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(Tribune Media Services) -- I've found vacation nirvana for teenagers and it's a place parents will like just as much as teens do. AMSTERDAM
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By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Media Services
Amsterdam offers a good mix of culture, history and quirkiness
The Anne Frank House is one of the city's top tourist attractions for all ages
The Amsterdam Card gives visitors discounted access to many attractions
Welcome to Amsterdam. It's got everything, including teen-safe clubs, terrific outdoor markets that, despite the weak dollar, offer some bona-fide bargains, world-class museums and the chance to explore it all by bicycle.
In Amsterdam, everyone seems young, fit and, most important to the teens, hip. And there's the appropriate mix of culture, history and quirkiness in a city where marijuana can be purchased legally in coffeehouses and the Red Light District is historic and attracts group tours. Another plus: everyone speaks flawless English (www.visitamsterdam.nl). (Getting there: OpenSkies, the new premium transatlantic airline from British Airways, has just begun flying from New York to Amsterdam and is offering new PREM PLUS fares for $499 each way, offering many of the amenities of business class at a significantly lower price.)
We settled into the Ambassade Hotel, which quickly became one of our all-time favorites. Within walking distance of just about everywhere we want to go, the 59-room hotel is a series of 10 renovated 17th-century canal houses overlooking one of Amsterdam's famous canals. We can't believe our food choices within a couple of blocks -- Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, French.
The next day, a short walk from the hotel, I buy tulip bulbs at Amsterdam's famous flower market from Ron Abel, a man whose family has been in business here for more than 50 years. The girls -- my 17-year-old daughter and her friend, Hayley Jacobs -- are amused by the marijuana lollipops sold alongside the tulip bulbs. Everywhere we look there are narrow streets with cafes, shops and people whizzing by on bikes. (We quickly learn that bikers have the right of way.) We laugh at how some of the historic houses lean in a bit -- on purpose we learn. And I'm amazed to learn that Amsterdam has about 1,200 bridges along its 80 miles of canals.
Don't Miss
* In Depth: Taking the Kids
The girls love Amsterdam -- the charm, the vibe and the fact that its famous artists, including Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer, are familiar to them. Amsterdam is the ideal city to combine fun, history, culture and good eats, we decide, as we linger over dinner at d'Vijff Vlieghen, a restaurant that occupies adjoining 17th-century houses and specializes in New Dutch cuisine. Another night, we head for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's oh-so-hip Fifteen, one of four Fifteen restaurants in Europe that gives disadvantaged young people professional training.
We're glad we've got the Amsterdam Card, which gives us access to museums and a host of other discounts that save us significant bucks. The teens love the flea markets and vintage shops like Episode. We even get into a discussion about American politics with the vendor at the Waterlooplein Flea Market who sells the girls sweatshirts -- at a good price, they assure me.
We tour Rembrandt's house, which he bought in 1639 at the height of his fame. But there was sadness here too -- his young wife died, as did three of his children soon after they were born, and ultimately he went bankrupt. The house is furnished with items and works of art from his time, including the kinds of tools Rembrandt used for his famous etchings. There are also demonstrations of how he made his own paints in his studio.
We join the crowd at the Anne Frank House (save time by getting tickets online), one of Amsterdam's top tourist attractions. The visit is sobering. Anne Frank, of course, is the Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. While in hiding, Anne documented her family's hardships in her now famous diary. After two years, the inhabitants of the "secret annex," were discovered and sent to concentration camps. Only Otto Frank, Anne's father, survived. Anne's diary, published after her death, gave a name and a face to the Jewish children who perished in the Nazi Holocaust.
There are photographs, letters, and even some of the pictures that Anne pasted up on the walls. Later in the day, we gain even more perspective when we visit the Jewish Historical Museum. The building, which once housed four synagogues, is now home to an important collection of paintings and ceremonial objects looted by the Nazis during the war. Interactive computer stations let you hear the stories of survivors. Of the 25,000 Dutch Jews who went into hiding during World War II, 18,000 survived. There is also a wonderful kindermuseum designed to give children an idea of what it means to be Jewish in Holland. Even for those who aren't Jewish, a visit to both museums should be on every family's list when they visit Amsterdam.
On a lighter note, a visit to the Pancake Bakery is a must. It's just down the street from the Anne Frank House in an old warehouse originally owned by the Dutch East India Company. Owner Bastiaan Schaafsma, who grew up in the apartment upstairs when his parents ran the restaurant, explains that Dutch pancakes -- often eaten for dinner -- are much lighter than American pancakes and thinner, filled with all varieties of cheese, ham, vegetables and meat, as well as sweets (the banana and apple are especially good.) It's easy to see why this place is so popular!
The next day, we head to Museumplein to visit two of Amsterdam's most famous museums and top attractions -- the Rijksmuseum is home to the famous 17th-century dollhouses and many masterpieces, including Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," in which the artist created a portrait of soldiers in action in a way that had never before been captured.
A few blocks away is the Van Gogh Museum, which houses the largest Van Gogh collection in the world -- more than 200 paintings. The works are arranged chronologically, which helps the girls gain some understanding of the artist's art and troubled life.
After so much culture, the girls decide a little shopping therapy is in order, so we head over to the Albert Cuyp Outdoor Market, which stretches for a half-mile. You can buy anything here from cheese to dresses, suitcases to socks, fish to nail polish to fresh orange juice and birdcages. The market is packed with locals doing their Saturday shopping. Afterward, we head to Bazar, a lively local haunt for a terrific (and relatively cheap) Middle Eastern lunch.
Touring is exhausting and on our hour-long canal tour, presented in several different languages, including English, the girls fall asleep. But that doesn't dim their enthusiasm for Amsterdam a bit. Next time, they say on the way to the airport, we've got to stay longer.
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)
Copyright 2007 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. |
The
Anne Frank House
NOT
TO BE MISSED
The
Anne Frank house is located at Prinsengracht 263.
Just down Prinsengracht to the north past the Westerkerk-(West
church) Open 09:00 Sundays 10:00 till 17:00 Summers
21:00 (9:00 PM). Purchase
tickets for the Anne Frank House and Museum online
The
wartime hiding place of the young Jewish girl
and her family from July 1942 until the family
was discovered in their refuge and turned in
to the Nazis by a Nazi colaboratorjust before
the end of the war on the 4th of August 1944. Only Otto Frank, Anne's father, survived. Anne's diary, published after her death, gave a name and a face to the Jewish children who perished in the Nazi Holocaust.
Anne
Frank died at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
in March 1945, liberation just days away. Her
father was the familes only surviver. Returning
to Amsterdam after liberation and living here
untill his death in 1982.
The
discovery and publishing of "The Diary of
Anne Frank" occurred after the war in 1947.
The
original book title in Dutch is "Het Achterhuis".
This
young girls moving account of courage, dreams,
and hope continues inspiring readers, young and
old, to this day.
Purchase
tickets for the Anne Frank House and Museum online
Barns & Noble 
The
Begijnhof find
it on our walk around town
Amsterdam
has hundreds of `hofjes', or what is commonly know
as a garden or a courtyard, hidden away between
and behind most Amsterdam buildings and houses.
The
Begijnhof Located at the at the Spui is one of
the largest, and well known, but also one of the
more striking. It is remarkable that such an oasis
of peace can be so close to the bustling heart
of the city. There is a doorway in the row of houses
to the north on the Spui that leads you there,
with its lovely English chappel with pulpit panels
designed by the artist Mondriaan, and the oldest
house in the city (1475), one of Amsterdam's few
surviving wooden houses.
Free
entry as of now (January 2002) but this may change
to reduce tourist numbers.
If
you turn left out of the other entrance, you will
go in the direction of the Amsterdam
Historical Museum, and its free gallery
of old paintings.
Artis
Zoo Plantage Middelan. Open
09:00/17:00 the cost is about €11. It
has a good aquarium and also a planetarium.
Hortus
Horticultural Gardens is
just a short walk to the East from Waterlooplein
opens 9:00/ on weekends at 11:00 till 17:00/5:00
PM. A Small but beautiful garden.
Museums: The
Big 3 + 1 Additional
Museums of interest
For
a small city, Amsterdam is home to many world-class
museums. The three major
museums, the Rijksmuseum,
the Stedelijk (modern
art) and the van
Gogh. All three are situated
around the Museumplein.
Experience...
Amsterdam's best museums
The
Rijksmuseum 10:00-17:00. Large museum
containing paintings by some of the Netherlands'
great 17th century painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and
van Hals. The Nightwatch by Rembrandt is their
prize piece. Contains many artifacts as well
as paintings.
The
Stedelijk Museum11:00-18:00.
Major collection of modern art. Touring collections
are featured regularly.
The
NEW van Gogh Museum 10:00-17:00.
Recently renovated and expanded, dedicated to Vincent
van Gogh and his contemporaries.
Rembrandt's
House Jodenbreestraat 4-6. Easy
to find, located just around the corner from
the Waterlooplein. Rembrandts
house
An
online list of all museums in Amsterdam is available
from Amsterdam
Museums
An
online list of all museums in The Netherlands is
available from Holland
Museums
Canal
trips 
For
a special and personal canal
boat tour
It's
worthwhile taking a canal boat tour to see beautiful
Amsterdam from the water. They last about 90 minutes,
and take you around the city and through the
harbor. You can buy your tickets and go aboard
on Damrak by Central Station, and Rokin by the
Spui.
If
you're feeling energetic, you can hire a Canal
Bike from one of the several points through the
city at Westerkerk, Leidseplein, Leidsestraat,
Rijksmuseum, and take your own route. But
so you don't get lost, bring your map.
For
a special experience take a private boat tour with
us.
There
are also electric boats to hire at the Nieuwmarkt
on the Kloveniersburgwal, at the corner of Leidsestraat
and Prinsengracht, and at the other end of
the Kloveniersburgwal near the Munt tower.
If
your kids are 16 they
can drink beer LEGALLY in
public cafe's and restaurants in the Netherlands.
No fear of the police arresting you! Freedom, what
a concept!
Heineken brings
you a new experience with their NEW redesigned
brewery museum and technical tour. A favorite place
for young and old but
you must be 18 to drink beer here or
you'll have to bring your dad!
Stadhooouderskade
78 1072 AE Amsterdam NL + 31 (0)20 523 9666
Open
Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 - 18:00 hrs ( 6:00)
last ticket sales at 17:00hrs (5:00) closed monday
Climbing
the walls in Amsterdam?
Klimhal
Amsterdam
Beginner
or advanced climbing enthusiasts will find this
venue offers a good variety of challenges and a
full line of professional services
Naritaweg
48 Amsterdam +31(0)20 681 0121 info@klimhalamsterdam.nl
Things
to do for Free, or
almost free...
Take
the free commuter ferry behind central station
to the other side of the IJ river and go for a
walk along the North Holland Canal.
Walk
up the roof stairs of the New Metropolis located
near Amsterdam C S (central station) and admire
the view of the city. Walk east from CS, and cross
the footbridge to the big green building that looks
like a big copper ship, coming out of the sea...bow
first. Go to the Begijnhof the entrance
is from the Spui.Visit the Historical
Ship Museum gallery. Take the other exit from
the Begijnhof and turn left.
Wander
along the Flower Market on the Singel.
Browse
the Waterlooplein market at the Waterlooplein.
Lots of used stuff, but there is always the possibility
of a treasure to be found amongst all the junk.Visit
the Albert Cuyp market take tram to the
east 10 to Frederiksplein, or 4, 16, 24, 25 to
Albert Cuyp straat.Go to a free lunch concert in
the Concertgebouw at the opposite end
of the Museumplein from the Rikesmuseum.
Browse the Internet in medieval surroundings
at the Waag in
the Old Centre at Nieuwmarkt in the RedLIGHT
District Warning:
adults only FOR
FREE at the award winning Internet
Reading Table
Go
up the tower to the cafe in the Kalvertoren
shopping mall, and admire the view. It's
at Kalverstraat near the Munt. Go
to the cafe in the Metz and admire the view
on the corner of Leidsestraat and Keizersgracht.
The "Vondelpark" is
the the largest and the most popular park in
Amsterdam. At the narrow end of the park (North
end) is the front entrance and the Leidseplein. To
the East are the big museums, Museumplein,
and the Concergebow (Concerthall)
Park
Map: 
Stay
on the park:
During
the "Peace Movement" years of war protests
in the late sixties and seventies, the park developed
into a large hippie commune. It still retains
some of that spirit till this day. Alive with
skaters, joggers, all sorts of street performers,
sports and activities of every imaginable sort,
entertaining the crowds. Imagin Venice Beach
without the beach but with the smell of "fresh
cut Grass".
Wander
around...rent some in-line skates at the far
end South entrance of the park. Or sit by the
lanes and enjoy the best people-watching anywhere.
Lots
of food stands around and conventional places
to eat and drink in the park, each with their
own outside terrace of course.
One of our favorite places is Vertigo which
offers good food at reasonable prices and is located
under the FilmMuseum, another jewel in the park's
crown of activities.
The "Vondelpark" is
by far the most popular with visitors and locals
alike especially popular on those l o n
g summer days. No matter when you visit Amsterdam
just a strole through Vondelpark will usually
brighten your day a bit.
Outdoor
concerts are
held in the summer the Vondelpark
Open Air Theater (Openluchttheater)
- stages regular performances. June through August www.openluchttheater.nl |
For
Trips outside the city? ...you
really don't need a car in Holland
During
spring and tulip season flower lovers can
take a coach trip to Keukenhof, huge gardens
exclusively dedicated to tulips. Trips can be
booked from companies on the Damrak for
about €16. There is a day-trip by train
from Central Station about €15.
Not
far from Amsterdam, in the former Zuiderzee (now
the IJsselmeer) is Marken.
An island now joined to the mainland by a
land bridge. It still has many wooden houses, and
you can still see people wearing local costume,
not just for tourists. You should at least visit
the harbor. There are organized coach tours for
under €45. But for much less money, six
strips of a strippenkart, you can take bus #111
from Central Station.You can get the times from
the public transport telephoneinformation line
0900-9292 for 40 cents per minute.
A
great experience is an adventure to Castricum. It
takes about 30 minutes to get there by trane.
At
Castricum station you can rent a bike (phone
0251-654035 to reserve one). In the station restaurant
you can buy a map and buy a €2.50 entrance
card to the miles of bike paths through beautiful
woodlands, meadows, and dunes, with access down
to the beach.
This
is also the water treatment filter for Amsterdam's
drinking water, You can see huge carp swimming
about in the crystal-clear pools. but "No
Fishing" allowed.
The
National Park Hoge Veluwe
Beautiful
surroundings, and free bikes at the gates to cycle
thorough the grounds. In the middle is the modern
art museum Kröller-Müller with a major collection
of works by Van Gogh, Seurat, Redon, Braque, Picasso,
Juan Gris, Mondriaan and others. There is
an excellent statue garden too. The NS Railways
have a day trip that takes you nearby by train
takes about an hour from Amsterdam, and then by
bus to the gates of the park.
Windmills 
There
is a community
of working windmills along the river at
the Zaanse Schans, as well as museums and
a cheese factory you can visit. Take the train
to Koog-Zaandijk (about 15 minutes), turn left
at the bottom of the steps from the platform, and
walk straight on right to the end of the
street (about 5 minutes). Turn left, and ahead
of you is a windmill at the end of a bridge. As
you cross the bridge, you can see the working mills
on the left. There is a gate at the end of the
bridge, on the left.
We
are experts at helping our guests get the most
out of their vacation time with a personal touch,
appropriate insights and a "friend
in town" feeling.
Tourist
offices in the Netherlands are called VVV. The
main one in Amsterdam is opposite the Central
Station with a second office on Platform 1 in
the station. There is also a smaller branch at
the Leidseplein. There are a number of tour organizers
on the Damrak, near Central Station.
What's
going on in town right NOW?
Not
surprisingly, there is an immense choice of activities
in the city. You can find a list of what's on
this week hanging in most cafés, and in
newspapers published Wednesday night and Thursday
morning.
There
is a central entertainment information and ticket
reservation service called AUB the acronym for "Amsterdam
Uit (Out) Bureau" on
the "Leidseplein" across the street from
the American Hotel.
They
have a Web Site at http://www.aub.nl There
is also an English Language guide to the week's
events called What's On. It is published by the
VVV and is available at their office's and in most
hotels.
Music & Clubs Museums Walking
Around Town Private
Tours
RedLight
District / Escorts / Girls and Boys
http://www.melkweg.nl
Located
near the Leidseplein.
Music More
music details in our entertainment Music & Dance
Clubs section. For
youthful contemporary music you should check
out these venues
The
legendary music venue 
PARIDISO
Club 2000 open Wednesday through Sunday.
Always popular but can be crowded Thursdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays. mixed dress anything
goes young crowd pack the place to party hard
with future funk, hip-hop, big-beat, and classic
house.
http://www.paradiso.nl
Located
near the Leidseplein.
Discos 
at
Rozengracht, near Westerkerk, and ODEON at
the opposite the end of the Spui.
Opera
and Symphony
For
opera it's the Muziektheater at Waterlooplein
The
International Opera Center is located at Kloveniersvoorburgwal
87 (just down the canal from the Nieumarkt in the
RedLight district)
More
music details in our entertainment section.
Movies
There
are more than 55 cinema screens in Amsterdam. You
will find the list of current films hanging
in most cafes. Non-Dutch films are always
subtitled, so you can always see films in
English. There are many cinemas around
the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein. On
Fridays and Saturdays you should buy your ticket
early. You can do this by telephone if you
like.
The
Netherlands Film Museum has a wonderful
cafe' with a sunny terrace at Vondelpark
3 (near the main park entrance at Stadhouderskade)
Amsterdam's
film lovers cinama only screens classic films.
The
experience of viewing a film here is a truly
pleasurable event especially for film buffs. The
cinema's are small in capacity but large in seating
comfor. The sound system is superior. The
most important ingredient is the "respectful
of others" audience. ie.
Not much talking during the film except for the
emotional utterances encouraged by the film itself
and our movie lover obsession of watching the
credits ALL THE WAY TO THE END is properly respected.
One
more thing to mention is the varied selection of
marvelous films that the museum brings back to
our lives.
There
are at least two magnificent art
deco cinemas you
should try not to miss: The
Tuschinski near
the Rembrandtplein. Screen 1 is the most impressive. And "The
Movies" on the Haarlemmerstraat near the
Jordaan. The Movies has a good restaurant
too.
Free
Museum tickets included with selected accommodations.
Read
all about "Victory Boogie Woogie"... "get
the BOOK" from
Barns&Noble
Booksellers
An
online list of all museums in The Netherlands is
available from Holland
Museums.
Join
us on the bicycle lanes and see Amsterdam the Dutch
way.
Amsterdam's
experienced Gay Guide |
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