Happy Birthday Amsterdam- why did I wait so long to come back?

Spring has sprung and Amsterdam is the best place to spend it. The Venice of the North is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year and there will be lots on- from street parties, sailing fleets and the King’s big orange birthday bash.

It’s been 33 years since my last visit, so a trip to canal city was well overdue. Rather than dance the night away- this time I had new objectives; Tasting menus, lots of sports, museums, delicious food, canals and dancing in the middle by day.

‘This is Eden’, an ‘immersive electronic music wellness experience’ in the middle of Vondelpark- Amsterdam's famous park was my first port of call. I joined a small group of people and danced around barefoot listening to house music- sober.

It was like Silent Disco at Electric Picnic -in public. This kind of thing is normally too hippy dippy for me, but soulful dance music, sunshine and organiser Kim de Fries' calming voice pondering the miracle of life through special headphones was strangely enjoyable. Unlike us Irish, the Dutch embrace such awkwardness and why not? No-one cares anyway. 

After my soulful session, I got on my bike. I never cycle in Dublin, but loved cycling around Amsterdam. Amsterdam has more bicycles than residents—about 850,000 bikes for a population of around 860,000. It’s a joy to cycle across some of the 400 km of cycle lanes, past busy cafes and buzzing bars and restaurants.

FreeDAM tours, Amsterdam

Which brings me to my first tasting menu- at Selva rooftop restaurant was fabulous. It has breathtaking 360 degree views of Amsterdam, tropical plants and exotic flavours of South America. The tasting menu included fresh avocado, steak tartare, grilled meats to exotic vegetarian dishes, Portobello Ceviche Steak and Mexican tostadas rinsed down with white wine. Delicious.

After a late night canal walk, I was back on my bike again the next morning, this time visiting the Stedelijk, the largest museum of modern and contemporary art in the Netherlands. It is home to Warhols, Van Gogh’s, Jeff Coons and Mondrians and well worth a visit. 

The slick and very modern Avani Hotel just down the road, where I stayed is inspired by the Stedelijk Museum’s art collection, blending the avant-garde and the traditional to create modern, inviting interiors. I love this hotel. It's also home to the best hotel breakfast ever. I'd be happy to live there for the vegan sausages, which taste like the real ones, the healthy juices I made myself, the bloody Mary's, Dutch waffles with vanilla butter, the a la carte menu- the cold meats for breakfast. I could go on. 

Back to lunch though-at Brasserie Keyser close to the Stijdelik. This time lobster bisque, steak tartare, caesar salad and Dutch Meatballs (Bitterballen) which are like beef and gravy croquettes were on the menu.

After lunch, a cruise along some of Amsterdam's 165 canals and 1281 bridges was a must. I paid €20 with Luxury boat tours. It includes 'all you can drink', so you can enjoy a Long Island Iced Tea, while passing famous locations like the Bulldog, an iconic coffee shop, the river Amstel, after which the Dutch beer is named and the Heineken Brewery. 

Dinner was at Vooges aan’t Ij followed. The tasting menu was something else. I’ve never had lobster bisque, I had it twice in one day. Oysters with chili and steak were also divine.

Thankfully there was lots of exercise on the menu too. A bike tour with FreeDam tours the next morning offered an opportunity to learn about Amsterdam’s unique history. The tour was incredibly fun- Our guide Lisanne talked about how Amsterdam became famous for marjiuana selling coffee shops, which came in response to a heroin epidemic in the 1970s. She also explained how Amsterdam was built, famous architecture of the famous canal houses, which date back to the 17th century. 

Lunch at Grand Café Krasnapolsky followed after the bike tour. The food and service were exceptional. The steak was divine, the succulent melon starter will stay in my head forever. 

In order to burn off lunch, I had my first SUP experience. Stand up paddleboarding is somewhat of a trend these days. It involves standing on a large board- similar to a surfboard, but much bigger and using paddles to get ahead.  It looks easier than you think. I didn’t want to fall in after seeing a dead rat still clinging onto a piece of wood- like the famous scene with Jack and Rose in Titanic, float past me. I was slow to start, but managed to stand up eventually as we passed boats and houseboats along the stunning canal-scape. After a few hours on the boat, a Thai fusion meal at the hotel followed before bed. 

The next day, I took a cycle around Amsterdam and bought some tulip bulbs. A must do activity as I watched Dutch people out for Sunday cycles and breakfast without a care in the world. Why would they- the live in Amsterdam, the most vibrant busiest city in Europe- for 750 years and counting.

Avani Hotel Amsterdam

The details;

Fly with Aer Lingus and KLM to Amsterdam www.aerlingus.com. Flights from €80 return.

Stayed at the Avani Museum Hotel www.avaniamsterdam.com. Rooms from €140 per night off peak.

This is Eden sessions from €28.44

Eat: at Selva: www.selva-restaurant.com Tasting Menu €60pp.

Brasserie Keyzer: www.brasseriekeyzer.nl price range €14 to €42 for dishes.

Vooges aan’t IJ: www.vooges.nl/ price range €30 to €55.

Grand Café Krasnapolsk: www.grandcafekrasnapolsky.nl/en/ disches from €9 to €35.

Bike tour with Freedam Tours: www.freedamtours.com. Tours from €15.

Visit the Stedelijk Museum. www.stedelijk.nl. €24.50. Free to under 18s.

Stand up Paddle boarding: www.canalsup.nl from €15.

On your bike: Avani hotel offers bikes.

Luxury Boat tours: €20.

Amsterdam

Whats on in Amsterdam for 750

Sail Amsterdam: 20th to 24th August 2025: 

A massive fleet of large ships and various other special vessels sail across the IJ and dock near the city center. It will be the 50th anniversary of Sail.

A10 ring party- June 21st 2025

The entire A10 ring road around Amsterdam will be closed to traffic. A 15-kilometre parade full of music, dance, theatre and much more entertainment. 

Kings Day April 27th. About a million people will dress in orange to celebrate the King’s birthday. Everywhere you look, you'll find orange, in the streets and on the canals.

Barbara McCarthy

I am a journalist, photographer and climate academy based in Dublin. This site is a platform for my work.

https://www.barbaramccarthymedia.com
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