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Old 03-19-23, 09:20 AM
  #22  
Stadjer
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Groningen
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Bikes: Gazelle rod brakes, Batavus compact, Peugeot hybrid

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If you like architecture, you could cycle around the late 19th early 20th century neighbourhoods. Lots of art deco and it's Dutch brick variant called the 'Amsterdamse School'. Lots of social housing in that too, privately financed through association, and with architecture to 'elevate the working classes', they are still inhabited by the Amsterdam lumpenproletariat of course, but some are open to the public on the inside too and with a small museum inside ("Het Schip" if I remember correctly). But there's also a spectacular art deco cinema called Tuschinski and the Shipping House now Grand Hotel Amrath in the centre. There is a lot of mural art to see to, at the NDSM island North of the Central Station (free ferry), a former ship building yard full of artsy stuff and people, but also in some deprived neighbourhoods

For the old city centre, mostly 17th century, I'd suggest renting a boat when it's nice weather and just go and see where you end up. You don't need a licence to drive a (electric) boat but you are expected to avoid collisions but only the Amstel river is a bit more challenging and the IJ river requires competence. Only a few of the canals are restricted. It's really a different experience from seeing it cycling or walking.

But it's Amsterdam, depending on the weather it's just nice to cycle around without somewhere specific to go. It's relaxed when you manage to get in sync with traffic (watch the legs on the single speeds and predict) but watch out where there are tramrails, they might not only catch a rear wheel when you hit them at unsufficient angle, it's also where the trams go. If you want to go outside the urban area, I suggest Broek and Waterland or the Stelling van Amsterdam. This is UNESCO sight of fortifications that were supposed to work with inundating the area, effectively turning Amsterdam into a defensible island. I don't know about cycling specific stuff. Of course there will be some but contrary to popular belief the Dutch don't love bicycles, they just like to get around.
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