On the occasion of its annual Gay Pride, Amsterdam will once again be a party girl and crazy for a few days of madness. A perfect opportunity to settle down in the Dutch city and discover one of the most charming cities in Europe.
A unique celebration
Every year it's the same thing, the mythical Amsterdam canals live a hectic first weekend of August on the occasion of its famous Gay Pride, one of the most impressive in Europe and the only one that can be seen... on the water! From July 29 to August 6, many events will be organized (pride march, films, workshops, etc.), but to experience the greatest moment of the week, meet for the closing weekend for the famous Amsterdam Parade Canal. Because there are more than 80 barges with an unbridled atmosphere that will raise the sonos to make house and techno sound throughout the city. Nearly 500,000 people will make the trip and this is a good opportunity to discover the crazy side of the Dutch city. Before, if it is not already done, to go and enjoy its many tourist gems.
Mythical museums
Even if you come to celebrate, it would be a shame to settle 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 earlier, 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. To attend the 2017 edition of Gay Pride, visit the Battle City between 29 July and 6 August (from 4 to 6 August for the most important festivities).
Getting there. By plane, train (Thalys) or bus, everything is possible.
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Useful. To prepare your escapade as well as possible.
OFFICE DU TOURISME D'AMSTERDAM (VVV) - More information on the website
AMSTERDAM GAY PRIDE - More information on the website
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