Amsterdam City Tour – A delightful morning exploring a fascinating city

The city of Amsterdam is truly fascinating and a place brimming with history and culture.  Boasting stunning churches, impressive buildings, picturesque canals and even a Royal Palace, there really is something for everyone.  One of the best ways to explore the vast collection of sights and attractions is by taking one of the fabulous city tours, which provides an effortless blend of fun and education.

I had

visited Amsterdam many times before and was already quite familiar with the

main sights that the city has to offer. 

However, I was interested to learn about the ‘hidden gems’ which are not

as widely publicised as many of the main tourist attractions and so myself and

my family booked onto a custom made, walking city tour with Smart Tourism

Amsterdam.  Our tour began mid-morning,

just outside Amsterdam’s Centraal Station on the banks on the Singel Canal,

where we were met by our guide Louise. We had already agreed for our tour to last around two hours, which we

thought was an appropriate time to be walking around for.  Louise introduced herself to us and gave us

an overview of what the tour would entail.

First of

all, we made our way to the fashionable Jordaan district, an area which was

originally designed to house the ever increasing working class population of

the city.  The district underwent a total

transformation in the 1970, resulting in the chic and sought after neighbourhood

that it is today.  Here is where we

learnt about the Jordaan’s two stunning churches, the North Church

(Noorderkerk) and the West Church (Westerkerk), which were both built in the

1600s and designed by the architect Hendrick de Keyser.  We continued along the picturesque

Prinsengracht Canal, marvelling at the beautiful buildings and quirky

houseboats along the way.  The next stop

was outside the famous Anne Frank House Museum, one of Amsterdam’s most visited

museums, which is where Anne Frank and her Jewish family hid from the Nazis during

World War II.

Making

our way towards the heart of the city centre, Louise explained the rich history

of Amsterdam’s canals, houses and shopping streets. We soon arrived at the striking New Church,

which was built in the 15th century and is where many of the Dutch

Royal family’s important ceremonies take place. 

To the rear of the church, we found the huge, bustling Dam Square, which

is overlooked by the magnificent Royal Palace. 

Our tour then took us briefly through the Amsterdam Museum and into the

charming, secluded courtyard known as the Begijnhof.  This enchanting area was designed as a

sanctuary for single catholic women, many of which still reside here, and

contains two churches and several houses – one of which is Amsterdam’s oldest

surviving, traditional wooden house.

From here,

we headed to the east of the city, passing the University of Amsterdam, the

remarkable South Church and the renowned Rembrandt House Museum.  We also travelled along the colourful street

of the once Jewish quarter of the city towards the magnificent Waag or

weigh-bridge.  Originally a gate to the

city, this spectacular 14th century building is now home to an

impressive restaurant which is lit by 300 candles.  Our tour came to an end just across from the

Oosterdok, where the well-known Nemo Science Centre and Scheepvaartmuseum can

be located.

We

thoroughly enjoyed our city tour of Amsterdam, especially Louise’s knowledge

and information, and were surprised at how much we learned.  We would highly recommend it to anyone

looking for an informative and fun way of exploring the city.  Tours can be tailored to your individual

needs and can even be done by bicycle!! For more information, Smart Tourism Amsterdam

have a great facebook page – www.facebook.com/pages/Smart-Tourism-Amsterdam/351423728253114?fref=ts.