If you look beyond the city’s most well-known sights, you’ll discover an intriguing new angle. Here is our list of the best-kept secrets in the city, including amazing museums, local markets, secret gardens, and unheard-of music venues.
1. Brouwerij ’t IJ Brewery
If you enjoy locally brewed craft beer, you may enjoy this popular Dutch brand, also produced in Amsterdam. No, it isn’t Heineken, but it’s a fantastic substitute for the busier Heineken Experience. Amsterdam’s Brouwerij ‘t IJ is a craft beer company with a microbrewery and tasting facility all in one location.
There are seasonal beers and unique flavors in addition to your typical assortment of IPA and Blond. A beer tasting with five different samples is also possible! There is a spacious terrace right by the canals where you may enjoy your cold beverages in the summer, but in the winter, nothing is cozier than sitting in the taproom.
2. Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Visitors much too frequently pass by this impressively well-preserved canal house museum constructed in the 1660s, which is located on a side street in the midst of De Wallen. Before ascending the winding staircases to the attic, where a whole Roman Catholic church is concealed in the rafters, visitors can explore a maze of medieval living spaces.
3. De Gooyer Windmill
The Brouwerij ‘t IJ brewery has a classic windmill, a Dutch landmark, towering over it. Many tourists are unaware that there is a windmill right in the middle of Amsterdam, despite the fact that they frequently have to leave the city to see one.
De Gooyer Windmill, which is majestic and lofty, embraces a corner of the island where Amsterdam-goers are on a boat cruise. It is an icon for a reason. In addition, it’s Amsterdam’s biggest windmill! Come for a stroll along the canals or take a boat tour of Amsterdam; you might even be able to see this octagonal building from the water!
4. Strand Blijburg
An Amsterdam beach that is further east of Amsterdam East is frequented by locals on sunny, warm days. The finest beach vacation is Strand Blijburg, whether you want to spend a few hours or a whole day getting away from the city. There is a swimming area with open water and soft sand.
Although there isn’t a lifeguard on duty here, a yellow buoy that tapers out into the deep water is still present. Families, parties of friends, and any kind of traveler who simply wants to feel like they’re somewhere beachy love Stand Blijburg. Additionally, a tiny snack shop along the beach sells Dutch snacks that you can use to put together an entire picnic!
5. Karthuizerhof
In Amsterdam, there are numerous private, secluded gardens. Hofjes are what they are known as, and they are typically green courtyards where people may relax, read, and take in the quiet of being protected from the noise of the outside walls. The fact is, though, that most tourists won’t know where to look for these genuine hidden treasures.
Most hofjes accept visitors as long as they are quiet and respectful. One of these old courtyards is called Karthuizerhof, and it feels like a sanctuary. This was once a medieval convent for widows and single mothers dating back to 1650. It is now a beautiful location that you may retreat to when you need to regain your breath.
6. Hortus Botanicus
One of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, home to over 4000 different plant kinds, would truly captivate anyone with even a passing interest in botany with its tiny small cacti and towering palms. Numerous indoor places, such as the opulent Palm Greenhouse (an official monument) and the stunning butterfly house, may be found at Hortus.
7. Mezrab
This is a distinctive cultural center that unites a group of singers, comedians, and storytellers. Mezrab has a different event every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. A European folk dancing night might be scheduled one evening, then an open mic night with up-and-coming musicians the next.
Additionally, there are storytelling events when mythological, humorous, and factual tales are told. All activities at this amazing location are donation-based, so admission is always free, and you only pay what you can! Because everyone who works here is a volunteer and cares deeply about the local creative scene, all salaries go toward building rent.
Mezrab is constantly supportive of newbies and those who want to perform stand-up comedy, stories, or other types of entertainment. Therefore, signing up to perform on stage or simply to take in the local talent is simple.
8. Buying used items at a flea market at Waterlooplein
There is a massive, sprawling market in the Waterlooplein area outside the metro station six days a week, from Monday to Friday. Under several awnings, you can find vendors selling collectibles, used products, used apparel, and antiques here. Rommelmarkt, as these markets are known in the Netherlands, is a flea market conveniently located in the middle of the city. Having been around for more than 130 years, it also happens to be the country’s oldest flea market.
Looking for a retro camera? An unusual collectible? Among the 300 vendors dispersed throughout the area, you never know what you could find. In case you get hungry after thrifting, there are lots of food trucks nearby. The Dutchies’ favorite street food snack is the Vietnamese lumpia, which are fried egg rolls from Vietnam.
9. The Houseboat (Woonboot) Museum
Visitors have a one-of-a-kind chance to experience what it was like to live on a typical Dutch houseboat, thanks to this little floating museum. Visitors can explore the cozy living area before sitting down for tea and cake on the vintage couches on the Hendrika Maria, a former cargo ship from 1914.
10. Sarphatipark
Sarphatipark embodies the same qualities as De Pijp and is a magnificent expanse of greenery in the hip De Pijp neighborhood (really, this is Amsterdam’s best-dressed, young, and bohemian sector). You can have a picnic in the sunshine there with your tasty treats from the adjacent Albert Cuyp market.
Alternately, stroll past the ponds and bridges. Seriously, people from all walks of life pass through Sarphatipark, including Amsterdam’s fashionistas and trendsetters, as well as the underground and alternative population. The fact that local Amsterdammers can go to Sarphatipark to escape tourists while many tourists prefer to visit Vondelpark is what makes this park so unique.
11. Museum Perron Oost
Since Museum Perron Oost has a surface area of only 6 m2, the entire exhibition is visible through the windows. The old cattle market area and railroad tracks were converted into a tiny park by artist Joep van Lieshout in 1993. Since 2013, the experiences of locals have been told in this modest art gallery inside the former supervisor’s home.
