Amsterdam is the bohemian capital city of the Netherlands known the world over for its laid-back attitude, creativity, waterways and incomparable levels of tolerance to vice. The city’s tag of the Venice of the North stems from its UNESCO World Heritage Site canals, magnificent architecture and picturesque bridges. The museums and galleries in the ‘dam are some of the best in the world and are close enough to be visited in true ‘dam fashion; push-bike. Bicycles are as synonymous with cheap breaks in Amsterdam as the café culture, with approximately 25,000 of them being ridden along the canals every day. There’s so much to do on Amsterdam city breaks it’s hard to know quite where to begin the day that will end - as every day in Amsterdam does - in a party. The place is too relaxed for this not to be the case, making Amsterdam one of the most popular worldwide city breaks!
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Not the jovial experience one might expect from Amsterdam city breaks, Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank house) is a museum dedicated to the life of the young diarist located in the same building in which her, her family and several others hid in an attempt to escape Nazi persecution. Her day to day thoughts and feelings of life in hiding were published posthumously as The Diary of a Young Girl; one of the planet’s most widely read books. Anne’s joie de vivre is celebrated in the harrowing museum that served as her shelter for two years. You’re recommended to book tickets before visiting as the queues can get very long for pay-on-the-day visitors.
Far be it from us at Beat the Brochure to advocate the use of substances classified as illegal on British - and 99% of the world’s - shores. Instead, with 1,000 or so cafés to choose from, we’ll simply use the clichéd adage of ‘when in Rome…’.
The Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous artists of all time. His vibrant works have sold for millions and tales of his personal life and antics are legendary. The museum that bears his name has the largest collection of van Gogh’s in the world; with over 200 paintings and 600 drawings. Cheap breaks in Amsterdam afford you the opportunity to visit some of the world’s preeminent museums and art galleries, so why not combine the two and pay homage to the 19th Century artist.
Each of Amsterdam’s districts has its own park but it’s the South’s Vondelpark that stands out as the biggest and best. The park was built in 1850 and has a convivial atmosphere that makes it a lovely place to spend a day. When the tulips are in bloom you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a cartoon of Amsterdam as you get out of your Amsterdam hotel and stroll, run, cycle or even rollerblade through the laid-back city’s waterside park. If walking isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of space to just kick back, relax and enjoy the scenery.
Amsterdam is famed for its UNESCO World Heritage Site canals that stretch for 47 miles through and around the city. You can boat them on innumerable scheduled tours (each focusing on a different era, portion of the city etc.) or even hiring out your own barge for the day. The sights of the main stretches are complemented nicely by the atmosphere of the smaller inner-city portions of the canal; where the lack of vista is made up for with plenty of interesting museums, shops, galleries and cafés. Cheap city breaks to Amsterdam will be spent near its characteristic canals, so why not spend some time admiring and exploring the city on them?
Essential info
Currency: Euro
Language: Dutch
Visa: N/A
Vaccinations: N/A
Dress code: N/A
Important numbers: Embassy: 0031 070 4270 427
Other info: N/A