Amsterdam canals and activities

Things to do

Summers in Amsterdam are excellent, have a drink on the big terrace of the Leidseplein, or enjoy the city from a different point of view and travel over the canals with a canalbike. During the winter, you can explore the iceskating track uniquely situated in the middle of the Leidseplein or, if the canals freeze over, the boats get stuck but you can have a nice iceskating trip over the well-known Amsterdam canals. Amsterdam frozen over is a winter wonderland: everybody either skates or scrambles around, vendors sell hot chocolate and soup. Be careful, though: thin spots in the ice, especially under bridges and at the edges, can be dangerous.
The best introduction to Amsterdam and its interesting buildings, created at the height of the city's splendour, that the Dutch call Golden Age, when Holland was an empire, is to float around in a rondvaart bubble-boat.
Most can be found in front of the central railway station, and charge the qeuivalent of 5 pounds per hour.
There are many tourist boats. Or, if it's exercise you're after, you can rent a pedal boat.
Popular tours are Unique Dinner Cruise, Panoramic City Tour (Bus and Boat), and Amsterdam Boat Cruise.
And don't forget that people actually live on the canals. There are about 2500 houseboats, accommodating 6000 people, moored along the canals.
The old city harbour is the Ooster Dok.
Amsterdam's main street is the Damrak, connecting the Central Station with the Royal Palace Square and the Dam.
Relax in the peace and quiet of the large Vondel Park, which in the winter is a quiet fairyland of frozen ponds. It has a Tea house, Film Museum, fitness track.
Or you can jog or stroll in the Museumplein.

If you fancy horror, you can easily get frightened watching 3 glass columns filled with water at the Normaal Amsterdams Peil (Normal Amsterdam Level), a fixed point against which measurements of sea level are made, in the passage between Amsterdam’s Town Hall (the Stadhuis) and Het Muziektheater in Waterlooplein. Beside a bronze plaque, 2 of the 3 columns show the current sea level at Vlissingen and IJmuiden, which at high tide is above your knees. The third shows the high-water mark during the disastrous floods in Zeeland in 1953: it's well above your head. The NAP sets the standard for altitude measurements in Europe.

Hours of opening in Holland

SHOPS
Most shops are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm. On Saturdays business hours differ between 8:30/9 - 4/5 pm. Mondays shops open between 11 am and 1 pm and close at 6 pm.
Most cities have late-night shopping (until 9 pm) on Thursdays or Fridays. In holiday and tourist resorts many shops are open at night and on Sundays. For business hours on Sundays or late night shopping, please call a local tourist information office.

SUNDAY SHOPPING AND LATE-NIGHT SHOPPING IN AMSTERDAM
Sunday: every week from 12 am to 7 pm
Late night shopping: every Thursday until 9 pm

BANKS
Business hours differ between banks. Most banks are open from Tuesday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm. On Mondays businesss hours start mainly at 1 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays banks are closed.
GWK offices are openen 7 days a week.

POST OFFICES
Regular post offices are open from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm. Bigger ones are also open on Saturdays between 9 am and 12 noon/12:30 p.m.

CHEMISTS
Regular business hours are Monday to Friday between 8/9 am and 5:30/6 pm. However, chemists are open on a rotation schedule to cover nights and weekends.

RESTAURANTS
Business hours vary, but usually restaurants are open for lunch from 11 am to 2:30/3 pm and for dinner from 5:30-10/11 pm.

MUSEUMS
Business hours vary, however, most museums are open from 10 am until 5 pm every day of the week, except Mondays.

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