After checking out the Must See Attractions of Amsterdam in previous blog, I wanted to list out few other places and activities within Amsterdam which are interesting yet very unusual for your itinerary.

Solar road

Solar Road situated in Krommenie is a controversial topic for the locals but nevertheless it’s a project which is quite unique. Since Amsterdam is known for it’s crazy biking locals and biking is pursued passionately, it is no surprise that world’s first bike path made from Solar panels. More info is available on https://www.solaroad.nl/. Krommenie is town situated in north of Holland. Solar path is made of a transparent surface over solar cells to generate electricity fed back to the grid.

I Amsterdam Sign

It is quite popular location with tourists. Everyone visits this place hence I have never seen anyone get a clear picture without someone else in the background of their picture. Even though these letters are quite iconic yet personally I would visit this place early morning or late night when the tourists return back. Here is the location of this place. I found this art installation with an astronaut much more interesting to picture than the letters themselves. The water gets converted into a ice skating rink during winters. The place is close to Museumplein, best place to relax, picnic in Amsterdam. Surrounding Museumplein are Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Modern Art museum and Stedelijk Museum.

Albert Cuyp Market

Albert Cuyp Market is a must visit street market in Amsterdam and one of the most popular ones in Europe.This market is open six days a week. One can find stalls selling fish, cheese, dutch delicacies, fruits, vegetables, clothes, bags, ornaments, perfumes, souvenirs in the market. Besides these stalls are present some hidden gems like De Bazar restaurant. De Bazar is a church converted into a restaurant serving African dishes. Though we did not have time to explore the delicacies, I spent time clicking pictures of the murals and chandeliers present. Here is the location of this place.

Boat rides

Boat rides in canals of Amsterdam is a pleasant activity. Such rides are usually popular and can have huge lines and/or waiting times, so be prepared. Amsterdam has 130 canals i.e. about 50 km of canal length. These boat rides are generally half an hour to 1 hour long covering around 7 to 8 km. It has a audio guide provided on the boat and sometimes you will have in person commentary which is also interesting. Only one interesting story I remember from such a boat ride is that Amsterdam has a serious cleaning the canals system and what they find the most in these canals are cycles or bikes.

Foodhallen

Foodhallen is something we decided to explore just out of sheer hunger while exploring Amsterdam. I am so glad we did. We were tired and this felt like a heaven. Here is the link to this place. A food court where you can find 20 plus restaurants serving variety of cuisines. Its a huge food hall , with large seating area, high ceilings and options that will satisfy one and all under one roof. Specially perfect for an individual preferring vegan and vegetarian food there are lot of options available.

De Kritzberg Church

I stumbled upon this Catholic church after exploring Bloemenmarket. It was not part of the itinerary. It just so happened that I kept walking straight from flower market, crossed the Koningsplein and reached this church. The street looked quiet and the doors for this church were surprisingly open. I am glad I entered, it was such a beautiful church. I have a soft corner for churches with stained glass windows and this one had some absolutely stunning windows! it seems it’s one of the churches that are completely unexplored by the tourists, but I will say do visit this one which is majestic and has gorgeous decor.

Believe me, I have not highlighted some of the more usual places of Amsterdam which include certain museums and shops. Also, I haven’t included Red light district of Amsterdam which is also very famous among the tourists to explore. It is a unique experience on it’s own, definitely not for the families though. Hope you have a rocking time in Amsterdam. Also, just a general walk along the canals and streets of Amsterdam can offer so much to experience, shop and eat. Have fun!!