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Each city has its charm. Sometimes you have to look for him, but in Amsterdam it is not necessary, he finds you in every street, every canal, every corner, every tavern. Simply walking through it and getting lost in its old neighborhood is already a pleasure.
Next to the Amstel River , on its banks, is the wonderful Intercontinental Hotel . Exquisite, admired since its inauguration in 1867, and with all the splendor of a palace; its Michelin restaurant , overlooking the river, quiet, stately; its crystal chandeliers in the Ámstel lounge and, in summer, a wonderful outdoor area with sun loungers. The establishment also offers the possibility of arriving by boat.
Exquisite service, grills on the terrace, live shows and an indoor pool that is a delight, are the main elements of its offer. It is located in an ideal location, between the financial, cultural and commercial districts, a few meters from the Van Gogh Museum and the Royal Carré Theatre .
The old neighborhood
But with a few more steps you are in the old neighborhood, in the red light district, or in Rembrandt 's house (by the way, a wonderful recreation of what was his home). I know there are other options, like the Palace on Dam Square , but the Intercontinental has something special that attracts us.
Surely there are a thousand ways to tour the city, but there are two priorities, each with its own style and significance in art: the wonderful Van Gogh Museum and the Rembrandt House . Those were my goals for the morning.
Illustrious people
Also interesting is the house of Anne Frank , famous for her diary written at the age of 15. A Jewish girl who lived for two years as a refugee from Nazi persecution in the back of said house, until she was finally betrayed and died in an extermination camp. A story that has been made into a film and whose literary creation has sold more than 350 million copies. A symbol of what should never happen again.
The Van Gogh Museum , the most visited in Amsterdam (more than a million and a half visitors annually) offers more than 200 original works. A brilliant painter, unique in his time, a precursor of impressionism who, unfortunately, committed suicide young. And like many greats, without having had recognition of his way of expressing his art; Apparently, during his lifetime he only sold one painting. Paradoxes of history.
The work on display follows a chronological order, which allows us to know the evolution of his art and work throughout his life, so we learn about his life frame by frame. More than 500 drawings and sketches made by the genius are also offered. A wonderful experience absolutely essential.
Amsterdam: Tulips, cheese and beer
Then, on the way to Rembrandt 's house , taking a short walk, you should visit the Telegram Number Data tulip market. It is something unique in this city and not only because of the beauty of what is offered to our eyes. In the context of an economic recession similar to the one we have gone through, there are those who remembered that tulips caused the first speculative crisis in history.
It is surprising that bulbs could be bought as if they were futures , something that seems crazy to us today, but that has been repeated with other products on many occasions since then.
The variety of tulips and their colors offer a wonderful panorama to the eye and, furthermore, in that environment, buying Dutch cheese and having a cold beer is a perfect combination.
The pleasure of the “Flâneur”
It is not always necessary to reach a monument, museum or emblematic place. As inveterate travelers we claim the pleasure of walking through the streets, savoring the authentic, the unique, enjoying a different environment, other ways of living and dressing or enjoying small pleasures.
We are in a cultured, respectful city, capable of coexisting with perfectly organized prostitution in the red light district, or with coffee shops where you can buy the kind of marijuana you prefer to smoke, having authorized premises for this. A perfect and harmonious combination of tolerance and coexistence.
Rembrandt 's house is recreated as it was during the painter's life. His reception room, the artist's room, the art sales room, his kitchen, the room where his disciples learned, etc. Everything recreated down to the smallest detail. It is not a typical museum; It is a journey through their way of living, their intimacy. I recommend it to everyone who goes to Amsterdam ; For us it is a must visit.
Lunch and dinner in Amsterdam
To eat, the ideal thing is to go to the old neighborhood: places for all tastes with good beer. They remember in the explanation of Rembrandt 's house that in his time they only drank low-proof beer, so it is clear that the Dutch know about beer. The offer includes everything from typical Dutch restaurants to Chinese, Vietnamese, Argentinian, Italian, French, etc.
An amalgamation of places in narrow streets, where you must watch the bicycles, because we Spaniards are not used to that hubbub of bicycles on the street, where they mix with trams, cars... And you never know where they are going to come out. That walk is necessary.
For dinner, however, it is best to make a reservation at the D'Vijff Vlieghen tavern ( The Five Flies ); the oldest in Amsterdam , which has a great gastronomic and beer tradition since, in its origins, it was a tavern that later became a restaurant.
An emblematic place in the city, it was created in the 17th century and is located in one of the most central areas. In fact, it is located on the corner of one of the oldest streets in the city, in one of those centuries-old houses in Amsterdam , although it is actually made up of several adjoining and connected houses.
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