by Karen | Nov 12, 2018 | Amsterdam, Europe, Holland, The Netherlands, Travel
One of my favorite neighborhoods in Amsterdam is the Jordaan. If you’re looking to escape some of the crowds of center and experience some of the charm of Amsterdam, you can follow this self-guided walking guide to the Jordaan, one of Amsterdam’s most charming neighborhoods, to see a few secrets of de Jordaan that you might not see otherwise. It’s based on my time living just five minutes away from the Jordaan.
I do my best to discuss history as well as some charming cafes, restaurants, hofjes and streets that I always love to stop into. The walking tour of de Jordaan should take about 1.5 hours. The total distance covered is 2 kilometers (~1 mile), but I encourage you to slow down. Map at the bottom of the post.
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by Karen | Nov 9, 2018 | Couples Travel, Day Trips from Amsterdam, Europe, Sustainable Tourism, The Netherlands, Travel, Weekend Trips from Amsterdam
One of the things that I love most about living in the Netherlands is how easy it is to travel around the Netherlands. Amersfoort is a charming city just thirty minutes from Amsterdam (and only 15 minutes from Utrecht) with a stunning medieval center. Although I’ve been to Amersfoort briefly before, this past weekend gave me the chance to explore this beautiful Dutch city. Keep reading for your perfect weekend itinerary for Amersfoort, the Netherlands!
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by Jacob | Nov 6, 2018 | Day Trips from Amsterdam, Europe, The Netherlands, Travel, Weekend Trips from Amsterdam
In the center of Amersfoort, standing 98.33 meters tall, is the most distinctive and noticeable landmark of Amersfoort: Onze Lieve Vrouwetoren (in English, “Tower of Our Dear Lady” a common reference to Mother Mary). Not only is the height impressive, being the third largest tower in the Netherlands, but this tower, known as Laang Jon, houses an impressive collection of bells and marks center point for all surveying done in the Netherlands. Read about the history of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren, the carillons of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren, and the Rijksdriehoekscoördinaten.
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by Karen | Nov 4, 2018 | Amsterdam, Day Trips from Amsterdam, Europe, Holland, The Hague, The Netherlands, Travel, Weekend Trips from Amsterdam
Now that Halloween is over, we can shamelessly shift to Sinterklaas. Just kidding, we’re ready for Christmas. Although the Dutch Christmas markets are not as famous as their German counterparts, the Christmas markets in the Netherlands are absolutely charming. I ended up not ranking these strictly as people look for different things in different Christmas markets, but I’ve grouped it based on the opinions of friends. I’ve included ten Christmas markets in the Netherlands and I’ll be updating this post with more experiences/photos this year!
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by Karen | Oct 30, 2018 | Day Trips from Amsterdam, Europe, Sustainable Tourism, The Netherlands, Travel, Travel Photography, Weekend Trips from Amsterdam
As someone with a keen interest in architecture who has traveled to some of the most famous architectural masterpieces in the world, I was excited to visit the Rietveld Schröderhuis, one of the iconic buildings of de Stijl.
What is striking about architecture is that it’s not just a work of art to be admired, but also one to be used. Although some architecture is built to fulfill the architect’s whimsies, the Rietveld Schröderhuis was built specifically to suit the needs of its owner.
Beyond the history behind this iconic house, the interior of the Schroder house is extremely striking yet functional. This post will discuss the history as well as the architecture behind the home. (There are many photos of the interior as well as the exterior of the Rietveld Schröderhuis!)
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by Karen | Oct 30, 2018 | Couples Travel, Day Trips from Amsterdam, Europe, Food and Drink Adventures, The Netherlands, Travel, Weekend Trips from Amsterdam
Have you ever visited a place that you fall in love with instantly? From the moment that I visited Utrecht on a day trip from Amsterdam, I fell in love with Utrecht. This beautiful Dutch city has canals that are two stories, unlike Amsterdam, which only adds to the delightful architecture, slow pace, amazing food, and the few tourists. Keep reading for my one day guide to Utrecht with what to do in Utrecht in one day and a complete itinerary for visiting Utrecht. (more…)
Karen & Jacob. American expats and cat lovers from 