Whether you yourself are a fan of an occasional joint or not, you were probably aware of the furor the Dutch government created when it attempted to impose the so-called 'weed pass' in 2012. The news that Dutch coffeeshops could potentially be cut off from tourists sent shock waves around the global weed-smoking community for obvious reasons: if there is one thing Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general is famous for abroad it...
Not many visitors to Amsterdam are aware that behind the many admittedly narrow canal houses there is usually a luscious green space. Sometimes the private gardens are so big that there is actually another house in the back! As most houses are physically connected to one another, the private gardens usually combine to form a large green space behind each row of canal houses that is not visible from the street. To those...
More and more museums are posting their collections online and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum is no exception. In fact, they've gone above and beyond. Instead of just posting some high quality images, they're enabling online visitors to not only download the photos but modify them as well. That's right, using the tools provided, you can clip, manipulate, or modify any one of the works available on the so-called Rijksstudio. Then, you can share it with...
Sure tourist who come to check out Amsterdam think it's a pretty spectacular city. As it turns out, those of us living in the Netherlands think it's a pretty spectacular city too... to live in. So reports the Atlas for Municipalities, a publication put together each year comparing the attractiveness of the 50 largest municipalities in the Netherlands. It takes a look at things like infrastructure, cultural offerings, poverty, accessibility, and crime rate....
Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations. Every summer thousands flock to the Dutch capital to experience its uniquely charming atmosphere. If you’re looking at booking a few days away here’s 5 very good reasons to visit Amsterdam. Bars and Cafes A major draw to Amsterdam is the wonderfully diverse bar scene. There are the cosy traditional ‘brown cafes’ such as In’t Aepien so-called due to their dark wooden interiors...
Amsterdam Expo is rolling out the red carpet, but not for the kind of celebrities you may be expecting. Step aside, Angelina. Out of the way Johnny Depp. 'Cause the stars of Pixar just rolled up! Starting May 30, all your favorite characters from such Pixar classics as Up, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E will be on display at the Pixar: 25 Years of Animation Art Exhibition. More than 500 pieces of...
The Netherlands have succumbed to Eurovision Fever. Well, within reasonable limits, after all the Eurovision is no World Cup, nor even the Olympics. Nevertheless, this year for the first time in almost a decade, the Dutchies are sincerely excited by the fact that this year they actually stand a good shot at winning. And a lot of that excitement has to do with Anouk, the Netherlands' 2013 entry into the Eurovision Song Contest....
It has recently come to my attention that the Amsterdam Hermitage is an incredible museum. I don't know how or why I have until now missed out on this realization but I feel rather silly. I probably should warn you that I am a huge museum buff (is that even as a thing? if not, it should be), my favorite types of museums being those that focus on history and culture. The Hermitage falls precisely within this...
The other day, a tweet showed up on my Twitter feed. It was from an acquaintance of mine, a fellow American and expat in the Netherlands. The Tweet contained a quote - from whom, she didn't say. And it went a little something like this: "I thought only Amsterdam had canals." While this is far from true (the Netherlands is crawling with them), the Amsterdam canals are the best known outside of the...
Although I've already written at length about the Rijksmuseum in anticipation of the re-opening, now that I’ve actually personally been there, I realize that you can never say too much about the Rijksmuseum. Also, in case you haven't noticed, this week has been a pretty big one for the Netherlands and all things orange and Dutch in general, and nothing (that isn't a windmill) screams "Dutch" more than the Rijksmuseum. To get into the spirit of all...
