By Carl Dombek
For a number of years, popular tourist destinations have been striving to moderate “over-tourism,” the phenomenon of being so popular that they’re overrun with visitors.
Amsterdam is one of those destinations.
With its scenic canals, amazing museums, historical spots like the Anne Frank House, the infamous Red Light District and – let’s be honest – “coffeehouses” that sell more cannabis than coffee, Amsterdam has become a poster child for hosting more visitors than it really wanted.
While preparing for our recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium, the Amsterdam Convention and Visitors Bureau responded to my request for information with an email that read in part, “We’re glad you’re coming to the Netherlands but please include some of the other destinations our country has to offer and not just Amsterdam, its sights and scenic canals.”
Done, though we did start our trip in Amsterdam.
Over-tourism notwithstanding, there were some things we had to see, including the Albert Cuyp Markt, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Bols House of Spirits Experience.
We ended our first day taking in the view of Amsterdam’s Old Town from the rooftop lounge of our hotel and enjoying some light nibbles before calling it a day.
The Bols experience was the most interactive, with guests invited to try identifying scents from special bottles. Each was surrounded by a different color, with the lesson that color influences your perception of the smell. One specific example was a bottle surrounded by items in red. The scent? Vanilla!
Other popular tourist sites that we passed on were the Anne Frank House, the Red Light District, and the famous red-and-white “IAmsterdam” sign which for years was at the Rijksmuseum but is now at Schiphol Airport.
Side trips to other destinations on Day Three included a trip to Edam, a bus ride through the fishing village of Volendam, which has a place in our family’s history, and a visit to Haarlem.
Edam is also home to the Kleine Kerk (little church), which has a famous carillon that sounds off each quarter hour.
On our way to the town center, we passed the Corrie ten Boom museum.
Ten Boom was a young Christian woman whose family, during World War II, was part of the Dutch Resistance and would hide or help relocate Jews who were suffering or likely to suffer persecution at the hands of the Nazis. Her family’s story is the subject of the 1971 book, “The Hiding Place.” The house, which has been turned into a museum, is really quite remarkable.
Perhaps the most remarkable facet of the ten Boom’s actions were that they took place less than 500 meters from the Nazi headquarters in the Old Town. Ten Boom was jailed for her actions and was detained in various prisons from February to December 1944. She was eventually released, spoke publicly about her experiences and wrote books until suffering a stroke in 1978. She died on her 91st birthday in 1983.
Unlike the Anne Frank house, which was stripped of its furniture at the request of Anne’s father Otto Frank, the Corrie ten Boom house is still adorned with furniture, giving a much better sense of how compact the quarters were -- and still are. Tours in several languages are available but limited to 12 persons at a time, so those interested should make reservations several months in advance.
For a number of years, popular tourist destinations have been striving to moderate “over-tourism,” the phenomenon of being so popular that they’re overrun with visitors.
Amsterdam is one of those destinations.
With its scenic canals, amazing museums, historical spots like the Anne Frank House, the infamous Red Light District and – let’s be honest – “coffeehouses” that sell more cannabis than coffee, Amsterdam has become a poster child for hosting more visitors than it really wanted.
While preparing for our recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium, the Amsterdam Convention and Visitors Bureau responded to my request for information with an email that read in part, “We’re glad you’re coming to the Netherlands but please include some of the other destinations our country has to offer and not just Amsterdam, its sights and scenic canals.”
Done, though we did start our trip in Amsterdam.
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| Entrance to Albert Cuypmarkt |
Over-tourism notwithstanding, there were some things we had to see, including the Albert Cuyp Markt, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Bols House of Spirits Experience.
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| The markt |
After checking into our hotel on our first day in Amsterdam, we took a tram to the street named Albert Cuypstraat and alighted at the end of this kilometer-long, open-air street market. A huge range of products was on offer, from food and beverage to fruits and vegetables to fabrics and clothing of all types to arts and crafts.
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| The view of Amsterdam's Old Town |
We ended our first day taking in the view of Amsterdam’s Old Town from the rooftop lounge of our hotel and enjoying some light nibbles before calling it a day.
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| Snack of traditional Dutch bitterballen accompanied by gyoza |
Even though our trip was in early October, well after kids are back in school, the first two museums we visited on Day Two were crowded with tour groups, with many apparently coming from local schools.
The Rijksmuseum offered kids hands-on opportunities to express and develop their own artistic skills as parents (who gave us permission to photograph their children) looked on.
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| Young artists in the making |
The Rijksmuseum and the Vincent van Gogh Museum are both definitely worth a visit, though the crowds made getting around the museums and actually SEEING the paintings and other displays rather difficult.
On the way out, we were treated to a dynamic art form: two talented young people playing "Summer" selections from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" for an appreciative crowd.
The Bols Cocktail Experience was different. As its focus is on the alcoholic beverages -- primarily, but not exclusively, liqueurs -- made by Bols since the 1400s, persons under 18 are not allowed inside. That meant fewer fellow visitors, though we were by no means alone.
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| Bols "Scent bar" |
The Bols experience was the most interactive, with guests invited to try identifying scents from special bottles. Each was surrounded by a different color, with the lesson that color influences your perception of the smell. One specific example was a bottle surrounded by items in red. The scent? Vanilla!
Other popular tourist sites that we passed on were the Anne Frank House, the Red Light District, and the famous red-and-white “IAmsterdam” sign which for years was at the Rijksmuseum but is now at Schiphol Airport.
Side trips to other destinations on Day Three included a trip to Edam, a bus ride through the fishing village of Volendam, which has a place in our family’s history, and a visit to Haarlem.
In Edam (pronounced AY-dohm), we visited the Story of Edam Cheese by cheese magnate Henri Willig which is a very manageable museum that explains the history of edam cheese and how it developed as a way to keep the area’s plentiful milk supply from spoiling in just a matter of days. As American poet John Updike said, “Cheese is milk’s leap toward immortality.” The museum is very manageable, and admission includes a discount on any cheese a visitor might purchase from the adjacent cheese shop.
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| The Story of Edam Cheese museum and shop |
Edam is also home to the Kleine Kerk (little church), which has a famous carillon that sounds off each quarter hour.
The trip to Haarlem took us through the fishing village of Volendam, which has a special place in our family’s history. When my wife’s relatives emigrated from post-WWII Germany, it was a Holland-America ship named the Volendam that brought them to the U.S. We’d hoped to grab a photo of a sign with the town’s name but were unsuccessful.
The forecast rain started as we were heading to Haarlem. Walking the 500 meters from the train station to the town center, we decided to take a break for a snack at the cozy Café a Paris before continuing.
The forecast rain started as we were heading to Haarlem. Walking the 500 meters from the train station to the town center, we decided to take a break for a snack at the cozy Café a Paris before continuing.
On our way to the town center, we passed the Corrie ten Boom museum.
 |
| Corrie ten Boom museum |
Ten Boom was a young Christian woman whose family, during World War II, was part of the Dutch Resistance and would hide or help relocate Jews who were suffering or likely to suffer persecution at the hands of the Nazis. Her family’s story is the subject of the 1971 book, “The Hiding Place.” The house, which has been turned into a museum, is really quite remarkable.
Perhaps the most remarkable facet of the ten Boom’s actions were that they took place less than 500 meters from the Nazi headquarters in the Old Town. Ten Boom was jailed for her actions and was detained in various prisons from February to December 1944. She was eventually released, spoke publicly about her experiences and wrote books until suffering a stroke in 1978. She died on her 91st birthday in 1983.
Unlike the Anne Frank house, which was stripped of its furniture at the request of Anne’s father Otto Frank, the Corrie ten Boom house is still adorned with furniture, giving a much better sense of how compact the quarters were -- and still are. Tours in several languages are available but limited to 12 persons at a time, so those interested should make reservations several months in advance.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Photos and videos by Carl Dombek
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