Hi there, my name is Sandra and Amsterdam is the city where I was born. In my opinion, this city is amazing! We have so many good restaurants from all around the world, beautiful museums, romantic canals, city parks, a world famous concert hall etc. And the great thing about Amsterdam is that it is a really small city. It actually is a big village compared to other cities in the world.
I have been a host to many people staying at my apartment and they always told me that they loved their stay in Amsterdam so much thanks to all my recommendations. After receiving so much positive feedback I decided I want to share all these cool places with the rest of the world.
When I travel myself (I have been to many places all around the globe) I love to end up at those special places that are not stuffed with tourists, but where I will always remember that wonderful dish that was prepared with so much love, or where the staff just made me feel so welcome that I spent all day or night at that specific place. I hope that my recommendations will contribute to your unique experiences in this beautiful city.
Good news! The biggest open-air restaurant of The Netherlands is back. From August 4th to August 7th, you can find food trucks, pop-up restaurants and performances on the NDSM-wharf. And the good thing about this festival: there is NO entrance fee! Open every day from 1pm till 11pm. More information: http://amsterdamkookt.nl/ndsm-werf/
Eating herring is very popular in Amsterdam. Most people think we eat it raw, but it is a legal requirement to freeze the fish for at least 24 hours before consumption (to kill parasites). According to the owner of the herring stall at the Albert Cuyp market it is an old Jewish tradition to cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, that’s why the fish is sold this way in Amsterdam. It is garnished with onions, pickles and a cocktail stick with a small Dutch flag.
The best herring is called ‘Hollandse Nieuwe‘. It is the first herring of the season and it contains at least 16% fat. It is caught between mid May and the end of June. Traditionally, the first barrel of Hollandse Nieuwe is sold at an auction and the money goes to charity (sometimes its price goes up to € 90.000)
The best experience is to eat your herring at a herring stall, but you can go to fish shops as well. You can find herring stalls throughout the whole city, but here are a few recommendations:
This Saturday, July 23rd, the Amsterdam Gay Pride will start. Since it is the twentieth edition, the event will be extra big this year. It is one of the nicest events that occur yearly in Amsterdam. During two weeks (usually it is only one week) there will be debates and parties that attract several hundred-thousands of visitors from all over the world. The absolute highlight of the Gay Pride is the Canal Parade which will take place on Saturday August 6th, when 80 beautifully decorated boats sail through the Amsterdam Canals. More information and full agenda: www.amsterdamgaypride.nl
From July 8th to July 17th, you can enjoy theatrical plays at Over het IJ Festival in Amsterdam North and on the NSDM-wharf. The plays will take place on various locations, inside as well as outside, so even when it’s raining you will have enough to see. Of course you can enjoy drinks and food and there is a special kids programma as well. There are pieces performed in English. More information: http://overhetij.nl/en/home-english/
From June 17th to September 4th, you can find a major exhibition of Helmut Newton at Foam (photography museum). Helmut Newton is one of the most iconic photographers of the 20th century and women play a central role in his work. More than 200 photos, from early work to world famous photos are displayed. You can see the film ‘Helmut by June’ as well, a film made by his wife. More information: http://www.foam.org/museum/programme/helmut-newton
From June 2nd to June 5th, you can find the biggest open-air restaurant of The Netherlands in Oosterpark. There will be food trucks, pop-up restaurants and performances. And the good thing about this festival: there is NO entrance fee! Open every day from 1pm till 11pm. More information: http://amsterdamkookt.nl/oosterpark/
A specialty beer festival will take place coming weekend (Saturday May 28th) at Jaap Eden Ijsbaan. There will be artists, food, games and of course many, many specialty beers from national and international breweries. Only in Amsterdam, we already have about 35 breweries! Specialty beers are a real trend in our city; people are willing to pay more for a beer, as long as it is a beer with a story. This is a good chance to taste a couple of beers that are brewed locally. More information and tickets: http://www.bierfestival.amsterdam/eng
On Friday May 27th there will be a flea market at Amstelveld. You can find more than 100 stalls selling antiques and all kinds of other stuff. It will be open from 9am till 4.30pm.
Every year from May until September the Vondelpark Open Air Theatre can be visited. During these months you can listen to live music (classical, jazz, fado), participate in several dance workshops (salsa, bachata, Argentinean tango), watch movies in open-air or attend a cabaret performance. The best thing about this: it is all FOR FREE! Voluntary donations are very appreciated though… If you want you can even bring your own drinks, but there is an open-air bar as well. Check out the whole programme: http://www.openluchttheater.nl/optreden/ (website is in Dutch)
On Saturday May 21th, a Gin Festival will be held in Amsterdam. In Europe, gin has made a true comeback in recent years. The spirit was developed in The Netherlands on the basis of the older jenever, which was first sold as a medicine in the late 16th century.
On this festival you can taste more than 100 types of gin and there will be several food trucks as well. Furthermore, you can listen to international speakers that will tell you everything about making gin. The festival will take place in Amsterdam Noord, there will be free ferries available from Amsterdam Central Station directly to the venue. More details and tickets: http://ginfestival.nl