The D&O Diary was on assignment in Europe this past week, with a final stop in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, which — with its canals, its streets of bicyclists, its 17th century façades — has its own unique and essential charm.

I have been to Amsterdam before, but I was overdue for a return visit. Almost as soon as I arrived on the Eurostar train, I found myself wandering through the city’s canal district and remembering what a special place Amsterdam is. I also realized that I was particularly fortunate to have arrived in the city on a warm, sunny fall day.

The city’s famous canals were built in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age. Collectively, the canals are a masterpiece of urban planning, architecture, and engineering. The central canal district is composed of a series of concentric semi-circular canals, today mostly still lined by the characteristic homes with their narrow three-and-four story façades, ornate masonry, large windows, and gabled roofs.
While the streets cutting across the canals are busy, the streets along the canals are quiet. It is tempting (and rewarding) just to get lost just wandering along the quiet canals.
Just southwest of the canal district is Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s most famous urban park. The park covers over 120 acres and stretches in a long, leafy ribbon through the city, offering a peaceful contrast to the busy surrounding streets and squares.
Vondelpark has a particularly nice rose garden, still blooming brightly in the early fall sunshine.
Amsterdam is one of thse cities that just rewards walking around. I saw this world champion street art along the street at the far end of Vondelpark.
We need to talk about bicycles. Bicycles are as vital a part of Amsterdam’s unique atmosphere as are the canals. The presence of so many bikes adds a unique energy to the city’s vibe. As this picture illustrates, there are really a LOT of bicycles in Amsterdam. The city’s streets are a volatile mix of bicycles, cars, pedestrians, and trams. It is amazing to me that hundreds of people aren’t killed every day. As a visitor to the city, you quickly learn to keep a careful eye out for speeding bicyclists.
One of the main reasons I had to return to Amsterdam was to see the Rijksmuseum, which I had not seem on my prior visit. The Rijksmuseum is Amsterdam’s crown jewel of art and history. The museum is just a short walk from the Vondelpark.
The Rijksmuseum’s collection is vast but what makes the museum worth visiting is its impressive collection of Dutch art, with a host of works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals, including this famous 17th century painting — “The Milkmaid” — by Johannes Vermeer.
The museum’s most famous painting is Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch.” The painting is enormous. The painting is also undergoing restoration, so it was inside an enclosed glass area. Even behind glass, it is still very impressive.
While I appreciated the museum’s fine painting collection, what I really enjoyed were the several galleries devoted to the period when the Netherlands was a global maritime power. The galleries included historical artifacts, naval canons, maps and huge leather globes showing the reach of the country’s sea power. There were also a host of trophies captured in sea battles. It did seem appropriate for the museum to feature these items, because it was the wealth its overseas empire generated that financed much of the art during the country’s Golden Age.

For anyone planning on visiting Amsterdam anytime soon, I have a pointer. To enter the Rijksmuseum you need to buy timed-entry tickets online. My advice is to go as early in the day as you can make it. I entered in the very first time slot. I was among the first to enter the museum on the day of my visit. At first, the museum was uncrowded and it was possible to spend some time looking at the various works. However, as the morning progressed, the museum became increasingly crowded with tour groups and school children. It was not as nearly a rewarding an experience when the galleries became so crowded you could hardly move. Also, the Dutch Masters paintings are all on the top floor. If you get to the museum early, you can go there first and see the great art before the crowds get there.

This is another reason I wanted to return to Amsterdam. I just wanted to sit by a quiet canal with a cup of coffee and take in the city’s essential atmosphere.
The next morning, I decided it was time for me to get off of the sidelines and jump into the fray — I rented a bicycle. Within minutes, it was obvious that riding a bike is the only way to really see Amsterdam. I certainly saw some things I wouldn’t have seen any other way, like this windmill. I rode for hours, covering the entire canal district, and then heading out to further flung areas outside the city center. The city really does have an amazing network of bicycle paths. I think I held my own — I only almost got killed just two or three times.
It was chilly when I first set out on my bike ride. It was cold enough that I wished I had a pair of gloves. Later on, the sun came out and the biking conditions were ideal. I just wandered around, seeing things and taking it all in. Here’s a view of the Amstel River, still only 90 calories.
I did see all sorts of things on my bike ride, including, somewhat randomly, a marching band.

After a day on the bike, it seemed appropriate to have a seat in the Leidseplein, the large square that is full of bars and outdoor cafes at the edge of the canal district. This might be yet another reason that I wanted to come back to Amsterdam.

For anyone planning a visit to Amsterdam, I do have a hotel recommendation. It is the Hotel Alexander, located on a quiet side street just outside the canal district, but also near the entrance to the Vondelpark, five-minutes from the Rijksmuseum, and two blocks from Leidseplein. It is clean, quiet, and comfortable. It is also very simple, to the point of austerity. The simplicity does not however mean it is inexpensive. There is something you need to know. Hotel rooms in Amsterdam are expensive. There is a local law that only allows new hotels to be built if an older hotel closes. The result is a shortage of hotel rooms. Also, the city’s tourist taxes are high. The upshot is that you are going to pay a lot for a hotel room in Amsterdam.

I am glad I returned to Amsterdam. It is such a charming, beautiful city. I particularly recommend visiting in the early fall.