Oh Amsterdam. Home of an abundance of canals, the red light district, cycling, and the Anne Frank House. I traveled to Amsterdam with my mom where we visited Body Worlds, the Anne Frank House, and the Amsterdam Palace. From the moment we walked out of the train station, I was blown away by the amount of cyclists, tourists, and trams that were surrounding me.
Our first stop in the city was, of course, Body Worlds. My mom and I are both very interested in human anatomy and the medical professions, so this attraction was a no brainer for us to visit. Body Worlds in Amsterdam consists of 200 plastinated bodies and it teaches you about your own anatomy through the entire exhibition. The focus of the exhibition changes over time, but when we went, and currently, the theme was 'The Happiness Project'. It focussed on how happiness effects different parts of the human body. The seven levels of the exhibit took my mom and I about an hour and a half to walk through, but believe me, it could definitely take longer than that, and it probably would have if we didn't have a lunch reservation that we had to get to! If you want to learn more, this is the website for Body Worlds in Amsterdam. If you buy your ticket online, it is cheaper than at the
door!
Our next stop was lunch. We made a reservation for Cannibale Royale before we headed to Amsterdam because the reviews were amazing. Let me tell you what, this restaurant did not disappoint. If you are looking for a place with amazing ribs, this is it. It didn't seem like we needed a reservation when we arrived, but we ate there when they had just opened for the day. I am sure if we would have eaten a little later in the day, it would have been pretty busy.
After our amazing lunch, we stopped by Royal Palace Amsterdam. This is a must see in Amsterdam if you have at least half an hour to spare. It only costs €10 for an adult and admission comes with a free audio guide. This is one of the most important monuments in the Netherlands, so you might as well go in and see the amazing architecture and the beautiful rooms and halls.
Our plan was to go to the Van Gogh museum next, but when we got there, the tickets for the day were completely sold out. So instead, we walked around Amsterdam, purchased some ice cream, marveled at the tilted buildings, and hit a ton of gift shops. We focussed on the area around the Anne Frank House because that was our next stop. We found a super cute restaurant called Pancakes, so naturally we went and ate an early dinner before our tour of the Anne Frank House. I ordered a Dutch Pancake because, when in Holland. For those of you who don't know, a Dutch Pancake is similar to a crepe, very thin, but not quite as thin as a crepe. I ordered mine with bacon and cheese and it was delicious.
Our final stop was the Anne Frank House. We purchased our tickets a month in advance to ensure we would be able to go and see it. This is something that is a must do in Amsterdam. If you don't do anything else while you are here, do this. The tour comes with an audio guide that walks you through the house and tells you the story of what happened here. You get a chance to walk through the bookcase into the attic and see where the Frank Family, Van Pels Family, and Fritz Pfeffer were in hiding from the Nazis. It is a very powerful experience. Once you are in the museum, you are allowed to take as long as you would like, but more than likely, you will be moved along with the crowd as there are a ton of people in the museum at a time.
Overall, I was pleased with what Amsterdam had to offer. I don't know if I would return as this was not my favorite European city I have visited, but I am glad I experienced it nonetheless. Don't be surprised when you get to Amsterdam and smell marijuana, the smell seemed to be everywhere. Also, watch for bicyclists! I nearly got ran over a couple times.
Tip: If you are interested in going to the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House, be sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time online or you may not be able to see them!
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