Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a really accessible destination from Newcastle, with short one hour flights or a fun filled overnight ferry. This makes it a great location to travel to for a short break, or cheeky weekend away. Something we have done on a few occasions over the past couple of months.

The city has much to offer in terms of culture. It has dozens of galleries containing a wealth of variety of art to see from contemporary modern art through to old Dutch Masters. There are paintings and photography to be seen in venues across the city, including venues dedicated to local artists like Van Gogh and Rembrandt, but also video in the Eye Museum if you cross the Amstel in the free taxi ferries.

There is also much history to explore, from Dam Square and the Palace, the Church in the Attic from the Spanish occupation, the house of Anne Frank with its history from the World Wars, to Naval Museum and its replica East India Trading Company ship to explore, which as a grown up I can confirm is fun for all ages and not just for little ones!

For those wanting less culture, and more of a place to let your hair down, the city has a buzzing nightlife, there are many bars and restaurants serving great food and drink across the city, but it is notably around the Oude Kerk area, as things get a bit more spicy in the city’s infamous Red Light District.

The starting images below are from one of the hotels we have stayed in a couple of times now, Hotel De Hallen in the Oud West area of Amsterdam. The rest are from our three trips to the city, featuring its canals, windmills, and streets.