Triangle. Amsterdam.

My final stop of staying in the Netherlands, the third point of the geography triangle, the jewel of lowlands is Amsterdam.

What do we know about Amsterdam? Red light district, smells weed everywhere and Heineken. But did you know that Amsterdam is built on over 11 million wooden poles, its canals stretch longer than Venice’s and the city has more bikes than people? 

Amsterdam’s canals are iconic, with picturesque bridges, houseboats, and historic buildings lining the water. Over 100 kilometers of waterways are crisscrossing the city. There are 165 canals and 1200 bridges!

Many streets in Amsterdam date back centuries, with narrow, winding paths and charming, old buildings. And of course, most streets are designed with bike lanes, allowing cyclists to glide through the city.

But all mentioned above is not important for me at the moment. Because I am rushing to the museum of Van Gogh, where I have ordered an excursion with a tour guide.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam houses the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s artworks. It features over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and hundreds of personal letters. 

The top masterpieces for me are The Potato Eaters (one of his earliest major works), Sunflowers, The Bedroom and Almond Blossom.

The tour guide was boring, and instead of declared 2 hours it was lasting only 45 minutes. Maybe next time I would take an audio-guide.

By the end of the excursion the hotel room is ready to check-in. At this time there is nothing special about my room, because I really wanted to have the one with the canal view, but it would be too much expensive for me.

I continue walking around the city centre and cannot stop admiring. Amsterdam’s architecture is full of unique and clever details. For example, many of the old canal houses lean slightly forward - not because they’re falling over, but to make it easier to pull goods up with a hook and pulley system. Many old houses have hooks at the top - these are still used today to move furniture through windows, since staircases inside are often too narrow. Another interesting fact is that many buildings are tall and narrow here because people in the past used to be taxed on how wide their homes were.

If one night in Rotterdam or the Hague can be enough, I would not say this about Amsterdam. So, I want to return to this city one more time and to spend at least 3 nights, but not during a weekend, because it would cost me a fortune.

Nevertheless, I am happy to finish my current trip and come back to Prague. By the way, the flight is very short - it is only 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the city is very accessible by train from the airport. Why did not I travel to the Netherlands before?

And just not to forget, here is the wish list for my next staying in Amsterdam:

• visit the Rijksmuseum;
• see the floating flower market;
• take a boat tour on the canals;
• try many variations of Dutch cheese from a market;
• relax in Vondelpark.

See you soon, Amsterdam!

Triangle. Rotterdam.

From the Hague I took a train, which delivered me to Rotterdam, to the quite city centre, only in 20 minutes.

Rotterdam, with a population of over 650000, is the second-largest city in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. It was first mentioned in the 13th century and grew as a fishing village along the Rotte River (still there are three other main rivers flowing through the city). It became a major port and trade center during the Dutch Golden Age, but it was heavily bombed in World War II, leading to a complete rebuild with modern architecture.

It feels more vibe here on the streets rather than in the Hague. But the architecture also looks a bit simpler.

My hotel is located on Witte de Withstraat, one of the city's trendiest and most vibrant streets, known for its artistic vibe, filled with bars, galleries, boutiques and cool restaurants. There is a self check-in, so I needed to wait until 3pm to get the code to the entrance.

The room is small, but it has a distinctive feature, which I paid for. It is the view to the street and to the other beautiful houses. 

Rotterdam is a home to Europe’s largest port, known as the “Gateway to the World”. The port stretches over 40 kilometers and handles millions of containers, goods, and raw materials every year.

In general, Rotterdam has a vast network of harbors, with more than 40 harbors spread across the city. One of the most interesting for tourists are Wijnhaven, Kop van Zuid and Leuvehaven. Wijnhaven is a historic harbor area, now a vibrant district with modern apartments and dining options; Kop van Zuid is a large waterfront area featuring several harbors for recreational boats and modern buildings; Leuvehaven is known for its maritime museum and historic vessels.

There were several unexpected discoveries in the city, while I was randomly strolling around.

The first is the Markthal, a giant indoor food market with an arched ceiling covered in colorful artwork. The building features a unique horseshoe-shaped arch with a glass facade, making it the largest glass-window cable structure in Europe. Above the market hall, there are 228 apartments, and below, a four-story underground parking garage with over 1200 spaces.

The second is the mirrored facade of Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. The building features a unique cylindrical shape covered in 1664 reflective glass panels, which mirror the Rotterdam skyline, creating a truly magical impression. The reflective surface also captures the trees, water and buildings around the museum, giving the structure a dynamic and ever-changing appearance.

Quite intensive day, but only 23000 steps were made. Still, for the dessert today I have deserved a wonderful brownie from the local coffeeshop.

Going to sleep with one thing on my mind, that tomorrow I finally will visit the famous Van Gogh museum!

Triangle. The Hague.

It was many years ago when I visited Amsterdam for the first and the last time. So, I would like to refresh my memories and to see the canals, narrow streets and Van Gogh inheritance again. Unfortunately, the hotels rates are like Boeing wing there. And I came up with the idea to stay not only in Amsterdam, but also in other cities of the Netherlands.

My first city is the Hague. The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. It is home to the Dutch royal family’s working palace. And many international organizations are based here. For example, it hosts the International Court of Justice and many embassies.

I should mention, that trains in the Netherlands are fast, clean, and easy to use, with frequent connections between major cities. So, from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, you can take a direct train to The Hague in about 35 minutes.

The Hague features a mix of historic and modern architecture. Modern skyscrapers rise near classic Dutch townhouses from the 17th century here. 

But before exploring the city I have to check-in to the hotel Ibis, located very close to the Binnenhof, the parliament complex.

My hotel is housed in a historic building designed by the renowned Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage. Constructed in the 1890s, this building showcases Berlage's distinctive architectural style, characterized by robust brickwork and geometric forms. I was astonished by the look of the hotel itself, but most of all I loved the grand view through a big window of my room.

The city has the canals, so many bicycles and very cozy streets with summer cafes. A very relaxed atmosphere today. It feels like Amsterdam already.

 

The weather is perfect for walking. Around four kilometers from the city centre, and I am already can feel the breeze from the North sea. The Scheveningen Beach is the most famous beach district in The Hague. Many local people are sunbathing, making promenade here or even swimming in the cold waters.

It was a very walkable day today. I have made almost 30 thousand steps! Tired, but happy. And tomorrow I set off to another remarkable city of the Netherlands.