Amsterdam is transformed into a gigantic carnival, with various concerts, popular balls and, above all, huge flea markets full of all kinds of goods. The atmosphere, particularly joyful, lends itself to all excesses. The festivities begin the day before and continue for 24 hours. Not to be missed!
A unique celebration
Every year it's the same thing, in April, the city gets warmer and not because of the weather: no, it's the excitement leading to the major event of the year, Koningsdag, the king's day! This popular national holiday traditionally takes place on the sovereign's birthday on April 27. Because, since 2013, King Willem-Alexander has succeeded his mother Beatrix and, as a first change, this holiday has changed date and now takes place on 27 April. This celebration is a day of madness for the people where anything is allowed and the people of Amsterdam have a great time. On the evening of the 26th, the festivities began and the alcohol flowed all night long. The inhabitants are used to go from coffee to coffee according to the meetings. The next day, the celebration continues and the city is transformed into a giant garage sale where kitsch meets art! For good deals, it is advisable to start early, from 7am, and walk the streets of the city's chic districts near the museums and Beethovenstraat. The Vondelpark is transformed into a giant kindergarten. The districts to visit today are Jordaan and De Pijp with dancing, festive restaurants and concerts. Orange, the color of the royal family is everywhere and the good taste is not always there. In the evening, the calm returns and the next day, the city hardly wakes up from its torpor under an impressive layer of waste... Unique at all levels. In recent years, the mayor of the city has banned giant podiums to guarantee safety; this is not a bad decision and the atmosphere has become more friendly again! Note that the king's feast day is sometimes brought forward by a day to avoid falling on a Sunday. That's right! The Netherlands wants to spare Christians...
Mythical museums
Even if you come for King's Day, it would be a shame to pack your bags in Amsterdam without visiting its mythical museums. Since 2013, the Rijksmuseum, the most important museum in the Netherlands, and one of the most beautiful in Europe, has reopened its doors after... almost 10 years of closure for renovation! The wait was excessively long, but the result is absolutely sumptuous. You can now visit its 80 rooms and almost 10,000 works 365 days a year. A museum that alone justifies a visit to Amsterdam. In order to admire Rembrandt's La Ronde de Nuit, La Laitière de Vermeer and many masterpieces by the great masters of the Dutch school
Six months before, almost opposite the Rijks and next to the Van Gogh Museum, it was the Stedelijk Museum that reopened its doors after 9 years of work. The Municipal Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art now attracts as much for its bold modern architecture as for its masterpieces. The visit takes place in the company of works by Braque, Cézanne, Chagall, Ernst, Mondrian, Picasso, Pollock, Kokoschka or Kandinsky in particular. With the neighbouring Van Gogh Museum, which has since then been offering a number of new features, Amsterdam and its Museumplein have acquired a first-class museum concentration
The Red Neighbourhood is reinventing itself
In parallel with its comeback as one of Europe's leading cultural destinations, Amsterdam has been working to channel two phenomena that are all too familiar to the city: prostitution and the cannabis trade. The people of Amsterdam, attached to a certain elegance and discretion, were getting tired of seeing hordes of visitors every weekend who came to the city's sulphurous dens for more than reason. The station area, the epicentre of Amsterdam with its canals, has therefore been secured and acts as a magnet for those who wish to spend their stay in a coffee shop. Even if this district is no longer really frequented by locals, it will be interesting at one time or another to stroll around it to smell the scent of the scandalous Amsterdam. As for the brothels in the adjoining Red Light District, the city has implemented a policy of systematically replacing them with stores for young creators and designers, modern art galleries and hotel shops. It is the "Red Light Fashion" project that is gradually changing the face of the neighbourhood and making shopping addicts happy! Surrounded by the trendy and bohemian Jordaan district to the west and the majestic Grand Canaux district with its delicious "Nine Streets", the Red Quarter is now the newest part of a vast territory where you can stroll, have lunch, drink coffee and go shopping at your leisure
And what a joy to stroll along these canals at nightfall, warmly but timidly illuminated by streetlights that pierce the evening and the nascent mist. It is a pleasure to enter one of the many "brown cafés" that characterize the city with their soft lighting, wooded interior and cosy warmth of their furniture. What a delight to stroll around the Albert Cuypmart (large open-air market in De Pijp south of the Grand Canaux) and crunch into a broodje haring (a small sandwich of fresh herring) bought on a stand or in a shop on the fly. Here in Amsterdam you can taste the eternal, the port, the elegant, the peaceful and the merchant.
Bike rides and dolce vita
Once there, apart from walking, the two most recommended means of transport are public transport and cycling. With 17 tram lines and nearly 30 buses that effectively criss-cross the city, the surface transport network is highly developed. But Amsterdam is above all the world's bicycle capital! There are countless rental shops and they can be rented by the day. Be careful, and this applies to both cyclists and pedestrians, cycle lanes are everywhere, in all the streets of the city, and pass alternately from the roadway to the sidewalks
As for walks, the Vondelpark, the city's real green lung, is an attraction not to be missed as soon as the sun comes out. It is then obviously even more appreciated by its inhabitants and visitors. This park is a place of outings where you can eat, drink, play sports, attend various shows for free, etc.... In osmosis with the city and its inhabitants, the Vondelpark simply makes us taste the dolce vita with hollandaise sauce
Smart info
When? When? Amsterdam can be visited very well in all seasons. In autumn and winter, the weather can be cool and humid, but the photogenicity and atmosphere in the city is unique and unpredictable. Spring is probably the ideal time to visit the city, but as everyone seems to agree, the city is crowded and the attractions are in high demand. It is essential to book your transport, accommodation and visits in advance. Especially during the King's Day, which takes place on 27 April (attention, the festivities begin on the evening of 26 April)
Getting there. By plane, train (Thalys) or bus, everything is possible.
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