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Tour an Historic City by Foot, Bicycle or Boat
Anne Frank, marijuana sold in coffee shops, and hookers on display—those were the memories I had of Amsterdam from the only visit I had previously made to the Netherlands, as a teen in the 1970s.
Recently, I attended a meeting in Europe and I arranged to stay overnight in Amsterdam, partly, to recover from jet lag but more to revisit one of my favorite European cities. With only 24 hours to visit, the best way is to find a hotel in the historic center and visit sites that are within walking distance. (Instead of walking, renting a bicycle is an alternative.
The City Center is almost overrun with throngs of bicyclists.) Taxi rides to and from the airport make this a low stress way to visit the historic city center in 24 hours.
De Krijtberg Church is lavishly decorated. Soaring stained glass windows bring light and a feeling of space.
Amsterdam is situated on the coast near the center of the most densely populated country in the world. Some things have not changed since my last visit. The Anne Frank house—in the annex and attic of the canal office building in which Anne and her family and friends hid from the Nazis—is still visited by thousands of tourists every year, as is the imposing Westerkirk, the church nearby that houses multiple bells that comforted Anne ‘round the clock.
Marijuana is still legally sold in coffee shops and tolerated by local authorities (although later this year they may begin barring sales to foreigners). And prostitutes still advertise themselves in windows in Amsterdam’s De Wallen, the largest and best-known red-light district in the city.
I have found so much more in this city, which is always bustling with boats and bicycles and is one of the most important cultural centers of Europe. Here are some of my favorite finds.
Local performers enliven a Sunday afternoon.
Restaurant d’Vijff Vlieghen
Located in the center of the city and near my hotel, Restaurant D’Vijff Vlieghen—or the Five Flies Restaurant—is termed a “culinary museum” by many of its fans because it offers Dutch regional dishes with ingredients, herbs, and spices from abroad. Since the Netherlands was an international shipping and trading center for centuries, its national cuisine was influenced by the recipes, vegetables, herbs and spices mariners brought back.
The Five Flies Restaurant was founded in 1939 by Nicholas Kroese; the restaurant occupies five side-by-side 17th century houses and got its name from Kroese’s 17th century cage inhabited by five copper flies.
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Pedestrians and bicyclists don’t seem to take notice of the many marijuana “coffee shops.” Note the sign says “hemp,” which is another word for Cannabis.
A master at public relations, the well-traveled Kroese even appeared on Broadway in 1948 with this odd display…and famous folks from around the world commenced to descend on the restaurant whenever their travels landed them in Amsterdam. Every chair in the place, which is made up of nine connected dining rooms, sports a small copper plate with the name of a famous diner—everybody from Orson Welles to Bruce Springsteen.
De Krijtberg
Two solemn pointed towers let you know that you’ve found De Krijtberg, a Roman Catholic church is located at the Singel. Dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, this structure, which opened in 1883, was designed by Alfred Tepe, one of the most important and influential architects of Gothic Revival in the Netherlands during the 19th century. Today’s services are in a variety of styles, with one featuring Dutch religious songs, another with Latin hymns, and a third with Gregorian chants.
Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Among several canal-side museums in Amsterdam, this one—with a name that translates as “Our Lord in the Attic” —contains a full Catholic church in its “attic,” the top three floors of what once was a mansion residence.
For two centuries, this is where Amsterdam’s Catholic community secretly worshipped at a time when public Catholic masses were forbidden. The church really wasn’t all that secret – the authorities were aware of its existence but looked the other way in the spirit of the city’s long-held tradition of tolerance.
The majestic church interior is worth seeing, as are the furniture and flourishes of the house that was home to a well-to-do 17th century merchant.
Real Estate
Most homes in Amsterdam are owned by government-sponsored Housing Associations and housing is heavily regulated—you can’t, for example, put up new buildings in the very large historic area, which takes up most of central Amsterdam. Ongoing renovation is therefore the only game in town.
Old canal houses are coveted and can be worth millions. Taxes were once assessed based on the size of a property’s frontage, so the Dutch—historically known for their thrift—built very narrow houses, some of which are barely wider than their front doors. Because of this, houses built as long as 500 years ago lean at odd angles, their multiple stories are often just one room wide each, and their interior staircases can be dauntingly narrow and steep. All of this adds to Amsterdam’s unique charm.
San Diego-based writer Jacqueline Shannon has contributed travel pieces to the New York Times News Service and a variety of other national entities.
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