The Adventures of Debbie Dimples - in Amsterdam, Holland

I've been lucky enough to visit Amsterdam on three separate occasions. My first two visits to Amsterdam were with my first boyfriend, as it was his favourite city. My third, and possibly final visit to Amsterdam was for Christmas in 2018 with two other female solo travellers. Amsterdam is a wonderful city which is is famous for it's canals. The canal ring was constructed in the 17th century and has helped shape the city's history.

Hotel Mercure Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station

On my third visit to Amsterdam, I stayed at the Hotel Mercure Amsterdam Sloterdijk for 3 nights as a solo traveller. The hotel is a 10 minute train journey to Amsterdam Central Station. The main feature of the hotel is the rooftop bar and restaurant which is a welcome treat after a day of walking around the city.

Old Amsterdam Cheese Store

Those who know me well know that I love cheese! My first stop in Amsterdam during my solo visit was to the Old Amsterdam Cheese Store before emabarking on a group walking tour of the city. The Old Amsterdam Cheese Store is home to some of the finest Dutch Gouda cheese.

Van Wonderen Stroopwafels

The next significant food stop in Amsterdam was to the Van Wonderen Stroopwafels bakery. A stroopwafel is a thin, round waffle cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by caramel filling. If you have not tried a stroopwafel yet, I suggest you do! I enjoy mine dunked in a cup of tea! Van Wonderen Stroopwafels is Amsterdam's most popular stroopwafel spot.

Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is a writer's house and biographical museum dedicated to Anne Frank, the young Jewish Dutch girl who was captured and later died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during World War II. The building is located on a canal called the Prinsengracht, close to the Westerkerk, in central Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The museum itself does not feature any furniture, but there are old photographs which form part of the exhibition and they show what the house looked like in the past. The Anne Frank statue is located just a little further along the street and stands as a tribute to Anne Frank.

The Begijnhof

The Begijnhof is an inner courtyard of Amsterdam and a quiet spot away from the city hustle and bustle. Originally a sanctuary for the "Beguines" sisterhood, today its houses are occupied by older single women.

Singel Canal

Singel is one of the canals in the canal ring surrounding the old city of Amsterdam. It is the ring closest to Dam Square and runs parallel to the other canals. I've walked up and down the Singel Canal on a number of occasions.

Damrak

The Damrak is an avenue and partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of the city. The Damrak is home to one of the most photographed rows of canal houses in the city.

Gable Stones

Each house and building in Amsterdam used to have a stone plaque, called a gable stone. In the Middle Ages, the gable stones were used to identify the houses because many people couldn’t read at that time. The pictures in the stones represented the name, origin, religion or profession of the owner.

Houseboats

The winding canals of Amsterdam house over 2500 houseboats.

Dam Square

Dam Square, Amsterdam's central town square and meeting point, is one of the city's most popular landmarks. The square is home to tourust attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Royal Palace.

Nieuwmarkt Square

Bordering Chinatown and De Wallen (Red Light District) is the popular and lively square known as Nieuwmarkt (New Market). Nieuwmarkt is a square which is dominated by De Waag, once the city's eastern gateway.

Bicycles

Bicycles are part of the Dutch culture and often used for transport. This traditional dutch ladies bike is typical of the bikes seen dotted around the Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Light Festival

From late November until January the canal belt of Amsterdam lights up with spectacular light sculptures, projections, and art installations and is known as the Amsterdam Light Festival. The best way to see the lights is on the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise.

Café Josélito

Café Joselito is a tapas restaurant and is a real hidden gem within the city. We went for our Christmas dinner at the restaurant.

Gassan Diamonds

Gassan Diamonds is a family business which founded in 1945 by Samuel Gassan in the Amsterdam diamond district.

The Flower Market

Home to an abundance of Tulips, the Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt) is located in the heart of the city, near Kalverstraat, Leidsestraat and the Munttoren en Muntplein. The Tulip is the most famous flower from Holland and is often used as the icon of the Netherlands

Museumplein

The Museumplein is Amsterdam's largest square and is the home to museums such as the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Moco Museum. Musicians and human statue performers can often be seen providing entertainment at the entrance of the Museumplein.

Museumplein Christmas Markets

Every Christmas, the Museumplein is transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with Christmas markets, ice village and ice rink.

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum has the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh in the world.

Moco Museum

The Moco Museum exhibits iconic works by internationally renowned artists and rising stars. During my visit to Amsterdam, the museum was holding an exhibition for Banksy, alongside works by Icy&Sot and Roy Lichtenstein.

Puccini Bomboni

There are a number of classy shops for food and gifts dotted all around the city of Amsterdam. One of my favourites (being a chocoholic) was Puccini Bomboni.

Canal Cruise

One of the best ways to see a large amount of Amsterdam in a small amount of time is to take one of the Canal Cruise tours. We spent Christmas Day of 2018 on the Canal Cruise with Santa in Amsterdam!

Museum Willet-Holthuysen

Museum Willet-Holthuysen provides visitors with the opportunity to experience what life would be like in a 17th-century Amsterdam canal house.

Heinen Delfts Blauw

Heinen Delfts Blauw is the perfect shop for a traditional Delft blue gift from the Netherlands.

Clogs

One of the biggest things that the Netherlands are known for are their clogs or klompen (as referred to in Dutch). Clogs are made entirely of wood have been around since the 13th century. Traditionally used in the past as protective footwear for farming, gardening, fishing and industry working, clogs are mainly created for visiting tourists.

De Wallen

De Wallen is the largest and most well known red-light district in Amsterdam. The red light district is very seedy and dangerous place, but being a curious tourist, I did walk through the area just to see it.

Bridges

Everyone who visits Amsterdam needs to get a 'money shot', or a photo on a bridge over one of the canals, (ideally with bikes in the background). The ideal location for that perfect photo is the intersection between the Leidsegracht and Keizersgracht canals.

City breaks are wonderful, but can be tiring after exploring all day. A good opportunity to rest your legs is to sit in a nice bar with a Baileys!

And that's a wrap for Christmas in Amsterdam!