Day trips from Manchester Airport can take you to a variety of places. Spend a day in chic Paris browsing boutiques, or spend a day in cultural Dublin exploring the city’s literary connections.
Many people have been to Amsterdam before, but it’s quite possible that the city’s main plan was to have a bit of partying, as the city is known as the party capital. But away from the red light district and the cafes, modern Amsterdam looks very different to these ideas.
After my 4am wake-up call, I made my way to my 7:05am Ryanair flight, arriving at Schiphol at 9:25am. EasyJet flights to the Dutch capital start from £17.99 each way – keep an eye out for special offers throughout the year.
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The train ride into the city centre takes around 20 minutes and costs €4.20. As with a short trip, I had planned all the stops in advance to make the most of my time.
I headed for the Jordaan district. The name comes from the French “jardin” and it is indeed a garden area. In the early spring daylight, green avenues and streets line sparkling canals as tourists mingle and locals speed by on bicycles.
I started with a coffee at Back To Black on Weteringstraat and was one of many sitting inside and outside at this quirky, artsy cafe with a fantastic selection of different coffees and cakes. The relaxed establishment even has its own cat that roams around and sits wherever it pleases.
From there I walked through the Jordaan to the more touristy Prinsengracht. Construction of the Jordaan began around 1612 and the buildings sway and tumble around the canals in pleasant chaos.
Many gates and garden walls hide courtyards, often hosting live music and spontaneous events. I didn’t deviate from my route when I went to the Amsterdam Tulip Museum.
The Dutch take their tulips very seriously. This museum is quite small and attached to the back of a busy shop where there are never fewer than about 15 tourists queuing up to buy the right kind of tulip bulbs to take home to their country.
Although I’m not a green-fingered person, I enjoyed learning about the tulips’ natural home in Turkey and also about the “tulip mania” when contract prices for some bulbs reached exceptionally high levels in the 1630s. The market soon collapsed and many lost everything thanks to this harmless, pretty flower.
Just a stone’s throw from the Tulip Museum is the Amsterdam Cheese Museum, which is said to offer a great taste experience. But I had an urgent appointment at a street market in the De Pijp district.
With 260 stalls, the Albert Cuyp Market is the largest and most popular open-air market in the Netherlands. Everything from shopping bags to jewelry to oysters is sold here six days a week.
As I continued walking and looking at the wares, I heard both Dutch shoppers and tourists, which showed the popularity of the market. I stopped for some kimchi oysters, but was on my way to a seafood lunch, so I didn’t try any of the bitterballen or other Dutch snacks at the market.
I went to Brut De Mer on Gerard Douplein Street and ordered a crisp white wine, grilled langoustines (€17.50) and crab ravioli with zucchini, sage and lobster sauce (€14.50). It was a real treat to watch the hustle and bustle on the sidewalk and the delicious lunch really made me feel like Amsterdam is a foodie paradise.
After dinner I went to the roof of the Volkshotel, a quirky hideaway with food, drink and work space, and where the rooftop bar offers panoramic views of the city and all its beautiful waterways – as well as a delicious Dutch beer. Then I had a date with a canal.
The Dam Boat Guys offer fun and interesting tours on the water. They depart from the Keizersgracht, the second of Amsterdam’s three main canals. You can even pre-order beer when booking or bring your own – my tour cost €35 plus extra for some tasty IPAs.
For more than two hours, our small group of seven, with a very knowledgeable guide at the helm, cruised the waterways, from the Keizersgracht down the Singel and then Rokin, exploring beautiful sights and learning about the peculiar architectural gables that make the houses in the Dutch capital so attractive. On the Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal, we passed under a bridge and emerged as the water glistened in the sunlight.
From there we headed into the wider Oudeschans canal and then back down the Zwanenburgwal – once voted one of the most beautiful streets in Amsterdam. On the way back to our berth we came up the Raamgracht as it was starting to get dark.
Life on the water seemed truly magical as we watched Rembrandtplein rush past us as we meandered down the Herengracht and home. When the tour was over, I had to make my way back to the airport to catch my 9.30pm flight, which took me back to Manchester at 9.50pm UK time.
But the beauty and artistry I saw in one day in Amsterdam turned all my assumptions about “Europe’s party capital” on their head.
