For this blog post, I will be sharing my experiences from when I visited the city of Amsterdam last January. Of course, visiting during January, it was always freezing outside; unfortunately for me, I did not pack a sufficient winter coat so the city felt very chilly to me. Although I froze like an icicle, the weather had no bearing over my enjoyment of the city.
Amsterdam retains its Dutch authenticity. Unlike a lot of American cities, there were no skyscrapers or large buldings; most were not even more than a few stories tall. The buidlings all have similiar architecture with bricks and bright colors. The roads are very narrow in Amsterdam so you don’t see a lot of cars; people prefer to ride bikes and there are definitely more bikes than cars. Cars are not even necessary, as most activities within the city are within ten minutes of the central metro station. The close proximity of almost everything in the city made me appreciate the complex design of the city.
Amsterdam is adapted to water, as the Amstel river runs through the city. There are lots of bridges and canals running among the narrower streets. A tour guide told me that the city had to put up fences around the water to prevent drunken English tourists from falling in the water (seriously). My favorite activities from the city were trying the street food and a boat tour of the city. Amsterdam has lots of street vendors selling all types of fooc, but my favorite was definitely the stroopwafel. Stroopwafels consist of two thin waffles stuck together with a thick layer of caramel in the middle. On a cold January morning, it was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. During the boat tour, I got to see the beauty of the city and just how well-connected it was. Finally, the Dutch people themselves are some of the nicest people I have ever met. The Netherlands has the highest proficiency of non-native English speakers with nearly 70% of the population speaking it; they are also very friendly and kind when giving directions or suggesting what to do in the city.
Overall, Amsterdam is one of the most friendly and easy cities to navigate for tourists. You can enjoy authentic Dutch culture while also being able to communicate and find your way (if you speak English). I would definitely suggest visiting Amsterdam but would also suggest brining warm clothes, as that was a grave mistake that I made.
