amsterdam

A Day in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Published on June 21, 2019January 8, 2025 by Skylar M. BeckLeave a comment

Amsterdam has to be one of the greatest cities I’ve ever visited. It’s a city full of amazing energy, delicious food, and beautiful canals. While I was visiting Brussels I decided to take a three hour train ride up to Amsterdam for the day. There’s a lot to see and do in Amsterdam but if time is limited, a day trip is definitely possible.

Eats:

Brunch & Coffee: Pluk Amsterdam

Stroopwafel: Van Wonderen Stroopwafels

Dutch Pancake: Pancakes Amsterdam

To Do:

* Walk around the city and enjoy the canals. Personally, I think Amsterdam’s canals are prettier than Venice’s and it’s much less crowded. Walking along the canals is the best way to enjoy the incredible energy within the city.

* Take a canal tour! I did this on my first trip to Amsterdam a couple years ago and I still think it’s a great way to enjoy the canals from the water.

* Enjoy the wonderful food. You can’t go to Amsterdam without trying a stroopwafel or a traditional Dutch pancake!

* Visit one of the many museums. I love the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but there are also a couple others such as the Anne Frank house, Rijksmuseum, and the Moco museum. Be sure to purchase tickets online in advance.

* Walk by the Floating Flower market, also called the Bloemenmarkt.

* Rent a bike. I didn’t have time to do this but it’s something I’d love to experience on my next visit.

Tips & Tricks:

* There are several cute cafes throughout the city, not to be confused with a “coffee shop” which sells legal marijuana. During my first visit to the city, I was worried I’d get these two different types confused. Rest assured, a “coffee shop” looks like a bar (also the smell is a big giveaway).

*Dutch pancakes are a bit different than traditional American pancakes. A traditional dutch pancake is big, flat, and thin. They can be made sweet or savory depending on what you’re in the mood for.

* Tickets for museums such as the Van Gogh and Anne Frank are required ahead of time with a specific time slot.

Amsterdam For Coffee Lovers

Published on July 8, 2017January 9, 2025 by Skylar M. BeckLeave a comment

As I mentioned in my previous post on Amsterdam, I had some amazing food throughout my entire visit. Therefore, I thought a separate post dedicated to all of the delicious cafes I found was necessary.

Pluk

I could not get enough of Pluk. It was SO good. Not only was the food and coffee delicious, the interior of the cafe was so cute, it made me want to stay all day. They also sell products such as small decor things and stationary items. My favorite meal to order was their smoothie bowls, they were amazing…so much so that I went back multiple times during my two days in Amsterdam.

COTTONCAKE

COTTONCAKE also sells products inside similar to Pluk, but they also sell clothes. The shop is downstairs and the cafe sit down area is upstairs. The atmosphere here was so calm it was a nice stop to relax at after a morning full of walking. COTTONCAKE also uses organic products and everything is made fresh everyday. I tried their fresh orange juice, avocado toast, and banana bread. It was all so yummy.

Pancakes Amsterdam

Pancakes Amsterdam was right next to the Anne Frank house so I decided to try it for dinner after my visit. They give you the option of ordering typical American pancakes or Dutch pancakes. I wanted to see what a traditional Dutch pancake was like. As you can see, they are huge! I wasn’t expecting it. I added bananas inside mine and it was so great. It was filling but the good news is Dutch pancakes are very thin so it is possible to finish the entire plate without feeling sick.

Stach

Stach is located all over Amsterdam, there are multiple especially in the center of the city. It’s an easy stop to grab coffee and a pastry to go. Their coffee was so smooth, I loved it.

Some other coffee cafes I loved:

Il Momento

Screaming Beans

Sweet Cup

Kessens

48 Hours in Amsterdam

Published on July 7, 2017March 12, 2018 by Skylar M. Beck1 Comment

Amsterdam…the city of bikes. For the longest time I have always wanted to visit Amsterdam and I’m so thrilled I was finally able to. Amsterdam had so much to offer. Some of my favorite things to do were visiting the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, and walking down the canals admiring all of the houses. I was also pleasantly surprised at how amazing the food was. I don’t think I had one bad meal! Definitely a trip to remember.