transportation still be impacted by the celebration? How early would you advise us to leave Haarlem by train to get to Centraal and figure out how to find the Thalys?
Thanks again, Fodorites. Your help is invaluable!
One more question: We leave Amsterdam the morning of Saturday 1 May at 10:16 on the Thalys from Centraal. Will public transportation still be impacted by the celebration? How early would you advise us to leave Haarlem by train to get to Centraal and figure out how to find the Thalys?
Thanks again, Fodorites. Your help is invaluable!
Feb 21st, 2010, 09:28 AM
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spaarne, in your photos you referenced "favorite cafes" in Amsterdam: "Our first objective was to reach the Spui and several of my favorite cafes in Amsterdam...That is the Cafe Luxembourg on the left and the Hoppe on the corner." Are the Luxembourg and the Hoppe two that you would recommend? Any others?
What are your favorite cafes/bistros in "your home away from home" in Haarlem? You seem very knowledgeable about Haarlem. Please share any favorite places to eat or see. We're staying at Stempels.
What are your favorite cafes/bistros in "your home away from home" in Haarlem? You seem very knowledgeable about Haarlem. Please share any favorite places to eat or see. We're staying at Stempels.
Feb 21st, 2010, 09:50 AM
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Trains will be back to normal on Saturday. They run very frequently - every 10 minutes or so. If you get the 09.32 Intercity you will be at Centraal at 09.48 which gives you plenty of time to find the Thalys and get settled in. I assume you will have printed your tickets or collected them during your stay. There is no check-in for Thalys.
If you want a bit more time then an intercity leaves at 09.06 arriving at 09.22 or a stoptrein leaves at 09.16 getting in at 09.33.
In Amsterdam de Vergulde Gaper is where I met up with Fodorites last year. It is very nice, and you may get to see a passing star as well. (It is a favourite of The Boss when he is in town apparently.) www.goodfoodgroup.nl/english/gaper.html
If you want a bit more time then an intercity leaves at 09.06 arriving at 09.22 or a stoptrein leaves at 09.16 getting in at 09.33.
In Amsterdam de Vergulde Gaper is where I met up with Fodorites last year. It is very nice, and you may get to see a passing star as well. (It is a favourite of The Boss when he is in town apparently.) www.goodfoodgroup.nl/english/gaper.html
Feb 22nd, 2010, 06:47 AM
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Betsy,
I've lived in Haarlem for four years in stints going back to my first European job there in 1975. My first Haarlem home was at Spaarne 2, in front of the white lift bridge. The Tyler's Museum is on that block, around the corner from Stempels.
The Hoppe and the Cafe Luxembourg are my two favorites in Amsterdam.
The Hoppe has been a "brown bar" for several centuries. It is SRO when the offices close. That is my first stop for a beverage. Try the Genever, a distilled drink like gin.
The Cafe Luxembourg is much newer. The building was the German tourist office in the 70s. It has a good lunch menu. It has glassed in and outdoor patios, great for people watching. The large table inside features many international newspapers for a free read.
The Luden restaurant up Spuistraat a hundred meters has been a consistently good place for a long time. Good service, ambience, food, and reasonable prices. Further up Spuistraat is the Five Flies restaurant. This is an antique institution and rather pricey.
In Haarlem the Proeflokaal de Blauwe Druif on Langeveerstraat was my favorite watering hole for many years. It has changed hands a few times and I don't spend much time there any more. The last picture was taken in front of the Proef, as we call it. My favorite now is the In Den Uiver on the north side of the Grote Kerk. You can probably see it from the front door of Stempels. Both of these are brown bars with some seating but mostly SRO. The Uiver had live jazz on Thursday and Sunday evenings the last time I was there.
For lunch I recommend the Cafe Brinkman on the Grote Markt. If it is a nice day you can sit outside in the sun. For an upscale diner the Wilma & Alberts steakhouse has been doing business for decades, on the south side of the church. There are many other restaurants in the neighborhood.
I hope you have good weather for a bike ride to Keukenhof. If you didn't see it already here is a link to my Keukenhof photo page, http://tinyurl.com/y8hltjl.
I would allow more time than hetismij for the connection in Amsterdam Centraal station. All trains from Haarlem stop at platform 1. The Thalys stops at platform 15 as I recall. That is the last platform on the north side of the station. The tunnels are usually well populated so the walk is a zig zag. Also, the ticket lines at Haarlem could slow you down. Get your ticket a day early and tell the ticket clerk that is what you are doing, in which case you will need to stamp your ticket at a yellow box near the ticket windows before boarding.
At Amsterdam Centraal there is often a platoon of police at the tunnel entrance, but some pickpockets are doing business anyway. You will probably look like perfect targets. Hang onto your stuff. I keep my wallet in my front pocket when I am in that station.
The Dutch rail website is www.ns.nl. It is user friendly and speaks English.
I've lived in Haarlem for four years in stints going back to my first European job there in 1975. My first Haarlem home was at Spaarne 2, in front of the white lift bridge. The Tyler's Museum is on that block, around the corner from Stempels.
The Hoppe and the Cafe Luxembourg are my two favorites in Amsterdam.
The Hoppe has been a "brown bar" for several centuries. It is SRO when the offices close. That is my first stop for a beverage. Try the Genever, a distilled drink like gin.
The Cafe Luxembourg is much newer. The building was the German tourist office in the 70s. It has a good lunch menu. It has glassed in and outdoor patios, great for people watching. The large table inside features many international newspapers for a free read.
The Luden restaurant up Spuistraat a hundred meters has been a consistently good place for a long time. Good service, ambience, food, and reasonable prices. Further up Spuistraat is the Five Flies restaurant. This is an antique institution and rather pricey.
In Haarlem the Proeflokaal de Blauwe Druif on Langeveerstraat was my favorite watering hole for many years. It has changed hands a few times and I don't spend much time there any more. The last picture was taken in front of the Proef, as we call it. My favorite now is the In Den Uiver on the north side of the Grote Kerk. You can probably see it from the front door of Stempels. Both of these are brown bars with some seating but mostly SRO. The Uiver had live jazz on Thursday and Sunday evenings the last time I was there.
For lunch I recommend the Cafe Brinkman on the Grote Markt. If it is a nice day you can sit outside in the sun. For an upscale diner the Wilma & Alberts steakhouse has been doing business for decades, on the south side of the church. There are many other restaurants in the neighborhood.
I hope you have good weather for a bike ride to Keukenhof. If you didn't see it already here is a link to my Keukenhof photo page, http://tinyurl.com/y8hltjl.
I would allow more time than hetismij for the connection in Amsterdam Centraal station. All trains from Haarlem stop at platform 1. The Thalys stops at platform 15 as I recall. That is the last platform on the north side of the station. The tunnels are usually well populated so the walk is a zig zag. Also, the ticket lines at Haarlem could slow you down. Get your ticket a day early and tell the ticket clerk that is what you are doing, in which case you will need to stamp your ticket at a yellow box near the ticket windows before boarding.
At Amsterdam Centraal there is often a platoon of police at the tunnel entrance, but some pickpockets are doing business anyway. You will probably look like perfect targets. Hang onto your stuff. I keep my wallet in my front pocket when I am in that station.
The Dutch rail website is www.ns.nl. It is user friendly and speaks English.
Feb 22nd, 2010, 07:06 AM
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I doubt there will be lines for tickets at Haarlem station on a Saturday morning. If you have Euro coins you can buy your tickets from the machine anyway, and they are cheaper. You do not need the exact money - two singles to Amsterdam costs €7.60. so four 2 Euro coins would be fine.
It depends on which train you get which platform you arrive at - 1 or 2, but always subject to change especially with all the work going on at Centraal.
Thalys leaves from 13a or 14a You use the same stairs/lift for both. It really isn't that far from one end to the other, even with luggage.
I haven't seen any platoons of police at Amsterdam Centraal for a considerable time. You remain within the station, and whilst you need to be aware of potential problems just as you do anywhere, it really isn't as bad as Spaarne paints it.
It depends on which train you get which platform you arrive at - 1 or 2, but always subject to change especially with all the work going on at Centraal.
Thalys leaves from 13a or 14a You use the same stairs/lift for both. It really isn't that far from one end to the other, even with luggage.
I haven't seen any platoons of police at Amsterdam Centraal for a considerable time. You remain within the station, and whilst you need to be aware of potential problems just as you do anywhere, it really isn't as bad as Spaarne paints it.
Feb 22nd, 2010, 07:15 AM
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Thanks so much, spaarne. After viewing your great photos, I made the Paula connection and figured out that you live in Haarlem. I really appreciate all your information about good places to eat in Amsterdam and Haarlem, and I'm sure your recommendations will be our guide to some good food. The last time we were in Amsterdam we had dinner twice at a restaurant named Concertje, near the Concertgebouw, but I understand it's no longer there.
We'll plan extra time for the Haarlem-Centraal trip to allow for any unexpected problems. If all goes well, we will have picked up our Thslys ticket, secured on line, in France.
We're prepared for rain but are hoping for at least one sunny day for a bike ride and lunch at Cafe Brinkman.
We'll plan extra time for the Haarlem-Centraal trip to allow for any unexpected problems. If all goes well, we will have picked up our Thslys ticket, secured on line, in France.
We're prepared for rain but are hoping for at least one sunny day for a bike ride and lunch at Cafe Brinkman.
Feb 22nd, 2010, 11:06 AM
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My favorite souvenir from last year's birthday(when I was in Den Haag and Delft) was the inflatable orange crown. It seemed like everyone who had one on had to give you a hug and a HIGH 5 clap. Really great fun!!
Mar 2nd, 2010, 09:43 PM
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I have been out of town so I didn't get back to see this posting until now. I guess I was wrong about the parade, so you won't be finding me sitting on the sidewalk waiting. LOL.
Dutyfree, I WANT the inflatable orange crown. Nothing says attractive older lady than an orange crown. It will truly be a Kodak moment.
Betsy, we will be there exactly the same days. We are arriving from Paris on April 27.
Dutyfree, I WANT the inflatable orange crown. Nothing says attractive older lady than an orange crown. It will truly be a Kodak moment.
Betsy, we will be there exactly the same days. We are arriving from Paris on April 27.
Mar 24th, 2010, 03:13 PM
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Betsy and ltr--my husband and I will be in Amsterdam on the exact same dates--we arrive April 27 and leave Amsterdam for Paris on May 1.
Other than the Anne Frank House being closed on the 28th, and obviously Queen's Day on the 30th, have you heard of any other special events/closures/happenings for this time period??
Other than the Anne Frank House being closed on the 28th, and obviously Queen's Day on the 30th, have you heard of any other special events/closures/happenings for this time period??
Mar 24th, 2010, 06:24 PM
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Hi alyca. Welcome to Fodor's. Does the "-ca" in your username indicate you're from CA?
Nope, I haven't been looking for anything going on in Amsterdam for the 28th through the 30th because we're going to celebrate the Queen's BD in Haarlem, where we're staying. Check out spaarne's tiny URL in one of the posts above. He covers it pretty well.
Nope, I haven't been looking for anything going on in Amsterdam for the 28th through the 30th because we're going to celebrate the Queen's BD in Haarlem, where we're staying. Check out spaarne's tiny URL in one of the posts above. He covers it pretty well.
