europeannovice

Hello

Do you recommend a day trip to visit the towns of Marken and Edam and possibly Broek in Waterland or do you recommend we spend the day in Amsterdam to visit the maritime museum instead? What are your thoughts and suggestions regarding those choices? Thanks!

europeannovice

Anyone have any thoughts on these places? Marken and Edam and Broek in Waterland? The maritime museum in Amsterdam? Any preferences?

menachem

Depends on how you get there. Broek is very small. Marken is nice for a walk around the island. Can I interest you in the village of De Rijp.

Amsterdam Maritime Museum is ok, but not spectacularly so although the building where it is housed is interesting. Doesn't take a day to visit, and if you choose one destination instead of 3 for your excursion, they both fit inside a day.

europeannovice

Thanks Menachem. I really need some help deciding which from my long list we should do as a first time visitor and which to leave out and save for another time.

In a 6 to 7 day time frame including arrival day what realistically can be accomplished? We do want to see the big three Rijksmuseum; Van Gogh (open late on Fridays) and Anne Frank House also open late. But then I included in my list visits to:

Haarlem--Frans Hals; maybe Teylers? Corrie Ten Boom House
Hague--for Maurtishuis and surrounding parliamentary buildings
Rotterdam and Delft--architecture and delftware or Delft combined with Hague
So do I also make a day trip out to see the villages of Marken or Edam or De Rijp? Or stay put and explore the many other houses/museums in the city center like Willet Holthuysen; Het Scheepvaartenmuseum; Amsterdam Museum? Not to mention time needed to take a canal cruise and just wandering around to explore the architecture and scenery etc. in Amsterdam central?

If you had to prioritize knowing you just can't see it all in one visit which would you recommend as a local for a visitor to see?

menachem

As a local:

I've cycled through Edam maybe once or twice. Volendam, been there once, on a bustour (joke-gift for my 40th birthday, we were the only Dutch people on the bus haha) But Marken: you can take the regular bus service from Amsterdam CS: takes about 40 minutes. You'll pass Monnickendam (great Zuiderzee town). I used to go to Marken a lot for walking, not so much the harbour. It's a lovely little island, really specific culture, even now. Waterland, north of Amsterdam is nice for a bike ride: an afternoon, with leisurely stops for coffee and lunch.

Delft: I go there a lot, because it's the mid way point of my usual cycling training round and so the perfect place for a coffee on the Market square. It's a well conserved town, but not very special to me. Leiden is very much like it, so is Haarlem, in a way.

The Hague: Mauritshuis, but also the Prins Willem V gallery and please, please, please, if you are in The Hague, go to Panorama Mesdag! Parliament buildings aren't much of a sight, you walk through the court and that's it. However, Lange Voorhout is great, with its The Hague institutions: Bodega De Posthoorn, Des Indes and Pulchri. One very nice area is the Nieuwe Uitleg around Dennenweg which morphis into Frederikstraat and the very genteel area around Javastraat, The Archipel.

Please allow yourself the time in Amsterdam to loiter, have coffee in cafes, have a leisurely lunch, people watch a little and slow down.

Gardyloo

I did a day trip to Edam on a grey Sunday some years ago and enjoyed walking around for a couple of hours. Very charming. I also spent an hour or two in Volendam and have no need to return.

Pics -

menachem

I know, but to me it's one charming town among many.

I can understand the charm. But there are scores of Dutch mini-cities like that. Volendam would never be my choice of destination. Although I used its little harbour a lot when I kept my Drascombe in Uitdam. Always special to enter or leave it and pass the Stella Maris statue at the pier. Volendam is the one lonely catholic village.

europeannovice

Thanks again Menachem. Thanks for the additional streets to explore while in the Hague and I didn't know about the Prince William V picture gallery which I have now just added to my ever growing list! I have already on my list Panorama Mesdag.

Beautiful pictures Gardyloo! The black and white is stunning. Looks like the bird posed for you. It does look like a charming village to explore.

So many wonderful places to explore and so little time. It's hard to choose.

Should I start a new thread on my next question? Between the Amsterdam Museum and Het Scheepvaartmuseum which one to choose if you only had time for one? The Amsterdam museum has the Amsterdam DNA about the development of the city while the maritime museum will explore the Netherlands maritime history which is quite extensive. Any preference? How much time needed for each?

menachem

Amsterdam Museum. I would say 2 hours. If you do go to the Maritime Museum, walk back via the Navy Base and have coffee or lunch at Homeland.

Southam

The maritime museum certainly didn't take a day of my time, even though I enjoy paintings of heroic ships. A boat ride from its dock was offered but I was confused where it docked (poor signs). Several vintage craft are tied up there.

https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl/

It is an easy walk to the new NEMO science museum. It has lots of kids-oriented activities and a huge, sloping roof with a great view up top.

Along that walking route, some still-functioning canal boats are docked. They are operated as a hobby by those with cash to spare. Many proudly post their working histories.
museumhavenamsterdam.nl

menachem

If you walk on the other side of the IJ tunnel bassin, you'll cross the Marine Etablissement, a former Navy Yard. Hannekes Boom is an off the beaten track spot. Nemo is indeed great for views.

https://www.hannekesboom.nl

Also a great vantage point is the top floor of the Public Library (OBA), which has a daytime cafe.

menachem

The same area, but in the 1600s.