Short but sweet trip to Amsterdam

Amsterdam was one of the places I longed to visit for a long time. No wonder, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity joining my husband at his short business trip to capital of Netherlands.

Amsterdam’s picturesque architecture

Flying from Basel airport, we arrived at the Schiphol airport late in the afternoon. We went straight to the hotel nearby airport we’ve booked. While my husband prepared for his meeting, I browsed the internet for the information how to spend my limited time in Amsterdam most efficiently. 

Canals and lovely houses

After my husband finished with his work, we took a bus to the centre of Amsterdam. There were plenty of options where to dine, but we went for a option we both already know – the Hard Rock Cafe. We got the table at the terrace, just next to the canal. Sitting in the sun, observing the boats passing by while having our dinner was great intro into our Amsterdam visit.

Basilica of St. Nicholas, a major Catholic church in Amsterdam

With our bellies full, we strolled from Leidseplein to Central railway. It was a lovely walk. I was pleasantly surprised how beautiful Amsterdam is – the picturesque architecture and the canals exceeded all my expectations.

Amsterdam Centraal railway station, the largest railway station of Amsterdam

After a walk, we took train to the airport and bus to our hotel where we spent the night. The next day we woke up early in the morning. We checked out and while my husband went to the meeting, I drove to the centre of Amsterdam.

It was rather cold June day. I wasn’t dressed appropriately to chill outside, so I decided to visit Rijksmuseum – Netherland’s national museum exhibiting Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Rijksmuseum

Rijskmuseum is located at the Museumplain (eng. Museum Square) a square at the southern part of Amsterdam where many other museums can be found (e.g. Van Gogh Museum). After paying fee of 17,50 EUR I was allowed to enter Rijksmuseum building and explore museum’s collections.

Museumplein

After few hours of exploring Rijksmuseum’s treasures, I had enough of history and art for a while. I left the museum and strolled around the streets, searching for a place where I could grab a bite. I ended up at the Ben&Jerry’s where I had delicious waffle.

The Waffle

I enjoy wandering around the city, discovering unknown streets without a plan where to go. Amsterdam is perfect to explore in such manner. It’s small, safe and is easy to orient. I wandered around, passing picturesque buildings, squares, churches, canals and the flower market.

Streets and canals of Amsterdam are beautiful

I walked to the Anne Frank House. As a young girl I read Ann’s diary and it left deep impact on me. It is one of the books that evoked my interest in the painful era of WW2 and is probably one of the reasons why I’ve decided to study history. No wonder, Anne Frank House also found its place on my travel bucket list. I really wanted to visit it, but when seeing the long queue I didn’t want to spend my limited amount of time queuing for hours, so I decided to leave the visit of Anne Frank House for the next time in Amsterdam.

Anne Frank House

I continued my walk exploring unknown streets and canals. The time flew by and soon it was time to bid goodbye to Amsterdam. I returned to the airport where I’ve met with my husband. After having late lunch together, we’ve boarded the plane and flew back to our Swiss home, determined to return back to Amsterdam in the near future.