5 secrets of Amsterdam

5 secrets of Amsterdam
By admin


Amsterdam is renowned for hedonism, canals, bicycles and beer. Let’s start with beer. While most tourists head to the Heineken or Amstel brewery, those in search of a secret should uncover the boutique breweries around the city. Swap the big name bottles for Brouwerj de 7 Deugden, where each brew is named after one of the seven virtues. This is as Bible-sanctioned as beer could ever be and just when you thought it couldn’t be any more divine, the tastings are paired with cheese. 

Secret gardens can be found tucked behind unassuming doors in Amsterdam and it’s wholly legal to enter them. Called Hofjes, these almhouses were built up to eight centuries ago around a courtyard. The houses were social housing for widows, and they still survive in the city, mostly inhabited by students. You’re not trespassing, so be brave and push open some gate doors. If you’d rather some directions than chance, Zon’s Hofje is located at Prinsengracht 159, which is on one of Amsterdam’s main canals.  

For a slice of Dutch countryside in the city, go to Amsterdam Wood. City-dwellers come to picnic and walk in this thousand hectare park – that is triple the size of the other big city competitor, New York’s Central Park. For even more of a secret, there is a division of the park reserved for those sans clothes, with a nudist area at the Zonneweide. Don’t pretend you haven’t been warned. 

Closer to the city is a tree worth investigation. On a thick overhead branch by a classic canal stands a statue of a woodcutter sawing into the tree. No-one knows who is responsible for the cheeky bronze, making it all the more mysterious. Look for it in the forested area near Leidseplein. 

If you’re after something flashier than bronze, head downstairs to Electric Ladyland. As dodgy as it may sound, this is not a premise in the red light district but a museum dedicated to the history of fluorescent lights. It’s like a glow-in-the-dark rave behind glass, without people or dance music. This museum has been compared to an acid trip – no hallucinogenic required.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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