It’s been a while since I’ve had any travels to share and even longer since I left the country as I’ve been sticking closer to home but taking advantage of the looser restrictrions and bank holiday weekend meant booking in a long awaited trip to Amsterdam.
We stayed in the west of Amsterdam, close to Vondelpark. If you’re near, Staring at Jacob is a must for brunch and I loved wandering the streets in the quieter neighbourhoods in the morning before heading into the centre for a packed day of sightseeing.
The Anne Frank House was a must-visit for me, having read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was ten or eleven. The museum is very thoughtfully put together and you can learn about the history and persucution of Jewish people in Amsterdam as well as the personal story of Anne, her family, the people she hid with and those who risked so much to keep them hidden. Although left empty of furniture, at Otto Frank’s request, the bookcase that concealed the Secret Annex remains and as you climb into the attic space you get a sense of what it must have been like which is very moving.
We also visited KattenKabinet, one man’s celebration of cats in art and culture, the Mocco Museum, which was very crowded and I wouldn’t recommend at peak times, and the Rijksmuseum gardens. Amsterdam’s parks are beautiful and I loved spending a couple of hours resting our feet from all the walking in Museumplein and Vondelpark.
Amsterdam is definitely a city you can explore on foot, as long as you watch out for the bikes! It’s a great place to wander and soak in wherever your feet take you but a canal tour is also worth doing if you want a different view of the city.
If you’re planning a city break, I can’t recommend Amsterdam enough there’s so much to do and see!
