Amsterdam's iconic canal houses and houseboats line the historic waterways. Photo / Unsplash
From waterway canals and champagne to cannabis cafes and world-class museums, Lorna Riley runs the numbers after an unforgettable day in Amsterdam.
Kilometres we have travelled from Budapest to Amsterdam on our bucket-list Viking Grand European Tour river cruise. Alas, it’s all coming to an end.
Hours we have in The Netherlands’ capital city Amsterdam after disembarking our Viking Ve longship on our final day. And we want to make the most of it.
Canals in the city, totalling 100km of waterway. Amsterdam sits two metres below sea level and a third of the days here bring rain. Today is one such day, with a little hail thrown in for good measure. It’s a delight to wander the canals and peer into myriad houseboats, many with pets and gardens - you get the feeling that many floating residences will never leave their dock.
Bridges that span these canals - and it feels like we walk over most of them.
International tourists who visit Amsterdam per year. We’re thrilled to find English is widely spoken, as it’s included as part of the core curriculum in schools.
The city population; 20% are international residents. A friend has just returned from a four-year secondment here: she says it’s a great place to base yourself while exploring Europe, though she found it expensive compared to New Zealand.
Bikes in Amsterdam, outnumbering people. Every year, more than 20,000 bikes are dredged from the canals, having been abandoned after theft or damage. Keeping our wits about us is essential as we walk, with helmet-less riders whizzing past from every direction, friends and dogs often hitching a ride.
Wooden poles driven deep into the soft, marshy ground to reach solid sand, upon which many of the city’s iconic houses are built. Due to rotting wood and shifting soil, many 17th-century buildings are notoriously tilted, their tall, narrow design having been driven by tax laws based on width.
Coffee shops. Not to be confused with cafés, where one might purchase a coffee, coffee shops sell marijuana and a quarter of visitors to the city stop for a herbal fix. There are sex shops galore too. We look in, but stay outside both.
World-class museums in the city - in fact, we’re surprised to learn Amsterdam is the most museum-rich city in the world. The Rijksmuseum, home to Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, is the most visited with 2.4 million through its doors annually, but we narrow our list down to three for the day.
Objects housed in our first stop, the National Maritime Museum (Schveepvaartmuseum), which celebrates 500 years of the Dutch at sea. We find it a fascinating insight into the rise of Dutch maritime trade, and their part in various wars, but the most moving exhibitions for us examine the impact of colonialism, and the slavery trade.
Days that Anne Frank and her family were in hiding during the Nazi occupation. A visit to Anne Frank House is a must: the cramped conditions and heartbreaking story doesn’t fail to evoke strong emotions. Anne Frank’s Diary, which I read as a child, has been translated into 70 languages, and many are displayed here, including, to our delight, a te reo Māori edition. Hot tip: you need to book well in advance if you wish to visit (weeks, if not months), and don’t be late for your arrival time, or you may miss out.
Self-portraits in the Van Gogh Museum (our next stop) out of an estimated 35 that Vincent completed. It’s surreal to stand in front of the world’s largest collection of his iconic works, which include The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, The Yellow House, Almond Blossoms, Bedroom in Arles, Wheatfield with Crows, and a personal favourite, Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette. It’s tragic to read of van Gogh’s struggles through his letters with his beloved brother Theo, saddening to realise he only sold one painting during his lifetime, but uplifting to read of the incredible work his sister-in-law Johanna van Gogh-Bonger and her son (also named Vincent) did to have his mastery recognised after his death. A true highlight for me.
Steps completed as we traverse this beautiful and history-rich city. It’s easier to walk here than catch Ubers, and a wonderful way to see how Amsterdam works. Although we are cold and tired as we near the end of a long day, every single stride has been worth it.
Glasses of champagne we enjoyed thanks to our hotel manager Andrea, after we returned to the ship to collect our luggage.
The percentage we would love to return to Amsterdam to explore even more of this vibrant city.
Viking Cruises’ 15-day Grand European Tour from Budapest to Amsterdam.
New Zealand Herald Travel travelled courtesy of Viking Cruises.