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The Hermitage Amsterdam Looks Pretty But Needs a Better Opening Exhibit

July 2, 2009 at 3:19 PM | 0 Comments

You know how when someone tells you they’re going to Amsterdam you give them a knowing look and think “I know what you’ll be up to, you dissolute human being”? Well you’d better stop doing that because this summer the 'Dam is all about the culture.

The Stedelijk Museum is running a mobile exhibition round town while it’s under refurbishment, the Royal Palace in Dam Square has just reopened, and on June 20, the Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg, no less, opened up a branch in a 17th-century building that used to be an old folks’ home.

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Vincent van Gogh's Letters To His Brother Will Be On Display in Amsterdam

June 26, 2009 at 2:22 PM | 0 Comments

Be careful what letters (or emails) you write: if you become famous, like Vincent van Gogh, the letters might end up on display for thousands of people to see. That's what's about to happen at the impressive Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, with a new exhibition including 120 letters written by van Gogh opening in October this year.

Most of the letters are from van Gogh to his younger brother, and it sounds like they give you some insight into his mental illness and his passion for art. The hundred odd letters they've picked will be displayed next to artwork that they refer to; in fact, there are another 800 letters around and many of them are about to be published in a book.

You can get into the Van Gogh Museum every day between 10am and 6pm – or until 10pm on Fridays – and at the moment the adult entry fee is €12.50 ($17.50). The letters – sensitive as they are – will only be on display for three months so don't leave your planning too long. Whether or not the letters solve the cutting-off-his-ear mystery is something we're keeping secret.

Related Stories:
· Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam [Official Site]
· Van Gogh Letters To Go On Display in Amsterdam [AFP]
· Amsterdam Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Van Gogh Museum]

Amsterdam Beer Bikes: Possibly Dangerous, Definitely Dorky

June 13, 2009 at 3:41 PM | 1 Comment

The tolerance of Amsterdam residents is legendary, but the beer bike may have stretched it to the breaking point. For those who don't know, the beer bike is a self-propelled, ten- to twenty-person contraption that pedals around town while all but its driver quaff beers. Popular with stag and hen parties (what we Yanks call bachelor and bachelorette parties), the bikes are a fixture in the city center, with revelers howling and singing as they enjoy the booze-soaked ride. But according to Reuters, two accidents involving the bikes since April have caused the city councilor responsible for transport to reconsider how many beer bikes ought to be allowed in the city at any one time, and what measures can be taken to ensure their safety. Could this spell the end of the beer bike?

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Russian Art Branches Out To Amsterdam

May 28, 2009 at 4:27 PM | 0 Comments

Who says the Russians aren't good at sharing? A little to our surprise, the Hermitage Amsterdam is opening next month in a new art gallery in an old seventeenth century building which is basically a branch of the famous and original Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia. They've been running minor exhibits in another building for a few years, but now the real Hermitage Amsterdam is ready to thrill.

We've had a couple of trips to the Russian version and always been dazzled by the suggestions it would take a lifetime to view every piece of art there – and only if they rotated their display in time with your visits. The opening of the Amsterdam branch means there's another place for the Hermitage to exhibit some of their vast number of art treasures, and we're excited about that.

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Amsterdam iPhone App Will Guide You Through Your Coffee Shop Haze

April 21, 2009 at 3:13 PM | 0 Comments

Whether you're using your iPhone for fun distraction on your trips or tracking your travel plans, for many of us they're becoming an indispensable part of getting away from home. We always keep an eye out for new apps and one for those headed to Amsterdam caught our attention – not least of all because it's come from the Netherlands Board of Tourism and we figure they should know just a bit about their capital city.

The Amsterdam Mobile Guide is free (very nice), and available both for iPhones and its rivals. It includes details of around 200 popular Amsterdam venues, and you can directly phone, email or Google map them. There are also a few itineraries if you need hints for your Amsterdam stay, ranging from 8-hour stopovers to three-day trips.

You can also use this app to quickly get an idea of what places are within walking distance from where you are at that moment. It all looks pretty – the tulip logo isn't even too kitschy – and includes quite handy photos so you can really figure out that you're in the right place. Above all, if you don't have to pay for it, you can't really go wrong. Right?

Related Stories:
· Amsterdam Mobile Guide [Official Site]
· One iPhone Travel App To (Almost) Rule Them All [Jaunted]
· The Five Best iPhone Apps For Your Next Trip [Jaunted]

Amsterdam Has the Key To Your Private Mini Bar

April 6, 2009 at 2:41 PM | 0 Comments

Picture this: you're out for an evening in Amsterdam with a few friends, intent on experiencing the city through much wandering and even more drinking, when you get handed a key to your very own, private mini-bar. Thanks to a new bar concept freshly arrived in the "Venice of the north," Amsterdam's late-night, laid-back folk can help themselves to a little bit of whatever is in stock.

The spot, simply and aptly called "Minibar," is set up thus: check in with the Minibar concierge, turn over an ID or credit card for a key to a personal minibar stocked with everything from beer to sodas to champagne, pop open whatever your heart desires, and pay on the way out.

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Turkish Airlines Jet Crashes Outside Schiphol Airport

February 25, 2009 at 8:24 AM | 0 Comments

A Turkish Airlines 737 carrying 134 passengers from Istanbul crashed into a field outside Amsterdam Schiphol Airport today.

After initial reports that all of the passengers and the crew survived comes the news that nine people have died in the crash. Twenty people are also reported to be seriously injured. From the NY Times:

Candan Karlitekin, the chairman of Turkish Airlines, said most of the injured were seated at the back of the plane. “There was nothing extraordinary about the weather conditions, vision capability was 4,500 meters. Around 500 meters away from the landing strip, the plane landed in a field. The plane was broken into three parts, as you all saw in pictures.” ”

No one is sure yet as to why the plane crashed with Turkish Airlines saying the pilot was one of their most experienced pilots on staff. Investigations are obviously underway to determine what could have brought the plane down just three miles away from the airport runway.

Further shaking our faith in the aviation industry is Flight 1549 hero Capt. Sully who told U.S. Congress yesterday that the best airline pilots are quitting the commercial aviation industry because their pay and pensions have been slashed. We can't have that so let's pray that 2009 begins to turn around for airlines...quick.

Related Stories:
· 9 Dead as Turkish Plane Crashes in Amsterdam [NY Times]
· Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger Says A Good Pilot's Getting Hard to Find [WNYC]

A Toast To The Re-Opened Heineken Experience

January 12, 2009 at 3:30 PM | 0 Comments

In 2006, one of the highlights of our Amsterdam coverage was our trip to the Heineken Experience, from its recycled drums to its three, count 'em, three free drinks. The house that beer built was closed for renovation for most of 2008, but it reopened November 3, which is good because we were just getting thirsty.

The new Heineken Experience, open seven days a week, only includes two drinks with your €15 ($20) ticket, but has added karaoke booths and a kiosk that puts you into its James Bond-themed ads. (But can you choose to be a beer-lovin' Eva Green or the object of Olga Kurylenko's lust?) Originally included in the new Experience, but currently closed, is the opportunity to visit with the Heineken Shire horses--they couldn't get past a city construction site in front of the museum, apparently.

In honor of the new and improved Experience, Heineken's giving away a free trip, including flight and hotel, if you can figure out a series of clues in their new video. It may cost, as one Flickr user pointed out, more than the Van Gogh Museum, but what can we say? We like beer.

How to get there: Municipal tram lines 16, 24, 25 (all from Central Station) or 7 or 10 from Leidseplein. A one-day ticket on the tram is €6.40 ($8.64).

Related Stories:
· Heineken "Experience" Reopens in Amsterdam [AP, via AJC]
· From 2006: We Always Enjoy A Good Heine... Heineken That Is [Jaunted]
· Mosaic Music Hits Singapore [Jaunted]

[Photo: Luciana Martinez Betti]

Dare To Vary In Amsterdam

November 19, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments

Are you ready to expand your palate? Put down that steak and look beyond the salad plate at the world's best vegetarian restaurants.

It's true that De Waaghals means "the Daredevil" in Dutch. But this vegetarian restaurant in southern Amsterdam (outside the canal belt) is far from a risk--it's a proven stop for tourists and locals alike.

The organic ingredients (down to the beers and wines) are definitely a draw, but for DepressedMetabolism.com, it's De Waaghals' variety, with four different foods included in a classic plate, that sets it apart from other neighborhood joints. The current Classic, for example, features a spinach and goat cheese soufflé roll, polenta fritters, oven-roasted fennel and roasted portobello mushrooms. And HappyCow.net commenters mention that most dishes can be made vegan on request, in case you need that extra flexibility.

Just don't go Mondays, or you won't risk anything: The kitchen's closed.

Want to see your favorite joint featured? Tip us off.

Related Stories:
· The International Guide to Great Vegetarian Restaurants [DepressedMetabolism.com]
· Green Is Good in Boulder [Jaunted]

[Photo: Veggieplaces.co.uk]

Smoking Ban Switching up the Crowd at Amsterdam Coffee Shops

August 18, 2008 at 2:05 PM | 1 Comment

Guidebook guru and pot promoter Rick Steves just left the Netherlands, and he's got a substantial update on the marijuana scene in Amsterdam. First things first: Don't bother calling an ambulance after smoking too much because the EMTs will just tell you to walk it off!

But the big news is what's changed thanks to a new smoking ban--that prohibits indoor tobacco smoking but gives marijuana puffers a pass:

The Dutch, like the rest of Europe, mix their marijuana with tobacco. It might seem strange to an American, but if a coffeeshop is busted--it's busted for tobacco. Shops are mixing a kind of herb tea as a tobacco substitute for joints. Coffeeshops with a few outdoor seats have a huge advantage as their local customers can light up outside....

Many local smokers would rather get their pot to go than smoke it without tobacco at their neighborhood coffeeshop.

Thank heavens for American vice tourists then!

Related Stories:
· Lessons Learned in an Amsterdam Coffee Shop [Rick Steves]
· No Impulse Buying Magic Mushrooms [Jaunted]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: jlantzy]

Richard Branson Flies Around on Coconuts

February 25, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 0 Comments

Wanna fly green? Fly on coconut oil. That sounds pretty environmentally friendly, which is no doubt the impression Richard Branson was hoping to give us with the weekend's biofuel test flight on a passenger-free Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Amsterdam.

The maiden voyage using a mix of coconut oil, babassu oil and normal, nasty kerosene was a success, especially as plenty of press reports failed to mention the kerosene. Some, however, reminded us that the plant matter made up just 20% of the fuel in just one of the four engines. Doesn't sound like a lot.

But Branson is already talking about research to use other fuels, including one made from algae. What we can't understand is why he isn't researching an even more environmentally friendly (and convenient) method of getting around, like, say, teleporting.

Related Stories:
· Biofuel-Powered Jet Makes Test Flight [CNN]
· Virgin Atlantic To Fly Biofuel 747 [Jaunted]
· Virgin Atlantic coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: TigerPuppala]

Amsterdam Becoming Less Sexy?

December 17, 2007 at 3:50 PM | 0 Comments

Ah, Amsterdam, a city better known among college-age backpackers for its XXX district and marijuana cafes than its beautiful canals and Anne Frank legacy. But not for long, if Mayor Job Cohen has his way.

Cohen announced today that the city's year 2000 legalization of prostitution didn't have the intended effect of making sex workers any safer. It's time, he says, to try a new tack including permits for brothels, a higher minimum age for sex workers (21, from 18) and a crackdown on sex-trade businesses with Mafia ties.

Can this be a good idea? Will it lead to a precipitous drop-off in Amsterdam tourism, or will visitors simply avail themselves of what remains--a la the New York City of 2007? And will libertarian and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul comment on it?

Related Stories:
· Amsterdam to Clean Up Red Light District [Yahoo]
· Anne Frank's Tree Gets Reprieve [Jaunted]
· Amsterdam Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: goobertron]