Amsterdam, the famous and capital city of Netherlands, has always held a prominent position when it comes to finding a fun place to visit for holidays. It is no doubt densely inhabited but still it manages to accommodate and welcome tourists by providing loads of entertainment opportunities. Cheap flights to Amsterdam are often offered by travel agencies as they remain high on demand. All around the place, you can see beautiful canals, shops, houses and museums. You will find very friendly, open-minded people in Amsterdam who will love having you in their city. As there is so much to go through, you will seldom question yourself about what to do in Amsterdam. As a brief peek into the city, below are the top 10 fun and free things to do in Amsterdam.
1. Tour to the famous floating flower market
One of the best places to visit in Amsterdam is this flower market that has been designed beautifully. You will find a pleasant atmosphere with lots of flowers that are all different in designs and origin. This fact makes them worth seeing and gives a chance to praise the natural magnificence. Tulips that you will see at the Bloemenmarkt are world famous and one loves to capture their pictures in such fine looking areas. These colorful elements are arranged nicely in glass shelves. So if you are looking for an amusing free thing to do, all you have to do is take a walk around this area.
2. Have fun at Vondelpark
To have fun at a peaceful place, you can plan a picnic to the Vondelpark in Amsterdam named after the famous poet, Vondel. The grass here is a fine, smooth green carpet. One can have a very good family time at the park by playing games, having foodstuff, drinking fruit cocktails and sunbathing during their holiday trip. The park has some sculptures by Picasso and people sometime come only to see these. Usually fun activities are organized at Vondelpark especially for kids.
3. Find out about secret gardens of Begijnhof
Another very renowned place of Amsterdam you must visit is the secret garden of Begijnhof. It is exciting and fun to explore this neat and well maintained plot. The veiled area in form of a safe haven looks extraordinary to visitors. The noise and hustle bustle of the city area does not reach here so you have a cool and calm ambiance. The Engelse Kerk is a spot in these gardens where a local English society worships. It is a totally private sort of place where silence is quite predominant.
4. Skating at Canals of Amsterdam
The beautiful, eye catching canals of Amsterdam are very popular. A number of tourists enjoy skating on the frozen canals and sometimes they also have fun racing on them. In case the canals are not frozen, people skate around the canals as the cool breeze flows. The area is always visited by many locals and tourists and it is most populated on Fridays due to the special events conducted here.
5. Glimpse of a blend of cultures at Oosterpark
It is fun to meet people belonging to different cultures and areas. Oosterpark is one such place in Amsterdam which depicts the extensive cultural communities that live here like Indians and residents of East district. Another attractive point at this park is the statue known as The Shout or De Schreeuw which is constructed to pay tribute to the famous writer Theo Van Gogh.
6. Visit the Rijksmuseum for magnificent paintings
Rijksmuseum has got great compilation of art work from 15th century to the current era; however the old ones like The Night Watch are still more popular. In the past, it had church like format which has now been renovated by a Spanish designer into a museum. It is a good place to pass some time while admiring the magnificent paintings displayed inside.
7. Stopover the Anne Frank Museum
To make your tour more interesting and to know about historical background of Jews, you can stop over at the Anne Frank Museum. The name of the museum has its own significance as it used to be the house of Anne Frank, a young girl who hid here with her family in World War II for two years. The interior put on view the racial discrimination and harassment of the Jews in the past which grabs the attention of spectators from all around the world.
8. Enjoy sunny days at the beaches
Beaches of Amsterdam are full of pleasure and delight; the renowned ones include Roest, Blijburg and Strandzuid. Blijburg is located at the IJburg Island and many beach parties are conducted here which are fun-filled. People also enjoy sunny days and swimming at the beaches. Roest is also well recognized as it has a sandy look and attracts more people; especially the young crowd with its bonfires and BBQs. Live music is also played sometimes which adds on to the entertainment.
9. Exhibitions at the Stadsarchief
Stadsarchief is also referred to as The City Archive and many exhibitions are conducted here. Most of them focus on to the history and culture of the area and the good part is that a visit to basement area is free of cost and you get to see amazing stuff. The building itself and its interior are remarkable and quite appealing to eyes. So, if you have time, do visit Stadsarchief as it is going to be a memorable experience.
10. Lighten yourself up at the OBA (Public Library Amsterdam)
Openbare Bibliotheek in Amsterdam is a famous public library where loads of people come and relax by reading books. It is well built and once you come inside, you can feel the essence of internal peace and harmony. The top floor of the library is worth seeing as from there you can have brilliant city views. Another peculiar feature of this library is the soft piano that is often played as background music.