Top 5 free – Amsterdam

Do you know which the city where I struggled to find interesting and cool places and things for free is? London? No way … Paris? Not even close… I think that even in super-expensive cities such as Monte Carlo you can find 5 things to do for free … Well, this in Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ no. 1 tourist attraction… Why is that? And then I remembered … Well, all the Dutch are known to be thrifty. If most of the Europeans say that the Scots are thrifty, well, it is likely that actually the Dutch have the most difficult-to-open wallet … And yet, I somehow managed, to identify five things to do for free in Amsterdam.

1. Begijnhof – Even if it had not been free, I would have still advised you to go. Why? Because there is such a contrast between the thrill of the main pedestrian shopping street in Amsterdam and a convent for nuns! You only need to take a few steps and, out of the world of Zara, C & A, H & M and masses full of bags which are as coloured as possible, you arrive, in a few moments in a quiet Dutch village! You will find greenery, flowers as well as a small church in an unnatural silence! And although it is not free, well, you might find some good accommodation deals on Hostel World. Just check it out before you go to this city of sin, city of arts, city of great architecture.

2. The hottest orchestras hold free concerts at Concertgebouw! – Well, now, not any time, but only on Wednesdays at 12:30 during the cultural season (September to June). It is then that they hold rehearsals for the major concerts and the orchestras in general rehearse what they will play for quite a lot of money during the evening!

3. The Red Quarter – What is the number one tourist magnet of Amsterdam? Van Gogh? You must be kidding! The Flemish painters of the Rijksmuseum? Lol! It is the Red District with everything that it means – girls and drugs. Obviously, although the consumption of both drugs, and girls cost, however, walking in the streets with red lights and with semi-naked girls in the shop windows is free… It is also interesting to note who the potential customers (men and women) are, especially the English who do not come to Amsterdam only to look…

4. The Rijksmuseum Gardens – well, the gardens full of wonders of Gothic architecture (including the city gates of the seventeenth century) are free … Not forever, just until the end of the museum renovation (2012-2013). So until then, you can walk, admiring impressive statues, fountains, columns and many other wonders of the Dutch art in the last five centuries.

5. A free ride on the canals – obviously, you will not enjoy any of boat promenades by ships on the canals lined up with beautiful houses of the seventeenth century … Behind the central station, you can find the oldest part of the old port of Amsterdam that, actually, brought it prosperity – it is called Ij… On the other side of Ij … from the station area, you can take the Buikersloterwegveer ferry and, for 5 minutes, you can enjoy the city panorama from “behind”. The ferry leaves every seven minutes and the journey takes five minutes.

Pictures of Amsterdam:

Two steps away from the commercial Kalverstraat

Through a gate adorned with the xxx emblem of Amsterdam

was peaceful Begijnhof

The red district