Trip IdeasFodor's Amsterdam & The Netherlands, 1st Edition
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About This Book
Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Amsterdam!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.
•Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Amsterdam.
•Experience Amsterdam like a local! Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands features information from local experts.
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•8-pg., pullout map
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. While you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Amsterdam!
•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guide book.
•Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.
•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Amsterdam.
•Experience Amsterdam like a local! Fodor’s Amsterdam & The Netherlands features information from local experts.
•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.
•8-pg., pullout map
Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.
Table of Contents
About this Book ............ 6
When to Go ............ 7
What’s Where ............ 8
Quintessential Amsterdam & the Netherlands ............ 12
If You Like ............ 14
Great Itineraries ............ 18
Chapter 1: Exploring Amsterdam ............ 23
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 25
The Canal Rings ............ 52
The Jordaan ............ 63
The Leidseplein ............ 66
The Museum District ............ 68
The Pijp ............ 73
East of the Amstel ............ 77
Chapter 2: Where to Eat ............ 81
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 84
The Canal Ring ............ 94
Jordaan ............ 100
Leidseplein ............ 102
Museum District ............ 104
The Pijp ............ 107
East of Amstel ............ 110
Chapter 3: Where to Stay ............ 113
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 114
The Canal Rings ............ 122
Jordaan ............ 129
Leidseplein ............ 130
Museum District ............ 133
De Pijp ............ 140
East of the Amstel ............ 142
Chapter 4: Nightlife & the Arts ............ 145
The Arts ............ 166
Chapter 5: Shopping ............ 175
Chapter 6: Day Trips from Amsterdam ............ 201
The Bulb Fields ............ 202
Storybook Holland ............ 205
Day Trip Essentials ............ 213
Chapter 7: The Randstad ............ 215
Haarlem ............ 218
Delft ............ 227
Rotterdam ............ 237
Utrecht ............ 259
Randstad Essentials ............ 267
Chapter 8: The Hague ............ 271
Exploring ............ 275
Where to Stay & Eat ............ 281
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 284
Shopping ............ 286
The Hague Essentials ............ 289
Chapter 9: Side Trips to Belgium ............ 291
Brussels ............ 293
Gent ............ 318
Brugge ............ 330
Chapter 10: Holland By Bike & Barge ............ 343
Traveling by Barge ............ 344
Traveling by Bike ............ 346
Amsterdam & the Netherlands Essentials
Getting Started ............ 352
Booking Your Trip ............ 355
Transportation ............ 362
On The Ground ............ 374
Index ............ 386
About Our Writers ............ 400
Close Ups
Lieverdje’s Radical Past ............ 33
Leaning Houses ............ 36
Eco Architecture ............ 46
Gables & Hooks ............ 54
Amsterdam’s Hofjes–the Historic Almshouses ............ 60
Multicultural Holland ............ 76
Dining Like the Dutch ............ 85
A Dizzying Array ............ 107
Say ÒCheeseÓ ............ 111
A Jenever Primer ............ 147
Cheers to Dutch Beers ............ 148
Lighting-Up in Amsterdam ............ 154
Psilocybin–uh, can you spell that? ............ 157
Dutch-Style Theater ............ 171
Antiquing on a Budget ............ 181
Cutting Edge Dutch Design ............ 196
Holding the Waters at Bay ............ 209
Dutch Art–Then & Now ............ 220
A Brief History of Delft ............ 229
Buying Delftware ............ 231
Vermeer: Sphinx of Delft ............ 233
Mussels & More ............ 337
Maps
Amsterdam ............ 26
The Old City Center ............ 29
180 Degrees Around Central Station ............ 48
The Canal Rings ............ 53
Jordaan ............ 64
Leidseplein ............ 67
Museum District ............ 69
The Pijp ............ 74
East of the Amstel ............ 77
Where to Eat in the Old City Center ............ 83
Where to Eat 180 Degrees Around Central Station ............ 92
Where to Eat in the Canal Ring ............ 95
Where to Eat in the Jordaan ............ 101
Where to Eat in the Leidseplein ............ 103
Where to Eat in the Museum District ............ 105
Where to Eat in the Pijp ............ 108
Where to Eat East of the Amstel ............ 110
Where to Stay in the Old City Center ............ 116
Where to Stay in the Canal Ring & Jordaan ............ 128
Where to Stay in the Leidseplein ............ 131
Where to Stay in the Museum District & the Pijp ............ 141
Where to Stay East of the Amstel ............ 143
Day Trips from Amsterdam ............ 203
Haarlem ............ 218
Delft ............ 228
Rotterdam ............ 238
Where to Stay & Eat in Rotterdam ............ 250
Utrecht ............ 260
The Hague ............ 274
Brussels ............ 294
Where to Stay and Eat in Central Brussels ............ 306
Where to Eat and Stay in Brussels ............ 307
Gent ............ 319
Brugge (Brugges) ............ 332
When to Go ............ 7
What’s Where ............ 8
Quintessential Amsterdam & the Netherlands ............ 12
If You Like ............ 14
Great Itineraries ............ 18
Chapter 1: Exploring Amsterdam ............ 23
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 25
The Canal Rings ............ 52
The Jordaan ............ 63
The Leidseplein ............ 66
The Museum District ............ 68
The Pijp ............ 73
East of the Amstel ............ 77
Chapter 2: Where to Eat ............ 81
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 84
The Canal Ring ............ 94
Jordaan ............ 100
Leidseplein ............ 102
Museum District ............ 104
The Pijp ............ 107
East of Amstel ............ 110
Chapter 3: Where to Stay ............ 113
The Old City Center (Het Centrum) ............ 114
The Canal Rings ............ 122
Jordaan ............ 129
Leidseplein ............ 130
Museum District ............ 133
De Pijp ............ 140
East of the Amstel ............ 142
Chapter 4: Nightlife & the Arts ............ 145
The Arts ............ 166
Chapter 5: Shopping ............ 175
Chapter 6: Day Trips from Amsterdam ............ 201
The Bulb Fields ............ 202
Storybook Holland ............ 205
Day Trip Essentials ............ 213
Chapter 7: The Randstad ............ 215
Haarlem ............ 218
Delft ............ 227
Rotterdam ............ 237
Utrecht ............ 259
Randstad Essentials ............ 267
Chapter 8: The Hague ............ 271
Exploring ............ 275
Where to Stay & Eat ............ 281
Nightlife & the Arts ............ 284
Shopping ............ 286
The Hague Essentials ............ 289
Chapter 9: Side Trips to Belgium ............ 291
Brussels ............ 293
Gent ............ 318
Brugge ............ 330
Chapter 10: Holland By Bike & Barge ............ 343
Traveling by Barge ............ 344
Traveling by Bike ............ 346
Amsterdam & the Netherlands Essentials
Getting Started ............ 352
Booking Your Trip ............ 355
Transportation ............ 362
On The Ground ............ 374
Index ............ 386
About Our Writers ............ 400
Close Ups
Lieverdje’s Radical Past ............ 33
Leaning Houses ............ 36
Eco Architecture ............ 46
Gables & Hooks ............ 54
Amsterdam’s Hofjes–the Historic Almshouses ............ 60
Multicultural Holland ............ 76
Dining Like the Dutch ............ 85
A Dizzying Array ............ 107
Say ÒCheeseÓ ............ 111
A Jenever Primer ............ 147
Cheers to Dutch Beers ............ 148
Lighting-Up in Amsterdam ............ 154
Psilocybin–uh, can you spell that? ............ 157
Dutch-Style Theater ............ 171
Antiquing on a Budget ............ 181
Cutting Edge Dutch Design ............ 196
Holding the Waters at Bay ............ 209
Dutch Art–Then & Now ............ 220
A Brief History of Delft ............ 229
Buying Delftware ............ 231
Vermeer: Sphinx of Delft ............ 233
Mussels & More ............ 337
Maps
Amsterdam ............ 26
The Old City Center ............ 29
180 Degrees Around Central Station ............ 48
The Canal Rings ............ 53
Jordaan ............ 64
Leidseplein ............ 67
Museum District ............ 69
The Pijp ............ 74
East of the Amstel ............ 77
Where to Eat in the Old City Center ............ 83
Where to Eat 180 Degrees Around Central Station ............ 92
Where to Eat in the Canal Ring ............ 95
Where to Eat in the Jordaan ............ 101
Where to Eat in the Leidseplein ............ 103
Where to Eat in the Museum District ............ 105
Where to Eat in the Pijp ............ 108
Where to Eat East of the Amstel ............ 110
Where to Stay in the Old City Center ............ 116
Where to Stay in the Canal Ring & Jordaan ............ 128
Where to Stay in the Leidseplein ............ 131
Where to Stay in the Museum District & the Pijp ............ 141
Where to Stay East of the Amstel ............ 143
Day Trips from Amsterdam ............ 203
Haarlem ............ 218
Delft ............ 228
Rotterdam ............ 238
Where to Stay & Eat in Rotterdam ............ 250
Utrecht ............ 260
The Hague ............ 274
Brussels ............ 294
Where to Stay and Eat in Central Brussels ............ 306
Where to Eat and Stay in Brussels ............ 307
Gent ............ 319
Brugge (Brugges) ............ 332
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