Rolling Traveler

This week’s focus has been on Amsterdam, and I would like to wrap things up today with seven other things that you might like to know if you’re planning to visit the Netherlands’ capital. This is an eclectic mix of ideas for things to see, mini-reviews and a couple of facts, just to cover some things there wasn’t time or space for in the week’s main posts.

• Amsterdam has a fun and impressive looking science and technology center called NEMO, which was designed by famous architect Renzo Piano. Five stories tall and resembling a boat, NEMO stands on the waterfront about 15 minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal. It has a variety of fun and interesting exhibits about all the sciences, and if you time your visit right, you can even get the chance to run an experiment of your own. The center is fully wheelchair accessible, rating an Excellent, with elevators to and accessible restrooms on every floor. Fun and educational, and suitable for all ages.
• There is a branch of Madame Tussauds waxworks museum on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. I find waxwork figures rather creepy, so I have not been, but friends of mine have said it was fun, and that they learned something about Dutch celebrities and political figures. However, be warned that the Dutch Madame Tussauds has a fire regulation-dictated policy that only two wheelchair users can be in the museum at any one time, and that you need to call ahead and book if you plan to go there with a wheelchair.
• The city has a subtle but impressive monument to the gay men and women who lost their lives under the Hitler Regime of World War II. On the Keizersgracht side of the Westmarkt, the Homomonument is only a few minutes’ walk from the famous (but unfortunately inaccessible) Anne Frank House, making the Westmarkt area a place for reflection on the horrors of Europe’s past. The Homomonument is not well known, and because its structure is not immediately obvious, it is often overlooked.
• De Wallen, Amsterdam’s largest and most famous red-light district, may not sound like suitable material for a family-friendly blog, but I can’t really talk about the city without mentioning it: for all its garish displays and drunken crowds, it is still considered a major tourist attraction. It is in the streets to the East of the Damrak (left side, if you’re going from Amsterdam Centraal to the Dam), and it is exactly as you might have seen it in movies and photos, except you will see rather more families than you’d expect, some laughing and pointing at what is on display, and others shell-shocked because they wandered into it by mistake. Don’t visit this part of the city if you don’t want to be exposed to PG-13 nudity and sex for sale. Personally, I find De Wallen rather sad and, despite the city’s efforts to clean it up, a bit seedy. It is also not a very wheelchair friendly part of the city, with a lot of steep gradients up to the bridges, and very few lowered curbs at crosswalks.
• I have never had a good meal on the Dam. The restaurants around that area of the city are touristy and over-priced, and I always advise people to head farther out to hunt for good food, west into the area of the four most famous canals and the Rosengracht. You’ll hear a lot more Dutch spoken out there, and you’ll get to eat in a quieter and friendlier environment.
• Amsterdam Centraal Station is a large station, and the platforms are very long. It can be confusing the first time you go, particularly when it comes to finding out where you’re supposed to wait for someone to assist you to get on the train. As always, let them know you’re coming: call ahead to book an assist, as most of the trains are not level with the platform and you will need to be lifted on board. Also, get to the station at least a half-hour before your train departs, and talk to someone at the information desk to make sure that your request went through, and find out where you should wait on the platform.
• Look up from time to time. Did you know that many buildings in Amsterdam have such narrow stairwells that furniture can’t be carried up the stairs to the apartments? Instead, large items were pulled up on ropes and brought in through a window. At the tops of such buildings, you will see an arm and pulley or hook. I once saw a sofa being pulled up to the third floor: it all looked precarious, but ended well.

That’s all for now on Amsterdam. If you have any questions, please ask, and I’ll do my best to help you out.

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