Amsterdam without getting ruined

Take a bike ride and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city. Just follow the thematic itineraries provided by the rental companies. Then put your bike (tie it up!) near the station and discover the view from theOBA, la bibliothèque municipale. Immerse yourself in the Red Square, enter the Old Church, an island of holiness at the heart of a drifting universe... Go up to the student district and pass by the Oudemanhuispoort, a historic covered passage that welcomes booksellers on a daily basis. For lunch, eat at the Mensa University Restaurant (Oudezijds Achterburgwal 237). In the afternoon: the tram is open to you. While Amsterdam is a compact city suitable for walking and cycling, its practical tram network makes it possible to cover several districts in record time; it is an unusual way to get to know the city outside the tourist borders. We recommend the 5, from north to south of the city, the 9 from the plantation to theest and the 4 which crosses the district De Pijp. Why not end this first day with a sports evening? Go to the Vondelpark, eat first at Hap-hmmm a dish for about 7 € and then discover the Vondelpark by running.

Amsterdam, a commercial city par excellence, reveals its nature in its various markets. The one on the Noordermarkt is very famous. Merchants offer tastings of their excellent organic products. It is possible to eat at a low price on the fish stands scattered throughout the city (and on the market). Taste a nutritious and healthy herring for only €2.50! Dutch design is very well known and there are many interesting shops. The next three brands Frozen Fountain, Droog Design and Moooi (respectively in the canal district, centre andJordaan) are both store and gallery. You will find inspiration and free catalogues. At noon, take a break in a brown coffee (the Place du Spui will give you the embarrassment of choice), taste the bittergarnituur, the popular fried appetizers here with a good beer, and think about the rest of the evening which will be musical. At the beginning of the afternoon, we start a marathon shopping galleries. Stroll through the 9 Straatjes district, the shopping/gallery district of the moment, stop by the vintage Laura Dols store for cheap finds. Enter the many art galleries. And for the evening, would you like a musical evening? Many concerts take place every day in Amsterdam. Visit the Leidseplein's Last Minute Shop, which offers 50% concert tickets for the same evening. Come to Café Alto, Bourbon Street or Paradiso, you will find what you are looking for.

Switch to the famous flower market of the Singel Canal, the selection is impressive, even if the place has sold its soul to tourists, and also offers various gadgets of more or less bad taste. However, the flowers are of excellent quality. Continue with the discovery of the beguinage on the Place du Spui, the literary square of the city. Every Sunday, at the Catholic Church, the mass is said in French at 11am and once a month, the African choral dynamic creates an incredible atmosphere. Then take the gallery of the Civic Guards, or Schuttersgalerij, and discover the pictorial genre of Rembrandt's most famous painting, The Night Round. Rendez-vous for lunch on a fish stand or at Toastable for great toasted sandwiches. In the afternoon: pass by the Spiegelgracht, the antique dealers' district, to admire the beautiful windows. Push up to De Bazel, an imposing building that houses the municipal archives, enter (it's free) and go to the basement to discover the treasure behind thick doors and under a sublime ceiling. Stop at the Museumplein, the square between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, admire the spectacle of tourist and local passers-by and the view of the Concertgebouw. Take a picture of the giant letters in Amsterdam.