So I'm in A'Dam for work and on Sunday I look for church when I'm away. Catholic for a day!…read more St. Nicks, easy to find, Across from Centraaaaal Station. All good. Mass was 10:30 for me. The place was mostly full. Crowd was mostly Dutch and in upper-class casual. Folks kept their fancy coats on but I was amazed at the population. Full church! The church is beautiful and Interesting. Classic transept catholic style. Stations of the cross, helpfully numbered. Morning light streams thru the stained glass windows above the altar and in the cupola. Cool beans. Music was tops. Familiar hymn style tunes, Rather than Sunday school hits. Organist nails it, especially during the outro. What do you call that? The Tocatta&Fuge portion? It was boss tho. Choir came to win that day. Filled the place with choral winning. Service is Dutch so don't expect to understand anything, but It is familiar as a standard mass. A program is handed out prior by friendly bilingual Dutch folks. Priest spends time twice during service talking in English to make the visitors feel welcome and explain that coffee is available après. Final: if you prefer actually visiting a church rather than nosing your fat Anglo Hilfiger into someone else's parish like a tour'eifel noob, this place is a gooder.

Coming from our hotel we had seen this marvelous cathedral, and I knew we had to stop by on our…read morereturn. Fortunately it was open, as we saw some others going in. The cathedral is gorgeous, awe inspiring. The quiet and reverence here offers a complete escape from the outside world. After soaking up the timeless architecture we were lucky stumble on the choir practicing for their Saturday 5 PM performance - amazing, beautiful voices and music. We only wish we had more time and could have stayed for the complete performance.

This is one of many centrally located squares in Amsterdam, a touristy area with many restaurants,…read morebars and some entertainment options, and one of the less significant transit hubs in the city. You can reach it via metro to Leidseplein or various tram and bus lines. Surrounding the square notably are: the Heineken Grand Cafe, the Hirshgebauw (a historic landmark building with shops and offices including an Apple Store), the Amsterdam International Theater, the Diamond Hotel with clear glass facade over the front of the building, and Albert Heijn grocery store. Close by within a couple blocks are Pathé City cinema, the Holland Casino and Hard Rock Cafe. Worth walking or transiting thru and stopping for a look at the memorial sculpture in the center of two hand s touching, called "Against All Currents" a tribute honoring late investigative crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who reported and contributed to evidence on several very high profile international crimes, including the Natalee Holloway case.

Leidseplein is where I first began my discovery of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Marriott and because…read moreof its central location, the shops, restaurants and Vondelpark, it's a favorite location. I deducted a star because some of the restaurants are very touristy, which is okay, but anytime someone is standing out front trying to lure you inside its a place for me to skip. But this is the best place stay as visitor in Amsterdam in my opinion. I can write for hours about where to go from here, but that is your adventure to learn next time.

A beautiful pink granite structure jutting into one of the primary canals in the heart of…read moreAmsterdam. Somewhat underwhelming and easy to miss. I've missed it every time I've walked or rode by over the years. I didn't realize it was there until I listened to the tram one day at the Westerkerk stop say "Homomonument", I said "whuuut"? My friends told me about it and then I finally walked over there when I was shopping on the Prinsengracht. It's has a PRIME location and beautiful canal, but below street level and in the shadow of Anne Frank and the Westerkerk church (on the Keizersgracht). My presumptions are it is keeping a low profile as the homosexuals had to do for centuries to avoid prosecution and persecution. Please see "Bruce K"'s review from October 23 here for more detailed explanation on the design!

As we were walking around Amsterdam, we came across the Homomonument, the first monument in the…read moreworld commemorating gay men and women who were killed by the Nazis due to their sexual orientation. The monument was designed by artist Karin Daan and unveiled on September 5, 1987. The memorial is composed of three pink granite triangles laid in the ground, and each triangle forms the point of a larger triangle. Each point of the triangle is symbolic -- one points towards the National Monument in Dam Square, one points towards the Anne Frank House, and one points towards COC Amsterdam, a Dutch LGBTQ+ rights group founded in 1946. While I love what the monument represents, if it weren't for the sign, I probably wouldn't even have known that I was walking over a monument. The only way to see the entire memorial is from above, but from the ground, you can't see the entire memorial at once or get a good photo. If walking by, stop and take a look, but I would not go out of my way to see it. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Markers]

"Respect sex workers all over the world."…read more It's funny how just wandering aimlessly around Amsterdam, I ended up walking past the Oudekerk and spotted this statue. Yes, this is the famous red light district but it's also next to the oldest building in Amsterdam, the Old Church https://www.yelp.com/biz/oude-kerk-amsterdam. The sculpture is the work of artist Els Rijerse and has been here since 2007. It depicts a prostitute standing in the doorway of a brothel. It is a landmark of Amsterdam and certainly Insta-worthy. [Review 16871 overall - 72 in Netherlands - 384 of 2022.]

Yelp Review 2023 #93:…read more Belle - French word for beautiful. December 17 - International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Right outside Oude Kerk (Old Church, originally a Catholic Church at the Red Light District) which is now an art center is a small statue called Belle, a sex worker aka prostitute. Installed in 2007 after a Hungarian sex worker was killed, and a Romanian sex worker was killed in a hotel room. It's to commemorate all prostitutes around the world. Prostitution is one of the oldest profession in the world and also the most punished "crime" simply because society still looks down upon women no matter how progressive we think we are. It is a reminder that sex workers are humans - despite the kind of service they provide. If there's no demand, there won't be supply. If unloved weirdos didn't exist, there won't be prostitutes. If these men knew how to treat a woman properly, there won't be prostitutes - especially dead ones.

Visiting the Royal Palace right on Dam Square is a remarkably grand experience that easily exceeds…read moreexpectations. Originally constructed as Amsterdam's city hall during the 17th-century Golden Age before being converted into a royal residence under Louis Napoleon, the sheer scale, history, and craftsmanship inside are incredible. It's solid 4.5 stars. A highlight is walking into Citizen's Hall (Burgerzaal) with its high ceilings, detailed marble floors, and the striking Atlas statue. The marble stonework and intricate carving throughout the state rooms are some of the finest you'll see anywhere in the city. The included self-guided audio tour is well-paced and easy to follow, giving fascinating context on the building's transition from civic headquarters to an active palace still used today for official state visits and royal receptions. Expect to spend about an hour to 90 minutes exploring at your own pace. There is a quick, convenient FREE bag and coat check right at the entrance, which makes strolling through the halls hassle-free. It's a stunning piece of living history right in the heart of the city and well worth taking the time to tour. Included is a photo of me in front or the Royal Palace in 2012!

The architecture inside the palace is stunning! You have to do a free bag check for any bags. The…read moreinside isn't super big but is still sizable and it would be easy to spend an hour or two thoroughly looking at everything and listening to the audio guide. There are numbers to guide you through the things of note in the palace in order which I appreciated.

Funny how the Zeedijk doesn't generate more reviews! This is where you'll get the best Chinese food…read morein town, find really good bars and even a Buddhist temple! Great street, love it :)

A great street with some of the best Asian food in town! I've had great Malaysian and Thai... but…read morealso thought the Brazilian was quite alright! You should check out the street and pop into one of the Asian stores or shops for some interesting flavors :)

The Museumplein is a beautiful stretch of wide open green space…read more It's located in front of the RijksMuseum and next to the Van Gogh and Amsterdam's Concert Hall. When the sun is out, and the weather is mild, it seems as if all of Amsterdam is picnicking, or catching rays on the grass. There are also plenty of fast food, Albert Heijn grocer, or SPAR convenience stores nearby too. So it's very easy to grab something to eat and relax on the grass.

Museumplein ("Museum Square") is the public area located by the Concertgebouw concert hall and…read morethree major museums -- the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum. Near transit, shops, and restaurants, Museumplein is a nice place to go for a walk or eat lunch on a nice day. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful tulips in the planter -- cheaper than Keukenhof! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands]

Vondelkerk has a special place for me -- it was one of the first churches I noticed when I first…read morevisited Amsterdam, thanks to its location right next to Vondelpark and near the Amsterdam Marriott. It's easy to miss at first glance, but once you really look at it, it's quietly stunning. The building itself is small but tall, with elegant, pointed spires that rise above the surrounding streets. It's a bit unassuming from the outside, yet very beautiful -- classic, calm, and perfectly placed beside the greenery of the park. The contrast between the church and Vondelpark makes it especially photogenic. I'm honestly not even sure if it still functions as a traditional church, but that almost adds to the charm. These days it feels more like a historic landmark and cultural space, and there are tours available if you want to learn more about its history and architecture. Whether you're heading into the park, staying nearby, or just wandering Oud-West, it's absolutely worth stopping for a look. A peaceful, graceful presence in one of the busiest parts of the city.

Actually, the term museum is a bit of a misnomer because it actually isn't a museum but rather some…read moreold Dutch trams that run along a specialised route on a Sunday. As such this isn't a place where you wander into a shed and look at all the old trams, but rather you get onto the trams and go for what happens to be a pretty long ride. This sort of caught me by surprise because I wasn't expecting anything as long, but then I was probably expecting something like the more traditional museum. The thing with this place is that you jump on a tram and one of the conductors sells you a ticket, so much sure you have some small change - 50 Euro notes tend not to go down all that well. Still. It is a fun ride, even though I only caught the tram a couple of stops.

Step back in public transportation time and enjoy a ride to Amstelveen on a vintage tram!…read more Although the ride on the tram is scenic down to Amstelveen, it would be more fun if you were able to learn a bit more about each of the trams, where they served and etc. And it would also be neat to be able to tour the other trams they have restored that are not being run on the line. Even so, it was fun to visit and I will be watching for the different trams along the lines on Sunday afternoons.