Those Amsterdames

Part 4 of why Amsterdam names are so weird. This time, the canals.

A lot of the grachten in Amsterdam sound confusing until you realise most of the names were practical descriptions. Herengracht was linked to the city’s wealthy rulers. Keizersgracht was named after the emperor Maximilian I. Prinsengracht refers to the Prince of Orange.

What sounds poetic now was often just people naming things in the most direct way possible.

Once you start understanding the names, the city becomes easier to read. Streets, canals, and neighbourhoods quietly explain their own history.

If you are planning a trip and want more local stories like this, our guided tours share the history of Amsterdam and the Dutch surroundings beyond the city. Find out more at thoseamsterdames.com.

A throwback to Amsterdam’s bike graveyard in the 1970s, when abandoned and damaged bicycles piled up in numbers that already felt very Dutch.

Some things in Amsterdam never really change. Bikes still end up in canals, disappear overnight, or slowly become part of the street furniture if left untouched long enough.

The city has always revolved around cycling, and old footage like this shows just how deeply it has been part of daily life for decades.

If you are planning a trip, our guided countryside e-bike tour gives you a calmer way to experience Dutch cycling culture beyond the busiest streets of Amsterdam. Find out more at thoseamsterdames.com.

Credit: Polygoon-Profilti (producent) / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (beheerder)

Not every good spot in Amsterdam needs a huge queue outside it.

This video features a few places that visitors often miss. Flevopark for a quieter side of the city, Karthuizerhof hidden behind busy streets, Het Muizenhuis for tiny details done properly, Electric Ladyland for something genuinely strange, and Kriterion for films and a more local atmosphere.

Amsterdam gets much more interesting once you move beyond the obvious stops.

If you are planning a trip, our guided tours share more local spots and stories both in the city and out in the Dutch surroundings. Find out more at thoseamsterdames.com.

Myth: You can “do” Amsterdam in two days.

It is a nice idea, especially when you are planning a short trip, but Amsterdam does not really work like that.

On the surface, you have canals, museums, markets, and neighbourhoods that each feel like their own small world. But the longer you stay, the more you realise the city is just the starting point.

Step outside it, and the Netherlands opens up in a completely different way. Quiet villages, wide landscapes, windmills, waterways, and cycling routes that connect everything together without feeling rushed.

Even the city itself changes depending on how you experience it. Walking, cycling, sitting by the canals, or exploring different districts all show you something new.

That is why “doing” Amsterdam in two days always feels incomplete. You can see a lot, but you will still miss more than you manage to fit in.

If you are planning a trip and want to experience both the city and the Dutch surroundings, our guided countryside e-bike tour starts in Amsterdam and takes you beyond the centre to show a different side of the Netherlands. Find out more at thoseamsterdames.com.

Part four of Queue Less, Eat Better. Today, FEBO.

FEBO is one of those very Dutch food experiences you only really understand once you have seen it in action. Instead of a counter, you get a wall of warm snack doors and a quick decision between kroket, frikandel, or something you probably cannot pronounce yet.

In Amsterdam, it is a fast way to eat like a local without sitting down or waiting in a long queue. Simple, hot, and a bit chaotic in the best way.

If you are planning a trip and want more local food stops like this, our guided tours take you beyond the obvious places and into the Dutch surroundings where everyday culture makes more sense. Find out more at thoseamsterdames.com.

A throwback to a dog convention in 1946, where breeds were shown, judged, and proudly presented in a very different post-war era.

Events like this were part competition, part community gathering, and a glimpse into everyday life rebuilding across Europe at the time.

If you are visiting Amsterdam, you will still find that same mix of community and culture in smaller local events today, alongside the city’s canals and busy streets.

Credit: Polygoon-Profilti (producent) / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (beheerder)