All you travel experts have so much good information and it's such fun to see your favorites. I'm headed to Amsterdam this summer after not having been there since I was 19. A long time ago! Please tell me what you would see again.

My absolute favorite was The Anne Frank house and I would consider it to be "a must see" If you get a chance and are looking for a trendy spot for dinner, try 'SupperClub' http://www.supperclub.com

I'm writing this from Amsterdam - so memories are fresh!.. I too agree with the Anne Frank House. Also the Rijks Museum and Van Gogh. Then, having lunch in a brown cafe in the Jordaan (my favorite is de Reiger). And last, the Amsterkerling (sp?) museum - which is a hidden Catholic church built in the top floor of a canal house. Its a little closer to the train station from the Old Church. Have fun!

Limiting the list to just 6 is hard, so I'm doing 6 of each. And I'm not going to include the Anne Frank House, The Rijksmuseum and the van Gogh, only because they are "must sees" and should be on every list.

6 THINGS TO SEE
1. Amstelkring
2. Oude Kerk
3. Houseboat Museum
4. Hash/Hemp Museum
5. Begijnhof
6. Resistance Museum

6 THINGS TO DO
1. Visit a coffeeshop
2. Look for bargains at the Waterlooplein market (or any other market
3. Buy flowers for the hotel room at the Bloemen Market
4. Eat pannekoeken (banana is my favorite)
5. Stroll the Kalverstraat - preferably on a Thursday evening.
6. Walk through the Red Light District during the early morning and enjoy the beautiful architecture (it's the old part of town).

If I could add one more for the THINGS TO SEE, it would be the Sex Museum. And if my husband could add one more to the THINGS TO DO, it would be take a piss in a pissour.

Enjoy Amsterdam. Peace. >-

Robyn

Hey artstuff, I hope spygirl doesn't read your reply to this thread. Because
she'll get on her soapbox again about people trying to help other buy drugs in a coffeeshop.

I'd see a film at the Tuschinski Theatre and sit in their "VIP" section where you have a comfy chair and get to order drinks and snacks from a waiter!

Here's something I did get to do last time, but it's a priority for next time: See if the "Poezenboot" barge on the Singel is open and what the hours for visitors are. It's a home for stray cats run by the humane society - and the "poezen" sure look happy on their website!

If you try a coffeeshop, choose a pleasant one in the Canal Ring area or the Jordaan rather than the ones downtown. If you go to the Anne Frank house, try La Tertulia, just across the Prinsengracht. My very straight-laced cousin told me he'd had a delicious lunch there and was blown away when I told him it was a coffeeshop. It's run by a mother and daughter, and they keep a nice vibe going there.

Sorry, mistake in my previous message: I did NOT get to the Poezenboot!

The Tropenmuseum and exploring the Jordaan district are on the top of my return lists. As in I return as often as I can. I also love the Indonisean food and make it a point to return to Templo Doeloe on Utrectstraat, although it is very pricey.

We were there 25 years ago and it's fresh in my mind. The Rijksmuseum I think was wonderful. We loved it. I remember Anne Frank house and how it moved me to tears.

Other sites are best not mentioned here...but all in all I loved Amsterdam.

Just walking along the canals is wonderful! Stay at a canal-house hotel and stroll around for a few hours. It's practically impossible to get lost if you take a minute to learn the names of the major canals.

And if you want to visit a coffeeshop along the way, it puts the experience in a whole different perspective. (As noted above, go to a mellow place that serves a neighborhood clientele, rather than a bustling tourist-oriented place in the center city.)

I thought the best sight was the Dutch people themselves riding their bikes. It was amazing to me the different set-ups they had for putting their children and various stuff on their bikes. Find a outdoor cafe near a canal, get some beer or wine, and spend the afternoon watching the spontaneous transportation exhibition.

1. Having a beer on a warm sunny day outside on the canal in front of the old Hard Rock and people watch.

2. Walking down the canals in the evening when they are all lit up...

3. Shopping down Kalverstraat (yes, Thursday night)..

4. Coffeeshopping

5. Eating Herring and Fries and Mayo

6. People watching on Dam Sqaure and on the Spui

There is always the museums too, but once you've seen them a few times they don't make the top 6 list anymore!!

1) Meandering around. Window shopping.
Always with a camera handy...
2) Anne Frank House, then walk a few blocks north and have pannenkoek mit whatever you want. (For breakfast, try ham and apples. For dessert, ice cream!)
3) Walk around Bloemenmarket and enjoy the beautiful flowers.
4) Yes, visit a coffee house if you're an adult and respect other adult's rights to do as they wish.
5) Rijksmuseum.
6) Canal boat ride, to see the sights from a different perspective.
7) Short train ride to beautiful little Haarlem. Buy cheese. Have a delicious hot chocolate.
ENJOY.

After several visits to the city I agree with most of the above mentioned, but on my last visit (only last week), a visit to Aalsmeer to see the wholesale cut flower market was well worth the time.

An early morning #72 bus ride is required. You can catch the bus at Centraal Station (near the Vicitoria Hotel) or at one of it's stops including Leidseplen.

Also, Amstel Park is another short trip out of the city center. Take the tram.

This is fabulous! So many good ideas and many thanks to you all. I will get busy and make my plans to get the most out of my short time without it being too rigid. I do not understand all the talk about coffeeshops. Am I just out of the loop?

NativeNewYorker: What does this mean: "4) Yes, visit a coffee house if you're an adult and respect other adult's rights to do as they wish." Makes it sound life coffeehouse is a code word for something immoral. I'm lost???

Anyhow - thank you all. I'm looking forward to the trip! Now to book lodging

I too would visit and purchase from a coffee house. You just don't get to do that here in the good old USofA! Life is good and that's dessert! As to hotels, I recommend the Hotel Washington. See the thread re: Where do you stay in Amsterdam?... there are many good suggestions.

Sammie, some coffee houses in Amsterdam sell Marijuana. Although I don't believe it is actually legal, it is tolerated, and many go there to indulge in the good stuff.

There are shops that are licensed to sell small amounts of marijuana for personal consumption, which should be done discreetly...that is, smoke while in the shop but not just walking down the street. Of course, you do not have to partake of this activity, but if you want to 'observe' you can get a drink in some places or a coffee in most, and maybe even use the internet.

The miniature city of Madurodam in The Hague is worth a trip; it shows all the major sights of Holland (in miniature) with incredible detail.

Travelnut: LOL ... Thanks for the clarification on coffeehouses. I knew it was something more than just Starbucks.