My 15 Favorite Photos of Amsterdam

2Summers | 9 October 2018
europe netherlands amsterdam

I spent three days in Amsterdam in August as part of my #2SummersEuropeanTrip. I have so many pretty pictures of the visit and if I don’t share them now I may never do it. So without further delay, here they are.

My Amsterdam photos organized themselves into a series of seven categories.

Amsterdam Photo Category #1: Buildings

Amsterdam has crazy architecture – lots of super tall, skinny, very old row-houses, some of which lean at seemingly precarious angles.

Amsterdam row-houses at night
Amsterdam row-houses at night.
Leaning building in Amsterdam

I think this is a museum of some sort. Note how it lists to the right.

Museum of Our Lord in the Attic in Amsterdam
The Museum of Our Lord in the Attic – an entire Catholic Church hiding inside one of Amsterdam’s tall, ancient row-houses. Highy recommended.

Photo Category #2: Cyclists

Cyclists in Amsterdam
Bicycles are the main mode of transport in Amsterdam. I took many photos like this.

Photo Category #3: Food and Drink

Amsterdam isn’t known as a foodie city, but I beg to differ.

Fresh herring in Amsterdam
Fresh herring with raw onions and pickles. You can buy this at little stands all over the city. I did not expect to like it but I did.
Surinamese restaurant i the Netherlands
A Surinamese restaurant on the east side of Amsterdam, where I bought a takeaway one evening. There are thousands of people of Surinamese descent living in the Netherlands; Surinamese food is an interesting mix of Caribbean and Asian influences.
Dutch apple pie from Amsterdam
Dutch apple pie. So damn good.
Glass of Jenever from Amsterdam
Traditional jenever, or Dutch gin, which comes in many flavors and tastes nothing like the gin I’m used to. Best consumed in a Dutch Brown Café, which is the equivalent of an English pub.
Stroopwafels
If you eat only one thing in the Netherlands, eat one (or ten) of these: stroopwafels. Stroopwafels are chewy, waffle-like cookies (biscuits) with a caramel filling. The stroopwafels pictured here are fancy ones from a famous bakery called van Wonderen, but you can buy them anywhere without the elaborate toppings.

Photo Category #4: Canals

Amsterdam, and the Netherlands as a whole, is more water than land.

Love boat on an Amsterdam canal
The Love Boat.
Canal life in Amsterdam
Canal life.

Read more about my time floating on the canals of the Netherlands.

Photo Category #5: Tiny Cars

I was fascinated by the teeny-tiny cars, called Cantas, which are all over Amsterdam. Cantas are designed for disabled drivers and are small enough to fit on cycling and walking paths.

Canta car and dog in Amsterdam
This Canta is the best because it has a matching dog inside.

Photo Category #6: Coffeeshops

Coffeeshops, aka cannabis shops, are abundant in Amsterdam.

Coffeeshop in Amsterdam
Mellow Yellow. Fun fact learned from my Dutch friends: The majority of Dutch people don’t smoke much weed and coffeeshops are patronized mostly by foreign tourists.

I’m sure you’re wondering so I’ll tell you. I felt too nervous to go into a coffeeshop alone and smoke a joint, and as it turns out I was right to feel that way: The weed in Amsterdam coffeeshops is extremely strong. I did feel compelled to try it though, so on my last night I bought a joint and took it back to the flat where I was staying. I had four or five drags before going to bed and that was way more than enough.

Photo Category #7: Sex

Sex shop in Amsterdam
Shot in the Red Light District: This one speaks for itself.

And lastly, many of my photos covered several categories at once.

Belgian waffle in Amsterdam
Buildings, food, cyclists.

One more quick note: I don’t have any photos from the Anne Frank House (photos aren’t allowed inside) but I really recommend visiting this museum. I was lucky to get a last-minute appointment through a friend but the Anne Frank House must normally be booked weeks in advance. It’s well worth it.

I loved Amsterdam. Can’t wait to go back.