This guide takes you on a sassy tour of the city of the canals or the “Venice of the North” - with a bit of something for everyone!
The city is famous for its arhitecture, art museums and traditions that are well kept alive and praised. But it is also famous for cannabis-serving coffeeshops (this guide provides a list with such venues), red-light district, quirky bars and bizarre museums.
So, whether on foot or by bike/boat, take this guide & stroll around this outstanding city in search for fun, food, souvenirs and all those Dutch vibes that you heard so much about.
When it comes to traditional food, be sure to try:
- Haring or 'Hollandse Nieuwe' (Dutch new herring), probably the most famous Dutch food. Pickled herring is a delicacy in Holland. The raw herring is served together with chopped raw onions and gherkins.
- Stamppot, an old dish of mashed potatoes combined with root vegetables, like turnip, carrot and onion, but it can also include dark, leafy greens like kale/spinach (make sure you order it the traditional way, with smoked sausage).
- Erwtensoep, a thick split pea soup;
- Bitterballen similar to a scotch egg, they are balls of finely chopped beef or veal that are seasoned with a mixture of spices, then rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried.
Also, make sure you try out some desserts:
- Poffertjes, small pancakes, baked in an iron skillet and traditionally served with melted butter, dusted with icing sugar
- Pannenkoeken, another traditional sort of pancakes
- Oliebollen ‘oil spheres' are balls of dumpling batter fried in hot oil and later sprinkled with icing sugar.
Highlights:
🌷Dutch tulips - It was in the 16th century that tulips were imported to Holland from the Ottoman Empire. In no time, tulips became the most sought-after commodity in the entire Netherlands, after Carolus Clusius wrote what's considered the first major book about the flower. In the early 1600s, professional cultivators of tulips began to refine techniques to grow and produce the flowers locally in Holland, establishing a flourishing business sector that has persisted to this day.
The tulips mostly bloom during the spring season, from mid-April to mid-May, in Amsterdam. The Tulip Festival will begin on March 23rd and go on till May 14th, 2023
👡 Klompen - Dutch clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. The iconic footwear of the Netherlands were the shoes of choice for Dutch laborers of centuries past. The wooden slip-ons were sturdy, cheap and—when stuffed with straw—cozy and warm. The first Dutch clog is dated from the year 1230. The shoe is deeply ingrained in Dutch culture and some people in rural areas still wear them today!
🚲 Dutch bikes - are a style of urban commuting bikes that have been used in the Netherlands for decades and have grown in popularity in cities around the world. Dutch bicycles are upright or “sit-up” style – with taller frames than typical bicycles. This position allows for very good visibility and great comfort. A popular form of Dutch bicycles is the Omafiets (translates to Grandma's bike).
🗼 Dutch windmills - were built originally to pump the water out from the land because the Netherlands is so flat and below sea level. With the land always getting flooded, farming was almost impossible, hence the need to force out the water by means of the windmills.
🧇 Stroopwafel - the most classic of all Dutch sweets and a perfect gift from Holland - literally means “syrup waffle” and it’s a round crunchy waffle with chewy caramel filling. The correct way of eating it is: put it on your coffee or tea cup and wait for a minute until the caramel melts and the waffle warms up – it enhances its flavour and makes it taste as fresh from the oven. Delicious!
🧀 Dutch cheese - especially Gouda, Edam and Maasdam, well known and exported all over the world. Apart from the classics, try some really special ones: a turquoise-coloured cheese with lavender, pink-coloured cheese with red pesto, champagne gouda or even… coconut gouda! A typical cheese from Amsterdam is Old Amsterdam, exceptional premium aged gouda cheese.
🥃 Genever (also called Jenever) - is the traditional liquor of the Netherlands, from which gin has evolved. Some tasters say the flavor of this spirit is similar to white whiskey. Oude (old) genever is the traditional style, with a malty botanical flavor. Jonge (young) genever is a newer recipe with a cleaner taste, more similar to vodka.
There are several genever distilleries in Amsterdam, each with their own secret recipes.
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