local attractions
Vondelpark
The Vondelpark is the largest city park in Amsterdam and in the province of North Holland. The park is located in the area Amsterdam Oud-Zuid (Old South) and is named after poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel.
Since 1996 the Vondelpark has been acknowledged as a national treasure.
The Vondelpark is Amsterdam's most famous and visited park. Locals and tourists alike find their way to the park during all times of the year. During summer months, the park offers free concerts and plays in the Open-Air Theatre. As you walk along the many small lakes and artworks throughout the park, stop for a drink or a bite to eat in the Vondelparkpaviljoen. And don't miss the impressive archives of the national Film Museum!
The main entrance of the Vondelpark is situated in the east.
Visitors to Amsterdam looking for centrally located accommodations will find affordable luxury at citizenM hotel Amsterdam City, conveniently located just minutes away from the city's main attractions.
P.C. Hooftstraat
Amsterdam's most luxurious and desirable street is named after Pieter Cornelisz Hooft, an influential historian, poet and playwright born in the 17th century.
The P.C. Hooftstraat offers a wide variety of international brands and chains, including Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hérmes and many more.
This bustling street starts at the Stadhouderskade leading all the way up to the Vondelpark. On route, you will cross the streets Hobbemastraat and Van Baerlestraat, which equally offer a wide range of quality stores, fine restaurants and bars. Influential people from all over the world visit P.C. Hooftstraat for a shopping spree or a quick lunch.
Too expensive for your taste? Just walk past the stores straight into the calming and relaxing Vondelpark with a coffee and croissant.
You can reach P.C. hooftstraat on walking distance from the Vondelpark or take tram 2 or 5 from Central Station.
Museumplein
The Golden Age was a prosperous time for Dutch merchants, explorers, craftsmen and artists. Famous artworks from Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer can be admired in two of the most prestigious museums in the Netherlands.
The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum are both situated at Museumplein (Museum Square) in Amsterdam. A two minute walking distance between both museums provide the chance to see great art pieces such as the Night Watch by Rembrandt and Van Gogh's famous self-portrait all in one afternoon.
Museumplein is a 3 minute walk from the P.C. hooftstraat and just 5 minutes from the Vondelpark. The fastest way to reach Museumplein is to take tram 2 or 5 from central station.
Exhibitions are held throughout the year, find out before hand what has been programmed during your time of stay and perhaps you will see that one painting that flew over from Berlin, New York or Paris.
Take me to the Van Gogh Museum
Take me to the Rijksmuseum
Anne Frank Museum
The Netherlands have had a rich and flourishing time during the Golden Age and unfortunately, like most affected countries, it had its darker years during times of war.
The Second World War kept the Netherlands captivated for almost 6 years. The country was torn apart and struggled to keep its head clear and safe. Of the many struggles published post-war, the self-written story of a girl who lived above an office in hiding with her family, is now one of the most famous diaries ever known in the world.
The Anne Frank Museum brings you back to time and place when food was scarce and absolute silence made the difference between life and deportation. It is in this house where she wrote her famous diary and despite its pitiful ending, it is truly one of the most inspiring places to visit in Amsterdam.
The Anne Frank Museum is located on the Prinsengracht and is best reached by tram 13 and 17 from Central Station.
The famous Negen straatjes is located on a 2 minute walking distance.
To uplift your spirits visit the nine streets for a sandwich and a cup of tea.
De Negen Straatjes
The Negen straatjes (The Nine Streets) is a cluster of alleys connecting the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and the Singel in Amsterdam city centre. This geometric ‘square' of streets is located on the upper west side within the circular canal belt of Amsterdam and are famous for housing small boutiques, fusion restaurants and café's, authentic antique stores, century-old bookstores and many more quaint little shops.
The Nine Streets:
Reestraat - Hartenstraat - Gasthuismolensteeg
Berenstraat - Wolvenstraat - Oude Spiegelstraat
Runstraat - Huidenstraat - Wijde Heisteeg
Take an afternoon to roam these streets and marvel at the 17th century architecture, step into monumental stores or order a bowl of fusion noodles.
Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein
Amsterdam has many authentic ‘brown café's', a term to describe the typical dark leather interior and laid-back atmosphere of a local Dutch bar or café. Locals find themselves here after work or in the weekend with colleagues and friends for a beer, wine or cup of coffee (brown coffee, brown beer, brown interior, hence brown café). These hospitable nooks can be found all over the city, however there are two locations in Amsterdam that combine lunch, dinner, dancing and drinking all onto two squares.
Rembrandtplein is situated at the end of the main shopping street in Amsterdam, the Kalverstraat. Starting at the Dam, the Kalverstraat leads all the way up to Rembrandtplein. If you wish to combine shopping and lunch altogether, we suggest you walk the Kalverstraat. Take tram 4, 9 or 14 if you can't wait any longer for a cup of coffee and homemade apple pie.
At night, Rembrandtplein offers a wide variety of dancing venues such as Escape, Cooldown Café, Rain and Sinners. These nightclubs offer a dancing platform for all music fanatics . In the morning and afternoon, the restaurants and café's stall out their terrace for a nice brunch in the sun.
Leidseplein has an even wider variety of nightclubs, restaurants, café's, comedy clubs and karaoke bars. Throughout the day, the square is decked with terraces. Overhead parasol shades are opened on a warm sunny day and at night the tables are decked with romantic candle lights. The atmosphere of Leidseplein uplifts even the most tired and weary traveller. It is too irresistible not to party the night away at Leidseplein.
In alleys surrounding Leidseplein you will find restaurants upon restaurants offering Italian, Argentinian, Asian and Greek cuisine. Each night the restaurants are filled with locals and travellers from all over the world, waiting for the evening to start at the Leidseplein.
Looking for something fancy?
Walk across the Max Eeuweplein, adjacent to Leidseplein and you will find the entrance to Holland's Casino.
The state-owned casino chain Holland's Casino has a nationally known standard for fine dining and drinking and for offering harmless gambling fun.
More fancy?
Walk past Holland Casino towards P.C. Hooftstraat and find small haute cuisine restaurants along the way.
The best way to reach Leidseplein is by taking a turn into an alley on the street Kalverstraat. Halfway through the street you will see an alley named "Heiligeweg" (Holy Road). You will see many locals and others walking towards or away from the Kalverstraat through this alley. Once you've taken a turn, just keep walking straight. This route to Leidseplein is urbanely known as the second main shopping street. It is the fastest walking route to reach Leidseplein and many observative entrepreneurs have opened shops along this route.
Don't feel like shopping but just partying? Take tram 1, 2, 5 or 7 from Central Station and you will be escorted to the Leidse square centre.
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other popular destinations in Amsterdam
citizenM loves to travel and explore. citizenM hotel Amsterdam City has calculated the approximate time and price for taking a taxi and public transport from the hotel to popular destinations in Amsterdam
We have calculated the approximate time and price for taking a taxi and public transport from the hotel to popular destinations in Amsterdam.
(citizenM cannot be held responsible for the estimations here below)
Amsterdam Central Station
distance: 4.35 km
taxi fare: 13 euros
travelling time by public transport: 22 minutes
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
distance: 8.50 km
taxi fare: 22 euros
travelling time by public transport: 11 minutes
Sloterdijk Station
distance: 5.80 km
taxi fare: 16 euros
travelling time by public transport: 19 minutes
Leidseplein
distance: 2.45 km
taxi fare: 8.50 euros
travelling time by public transport: 17 minutes
Museumplein
distance: 1.65 km
taxi fare: 7.50 euros
travelling time by public transport: 15 minutes
Amstel Station
distance: 2.85 km
taxi fare: 7.50
travelling time by public transport: 13 minutes
Dam Square
distance: 3.60 km
taxi fare: 11 euros
travelling time by public transport: 24 minutes
Rembrandtplein
distance: 2.95 km
taxi fare: 7.50
travelling time by public transport: 24 minutes
RAI (better to walk!)
distance: 0.62 km
Amsterdam Zuid Oost (Bijlmer station)
distance: 5.50 km
taxi fare: 15 euros
travelling time by public transport: 10 minutes
Flower Market (Muntplein)
distance: 3.05 km
taxi fare: 10 euros
travelling time by public transport: 24 minutes
Red light district
distance: 4.00 km
taxi fare: 12 euros
travelling time by public transport: 23 minutes
Volendam
distance: 21.00 km
taxi fare: 55 euros
travelling time by public transport: 1 hour
Moscow
distance: 2150 km
taxi fare: 4737 euro and 50 cents
travelling time by public transport: 3hrs 35 minutes by plane (excluding check-in times!)
