guideserviceamsterdam

Amsterdam bike tour

colorful bikes 2

Colorful bikes. When you are walking around Amsterdam, often you will encounter these colorful creations on bridges. They are made by Warren Gregory, also known as the Flowerbikeman. You can’t help but smile when you see them, which is exactly what the Flowerbikeman wants to achieve. In his words: “I sell smiles for free”.

#colorful_bikes
#flowerbikeman #visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #besuchensieamsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #happy #smile #privatführerinamsterdam #holland #amsterdam #lovetotravel #beiunsinamsterdam

city of bikes

With more bicycles than inhabitants in the city it sometimes can be a problem to find your bicycle. The flowerbikeman has the perfect solution!

#city_of_bikes
#iloveamsterdam #visitamsterdam #flowerbikeman #guideserviceamsterdam #amsterdambiketour #fremdenführerinamsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #summerinthecity #citytrip #iloveamsterdam #photooftheday #besuchensieamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #cityvibes

liberation day

Liberation Day. On May 5th the Dutch celebrate the end of the Second World War. The day before, Remembrance Day, wreaths have been placed at monuments, such as the Homomonument. This monument has been located since 1987 behind the Westerkerk. It consists of 3 pink granite triangles, that together shape a bigger triangle. The triangles symbolize the past, present and future. The monument is a place to commemorate all the people that have been, or still are, persecuted or murdered because of their sexual orientation or identity. During the Second World War, in the Nazi concentration camps, the pink triangle identified the homosexual prisoners. Since the seventies the triangle has become the symbol against oppression and exclusion of the LGTBI+ community.

#Liberation_Day
#homomonument #remember #visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #amsterdam #visitholland #bevrijdingsdag #freedomtobeyourself #westerkerk #travelbroadensthemind #guideserviceamsterdam

history

In the 17th C warehouses in Amsterdam were used to store merchandise brought back by the Dutch East India Company, such as pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon. Until the time of Napoleon, houses didn’t have numbers, they had names, these storehouses were called the spoonbill.

#history
#visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #travel #Speicherhäuser #fremdenführerinamsterdam #iamsterdam #visitholland #guideserviceamsterdam #citytrip #wochenendeinamsterdam

dutch traditions 2

Dutch traditions. In the Netherlands the stork delivers the babies. When a child is born, you can find a stork in the garden or on the window. A pink ribbon means a babygirl, a blue ribbon a boy.

#dutch_traditions
#visitthenetherlands #guideserviceamsterdam #culturetrip #yourprivateguideinthenetherlands #walkingtouramsterdam #photooftheday #cityvibes #iloveamsterdam #amsterdamstories

the amsterdam flag

The Amsterdam flag, based on the coat of arms of the city, consists of two red lines with a black line in the middle. Often, a line represents a river. In this case the Amstel river. On the black line there are three St. Andrew’s crosses. The crosses used to be part of the coat of arms of an important landowner in the 13th C called Persijn. It is said that the 3 crosses stood for the dangers in the past: water, fire and the plague. The coat of Amsterdam can be found on many historical buildings in the city.

#the_amsterdam_flag
#visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #holland #iamsterdam #citytrip #fremdenfüherinamsterdam #iloveamsterdam #beiunsinamsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #stadtführung #traveltips #walkingtouramsterdam #biketouramsterdam #history #storytelling #visitthenetherlands

spring

Apple blossom in the Betuwe. This area, an hour’s drive from Amsterdam is a great destination during the month of May. Rent a bicycle or go for a drive along the Linge river.

#spring
#visitthenetherlands #visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #betuwe #beautifuldestinations #biketour #fremdenführerinamsterdam #travel #sustainablebiketour #guideserviceamsterdam #countryside #blossomseason

architecture

Amsterdam architecture. This building, a housing complex, was built in 1919 by architect Michel de Klerk for the housing association ‘Eigen Haard’. It’s a great example of the Amsterdamse School architecture of the 1920’s.

#architecture
#visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #citybreak #guideserviceamsterdam #iamsterdam #wanderlust #beiunsinamsterdam #fremdenfüherinamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #amsterdamguide #visitholland #artandarchitecture #greatguideamsterdam #traveltip

countryside

Cycling in the countryside. Beware of the sheep.

#countryside
#bicycletour #nature #dutchcountryside #fahrradtour #besuchensieamsterdammitmir #guideserviceamsterdam #greatguiding #visitthenetherlands #theroadlesstravelled #alternativeamsterdam #landschaft #besuchensieholland #activeholiday #sheepontheroad

amsterdam art

These sculptures, The big traveller and The big watcher by the French artist Jean Marie Appriou (2019) are part of the ArtZuid exhibition, the leading Sculpture Biennale of the Netherlands. Every two years, 50 high-profile sculptures are exhibited for four months in the Amsterdam Zuid area. The 7th edition, with the title Imagine, opened on July 1st and will continue till Oct 17th. The mission of ArtZuid is to make art accessible for everyone, so you can enjoy the exhibition for free. There is an information centre on Minervalaan, you can also download an app with information in English, and there are guided tours too.

#amsterdam_art
#artzuid #visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #citytrip #artandculture #traveltips #guideserviceamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #fremdenführerin_in_amsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #photooftheday #amsterdamstories

amsterdam art 2

On the Strandeiland (beach island) on Ijburg you can admire until July 16th the Sandscapes made by Rikke Munkholm Laursen in collaboration with Bruno Doedens. They will be slowly blurring due to the wind and weather.

#amsterdam_art
#visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #citybreak #fremdenführerinamsterdam #traveltips #surprisingamsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #visitholland #iloveamsterdam #art #photooftheday

ketikoti

On July 1st 1863 slavery was abolished in the Dutch colony Suriname (although the formerly enslaved people had to stay on working for minimal pay for another 10 years) and the Dutch Antilles. This day is celebrated as Keti Koti, the chain is cut, or the chain is broken in Sranantongo. It’s also known as Emancipation Day (St Maarten) or Dia di lucha pa libertat. Since 2002 in the Oosterpark in Amsterdam there is the Nationaal Monument Slavernij geschiedenis (National Monument Slavery History) designed by Erwin de Vries. A ceremony will take place at the monument and in other cities in the Netherlands. Also, on 20 locations in the city people can enjoy heri heri (healing) a dish that originated on the plantations. Volunteers of KIP Republic prepared 10,000 portions of this dish, that contains cassava, plantain, sweet potato, bakkeljauw(salted and dried cod) and egg.

#ketikoti
#july1st #oosterpark #vistamsterdamwithaprivateguide #diadiluchapalibertat #emancipationday #guideserviceamsterdam #visitholland #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #heriheri #freedom #remember

dutch traditions

Only a few times a year you will find the Dutch red white and blue flag attached to private homes: on April 27th, King’s day, with an extra orange ribbon in honor of the House of Oranje(orange). On May 4th, Remembrance Day (half mast), on May 5th, Liberation Day. And in the months of June and July the flag might appear on some houses with a backpack attached: it means that an adolescent in the home graduated, and no longer needs the study books!

#dutch_traditions
#visitholland #abitur #beiunsinholland #visitamsterdamwithaprivateguide #fremdenfühererin_in_amsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #visitthenetherlands #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #aboutthedutch #amsterdamstories

leaning houses

Many houses in the city centre are leaning, like this group of houses on the Amstel. The city lies beneath the sea level, and the ground is very soft. Before we can build houses, we need to lay a foundation of piles. There are around 60 piles beneath a house, with a lenght between 12-20 meters. At a depht of 12 meters and again 20 meters there are sand layers. The piles are driven into the soil till they rest on the sand. In the past wooden piles were used, the city rests on 11 million piles. As long as those piles remained under water, they were like stone, but if the groundwater level changed, the piles started to rot. Hence the leaning.

#leaning_houses
#amsterdamstories #guideserviceamsterdam #amsterdamcanals #walkingtouramsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #citytrip #fremdenführerinamsterdam #amstelriver #iloveamsterdam #visitamsterdam #summerinthecity #photooftheday #cityvibes #wanderlust

magere brug

The Magere Brug (Skinny bridge). Originally at the end of the 17th century a broad monumental stone bridge was planned on this spot. Due to economic setbacks the plan was changed, and a more modest and narrow bridge was built, hence the name skinny bridge.

#magere_brug
#visitamsterdam #amstelriver #guideserviceamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #besuchensieamsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #cityvibes #iloveamsterdam #amsterdamstories #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #beautifulcities

amsterdam stories

The Montelbaanstoren is an old defense tower on the East side of the old town dating back to the 16th century. The white upper part was added in the 17th century. In the 16th century watchmen used the tower to check for fires in the city, especially on the shipyards. If the alarm was sounded the people from the neighborhood had to form a human chain and pass the bucket to help extinguish the fire. In the 17th century Jan van der Heijden invented the first firehose.

#amsterdam_stories
#visitamsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #traveltips #fremdenführerinamsterdam #visitholland #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #summerinthecity #amsterdamhistory #iloveamsterdam #montelbaanstoren

amsterdam port

The Amsterdam is a copy of an 18th century trade ship. It was built for a regatta called Sail Amsterdam that has taken place in August every 5 years since 1975. This ship was built for Sail 1990. It is now part of the Maritime museum.

#amsterdam_port
#visitamsterdam #citytrip #guideserviceamsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #visitthenetherlands #cityvibes #summerinthecity #photooftheday #iamsterdam #amsterdambiketour #iloveamsterdam

amsterdam architecture

The Amsterdam opera house stands on an artificial island called Vlooienburg that was created in the bend of the Amstel around 1608. The quays of the island were used for wood storage and the island housed from the middle of the 17th century several orphanages. It was part of the Jewish quarter. After WW II the buildings in the area were in a bad shape, and were demolished to create space for a new city hall designed by the Austrian architect Wilhelm Holzbauer. After many years of protests it was decided to combine the city hall with a new music hall( opera & ballet) designed by the Dutch architect Cees Dam.

#amsterdam_architecture
#amstelriver #visitamsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #citytrip #walkingtouramsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #iloveamsterdam #summerinthecity #cityvibes #amsterdamstories

colorful bikes

Any time⏰is a good time to visit Amsterdam!

#colorful_bikes
#visitamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #flowerbikeman #guideserviceamsterdam #cityvibes #photooftheday #fremdenführerinamsterdam #besuchensieamsterdam #iloveamsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #summerinthecity #biketouramsterdam

amsterdam houseboats

Ever wondered what it’s like to live on a houseboat? The houseboat museum on the Prinsengracht is the place to go! A former cargo ship built at the beginning of the 20th century called Hendrika Maria is now a cosy living space open to the public on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

#amsterdam_houseboats
#guideserviceamsterdam #cityvibes #iloveamsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #traveltips #photooftheday #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #summerinthecity #houseboatmuseum #amsterdamcanals #besuchensieholland

pretty amsterdam

Amsterdammers love their flowers. They create little gardens on their doorstep or along the canals. Join me on a walk to discover the beauty of the city!

#pretty_amsterdam
#walkingtouramsterdam #guideserviceamsterdam #citytrip #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #besuchensieamsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #iloveamsterdam #summerinthecity #traveltip #amsterdam

hermitageamsterdam

The Hermitage Amsterdam. This building on the Amstel river was built at the end of the 17th Century as a residence for 400 old ladies. In 1817 men were admitted too. Since 2009 the building houses the Amsterdam Hermitage. There are changing exhibitions of artworks from the collection of the Hermitage in St Petersburg Russia. You can admire 30 Dutch group portraits in the Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century and there is a Hermitage for children.

#hermitageamsterdam
#visitamsterdam #yourprivateguideinamsterdam #citytrip #guideserviceamsterdam #beautifulcities #iloveamsterdam #walkingtouramsterdam #fremdenführerinamsterdam #culture #visitthenetherlands #amsterdammuseums #traveltips

walkingtour amsterdam

In the former Binnendijksche Buitenveldersche Polder, an area between the Amstel river and the Boerenwetering which had been used for agriculture and recreation, at the end of the 19th Century a new part of the city was developed. As the population started to increase after 1850 an urban development was designed by city architect van Niftrik and later by Kalff. The area was given the name district YY but was soon known as the Pijp, after the narrow drainage canals that were once part of the polder. One of these canals, the Zaagmolen sloot(sawmill canal) was filled in with sand and is now known as Albert Cuyp straat, where from Monday till Saturday you can find the market with the same name. The Pijp used to be a typical working class area, with narrow streets and small houses. Often several families shared an apartment and even single rooms were rented out to families. Living conditions weren’t great. At the beginning there was no running water or a sewerage system. There were communal bathing houses. In the past 15 years the area has become a popular part of the city, with many bars and restaurants. Many inhabitants have created little gardens on their facades. It’s a great area for a stroll.

#walkingtour_amsterdam
#visitamsterdam #yourprivateguideinthenetherlands #cityvibes #beautifulcities #fremdenführerinamsterdam #traveltips #de_Pijp #guideserviceamsterdam #photooftheday #amsterdamstories #iloveamsterdam

More Amsterdam photo's from my Instagram