When you tell people you are going to Amsterdam, you\'ll probably get a nudge and a wink followed by: "Going to any coffee shops while you\'re there?"
When you tell them you\'ll be traveling with your two young children, they raise an eyebrow and ask: "Why?"
More famous for the coffee shops that many visitors frequent for Mary Jane than for being a good travel destination with kids, Amsterdam can be a fun and stress-free place for a city break with the little ones. Going to a coffee shop for marijuana wasn\'t going to make our list of things to do.
To my mind, trips to Europe are filled with museum visits, strolls past beautiful historical buildings and soaking in the general atmosphere. Leisurely walks along waterways and endless cups of coffee while enjoying some quiet time with a good book at a quaint cafe were always part of the agenda.
However, since I started traveling with my children, my trips to Europe and my expectations of these trips has changed dramatically. Quiet time is now considered a luxury.
To Amsterdam, with kids
An artwork along the IJ, Amsterdam's waterfront.
My husband and I decided to brave the big city of Amsterdam and drove from the east of the Netherlands to spend a few nights at the conveniently located Movenpick City Centre hotel. We arrived at the modern establishment, built on a man-made island right on the IJ.
A short walk from Central Station, it was also easy to access by car. The views of the water and city are spectacular from this location.
Traveling with small children means we usually try to limit the number of activities per day. But we also needed to keep it interesting for everyone, without exhausting ourselves. Our children were 5 and almost 2 on this visit, and the 2-year-old probably had the most energy of all of us.
We\'d decided before the trip that we would visit the Anne Frank house, which doesn\'t sound like it would be very interesting for young children. Yet, surprisingly, they really enjoyed it.
Buy tickets online, and you won\'t need to line up outside. Children 10 and under are free, but still require a ticket. The house where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II, where she wrote her famous diary, has narrow staircases that are fun for the children to climb.
At the top of the annex, where the family and their friends hid, are mirrors so you can see the inside attic. But visitors aren\'t allowed to enter.
The kids enjoyed looking this way and that to see what they could find in the reflection in the mirrors.
From Anne Frank\'s house, the Westerkerk (the Protestant Western Church) next door is a short walk and a good place to relax and admire the beautiful architecture.
The church is the largest church in Amsterdam and features Westerkerk Tower, which visitors can climb up from April to October. It\'s closed on Sundays, and children under 6 are not allowed in for safety reasons. The church is, to many, a symbol of the city.
A quarter of Amsterdam is covered with water. So no visit would be complete without time on the water.
Canals tours can be found near popular tourist destinations near the water. The canal bus offers day tickets, and 24-hour and 48-hour tickets passengers can use to hop on and off and change routes while the tickets are valid. The service stops right in front of the Movenpick. Buying online saves 10 percent.
Some may want to explore the city by bicycle. But that seemed too difficult for us, with bulky jackets and slippery streets.
However, we found the trams to be a great way to get around. Just sitting on the tram and looking out at the beautiful buildings as we passed was a great way to see the city. There are a couple of spots near the back of the train reserved for strollers and wheelchairs.
For a stunning place to enjoy a gorgeous view of the IJ, take a tram ride to Central Station and walk through the station toward the water. There, you\'ll see a small ferry pier. Take the three-minute trip to Buiksloterweg.
The Albert Cuyp Market in the De Pijp neighborhood is a good place to try such Dutch delicacies as raw herring, cheese, proffetjes (mini pancakes covered in butter and powdered sugar), strooopwafels (caramel-filled thin waffles) and fries with mayonnaise from the many stalls.
A great place to wander and people watch, the market can get a bit crowded on Saturdays. This is where we bought a pair of very cute pink tulip clog slippers and dried spices. A few hours at Vondelpark the city\'s version of Central Park and one of the numerous playgrounds-is a great way to spend some outdoor time and give the kids a chance to run around.
We were very pleasantly surprised to find the Silk Road restaurant at our hotel had an amazing kids menu and lovely staff. Kids\' options didn\'t just include chicken nuggets, fish fingers and spaghetti. It featured healthy options, as well as some Swiss and Dutch specialties. My kids love croquettes and profettjes.
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