You’ve arrived in Amsterdam. You’ve dodged at least five bikes on the way to your hotel, bought a postcard of a windmill, and tried to pronounce Grachtengordel without spitting on someone. But now comes the big question: what are the best things to do in Amsterdam? Sure, you could follow the masses from one guidebook […]
What Is a Tompouce? If you’ve ever stepped into a Dutch bakery and noticed a pastry with a glossy pink top and an air of quiet confidence, you’ve met the tompouce. A tompouce is a classic Dutch pastry made from two layers of crisp puff pastry, filled with thick vanilla cream and finished with a […]
Why Amsterdam’s Houses Lean Amsterdam was never built on solid ground. Beneath its streets lies soft, marshy soil, shaped by water and time. To keep the city standing, builders drove millions of wooden piles deep into the ground, enough to hold up everything from canal houses to palaces. It worked beautifully. Mostly. Each building stands […]
A City That Was Designed, Not Discovered Amsterdam didn’t grow by accident. It was planned, sketched and rolled out with confidence, canal by canal. In the 17th century, ships returned loaded with spices, sugar and stories from faraway shores. The city filled with merchants, craftsmen, sailors and ambition. Amsterdam needed room, but not chaos. So […]
Comfort Food With a Long Memory Some dishes survive because they’re clever; others because they’re comforting. Wentelteefjes, the Dutch take on French toast, survive because they’re both; a golden, cinnamon-scented way to turn old bread into something irresistible. What began as a practical trick in ancient kitchens has since travelled the world, adopting new names, […]
When Amsterdam Slips Into Its December Glow Amsterdam doesn’t need snow to feel like the holidays, it only takes a cold mist over the canals, warm lights glowing in the windows, and the smell of roasted nuts floating between the bridges. December wraps the city in a soft kind of magic: shopfronts glimmer, cafés feel […]
When the Rain begins to fall Rain in Amsterdam has a rhythm of its own. It softens the city’s edges, makes the canals shimmer, and sends locals drifting into cafés as if it’s all part of the plan. When the skies turn grey, Amsterdam doesn’t hide, it glows. This is when the city smells of […]
A Little History: How the Rosse Buurt Began Before the red lights, there were rosse ones. The Dutch word “Rosse Buurt” literally means “red neighborhood,” a name born from the warm glow of lanterns that marked entertainment houses centuries ago. Long before Instagram tours and bachelor parties, De Wallen was where sailors stumbled ashore after […]
The Untranslatable Word Every culture has its magic words, but the Dutch may have the most stubborn one of all: gezelligheid. Ask for a translation and you’ll get shrugs, grins, and half-baked attempts like “cozy” or “friendly.” But gezelligheid is more than that. It’s warmth, connection, and the feeling that life is best when shared. […]