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The Street Art Life of Amsterdam

As the Banksy exhibition has  recently left Amsterdam, it’s time to explore the  stunning street-art of the city available year-round and for free. From the first glance it might look that Amsterdam doesn’t have enough graffiti, murals, stencils, stickers and other forms of alternative art, but the first impressions can be deceiving. The truth is that our radiant city is full of them, but you might need to have your eyes open, pay attention and even know the hot spots of the local street artists. Let us help you a bit with that and send you at the right direction.

The NDSM Wharf

We can’t highlight enough the creative artsy spirit of the northern part of Amsterdam, where you see stunning graffiti and stencils every way you look. The NDSM Wharf is a vibrant industrial area with old cranes, trams turned into art projects, metal containers, huge ship halls and plenty of walls. All the colors of street-art look especially bright and vivid here with the rusty objects on the background. You can even see artists creating new pieces right in front of you, making the old walls come to life again. All you need to do is take a free ferry in the direction of NDSM behind the Central Station, and the best water views and street-art are guaranteed! As soon as your ferry arrives to the other side, you will be astonished by a gigantic colorful mural of Anne Frank’s portrait (240 square meters!!), recently painted by a very talented Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra.IMG_0118

Space Invaders of the Jordaan

The historical and more authentic part of Amsterdam, called the Jordaan, might be one of the least expected places for street-art, but it’s full of small charming pieces. One of the most impressive murals here is done by iconic local artists the London Police that spread love with their joyful LADS characters. The Jordaan also hides a bunch of Space Invaders, which are mosaic artworks spread around 60 cities all over the world. The best news is that now you can collect those pieces through a Flash Invaders app same way as you do with Pokémon these days. Except these invaders are the real art that you find on the walls. Make sure to check out Marnixstraat for constantly updating colorful graffiti.

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The Past Glory of Spuistraat

Not that long ago if you walked down Spuistraat in Amsterdam, you could enjoy numerous art pieces on the walls of all the squatted buildings right in the heart of the city. Creativity used to be limitless here, while the rebellious vibe was felt in the air. The situation has changed quite a bit since the municipality took over the central masterpiece of De Slang. What used to be an iconic picture of alternative scene of Amsterdam is unfortunately no more there. However, you can still find a few brightly painted garages’ doors, squatted bars with their doors full of graffiti and millions of small stencils and stickers along the street. Spuistraat is definitely worth having a look still, but you really need to look closely and check out tiny side streets too.

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Schellingwoudebrug

In case you want to see whether the roots of Amsterdam’s street art are coming from, then welcome to this bridge (under the bridge to be precise). Just take a tram 14 to the Flevopark, and you will find the graffiti paradise in the end of the line. Schellingwoudebrug goes over the IJ and is the witness of the crazy 90s, when street artists from all over the globe presented their wall pieces to Amsterdam.

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Downtown Street Art Map

How about turning your day in Amsterdam into a street art quest? Just use this map to locate the best pieces in town, see how many invaders you can detect and what gallery turns out to be your favorite. Amsterdam’s street art goes way beyond some cool graffiti in the hidden spots, it becomes a trend of the city, worth exhibiting in museums and galleries. Even the local municipality realizes the importance of alternative art for the cultural life, providing the street artists with legal opportunities to create and present their pieces to all the guests to enjoy.

Amsterdam Teleport Hotel is happy to join with our grand Street Art Event on 27-28 November, so stay tuned to learn more!

Creative Ways to Explore Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the greatest cities to explore by bike, which happens to be the most convenient way to get around it. It’s fun, easy and allows you see the hidden corners of the charming place. However, cycling is far from the only way to experience Amsterdam, and this time we encourage you to try all the cool options.

Amsterdam by canal bike

Instead of cycling along the bike paths, we recommend you biking on water! Just rent one of pedalos, explore the canals and enjoy the sunshine! Amsterdam is spectacular when viewed from the water, as you will have a new angle at all the numerous bridges and dancing houses of the town. Most of water bikes are designed for four people, making it a joyful option for a group of friends or a romantic way to see Amsterdam for couples.  They are even equipped with a waterproof head in case of rain, so don’t be afraid to use a canal bike at any weather.  A canals’ map, routes and a few sailing tips are guaranteed.canal bike

Amsterdam by paddling

Continuing the topic of discovering Amsterdam from the water, let us introduce you stand up paddling, which maybe you thought wasn’t even possible around here. We can’t promise that it would be easy, but you will remember it as the craziest way to explore the city, that’s for sure. Peaceful and entertaining option for those who aren’t afraid to attract the attention of tourists and locals.

If paddle boarding is not in your list, then you can always rent a small boat in Amsterdam instead of joining the standard and sometimes primitive boat tours offered by the agencies. Create your own Dutch experience, mingle with local fancy boat owners and see the magnificent canals of Amsterdam. In case you want to explore further and option of renting  a boat sounds too costly, then how about canoeing in Amsterdamse Bos, the famous forest in the south part of the city? This scenic area has a couple of routes to offer, which will get you closer to nature and shows you a different side of Amsterdam.paddleboarding

Amsterdam by segway

Riding on a segway  can be a brilliant idea for those of you that are not afraid to try something new in the middle of a busy city. Learn the history of Amsterdam by getting into the narrowest streets and alleys while driving your segway. Most likely you would have to take a tour with a guide though, as not too many people can be trusted with a segway in the heart of Amsterdam, riding it for the first time. Even though it’s quite easy to balance and navigate.  It’s definitely different from all the transportation you experienced before, but it can bring you far on those 400 km of bike lanes in the city.

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Amsterdam by beer bike

Yes, we’ve promised not to mention cycling in this article, but riding a beer bike is not the same. You don’t even have to pedal  if you don’t want to! But if you wish to combine cycling and drinking (don’t repeat it again with any other bikes except for a beer bike!), then welcome on board! Your driver is the only sober one on the bike and is making sure you’re safe and sound, while the whole group of drinking buddies are totally having a blast. Hop on this crazy beer bike and start your Amsterdam adventure.beerbike

We hope you got excited about discovering new and creative ways to look at Amsterdam, explore its canals, parks, charming streets and impressive architecture. But if you want to stick to the old friend and simply rent a bicycle, then Amsterdam Teleport is there to help you! On top of that you’re entitled for our Free Alternative Bike Tour! Join us every day! First four signups of the day have the bike included for free as well!

The Secrets of Our Alltournative Bike Tour

It’s not a secret that the best city for cycling is Amsterdam and the best way to explore Amsterdam is by bike. That’s exactly one of the reasons why our team keeps recommending you our free Alltournative bike tours around the city. But if you want to get an idea of why it’s called an alternative tour or to have a sneak peek at what’s waiting for  you, let us tell you more and explore the details together .

How it all starts

Same way as with trying all cool places around Amsterdam before recommending them to you, we have done Teleport Alternative Bike Tour, loved it and wanted to share it with you. The first best fact about the tour is that it’s free for all– all you need to do is just rent a bike with us! We have a tour waiting for you every day, so just let us know that you would like to join and have fun on a bike. And then the journey begins! Lovely enthusiastic guides  from AllTourNative, full of life and excitement about Amsterdam, will meet you 11 am in front of the hotel and take proper care of your tour. You get your special free map of the city, cool sticker, some not-boring-at-all cycling and road safety instructions and off you go!

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Why so unique

What makes our alltournative tours different from any others in Amsterdam? It’s off-the-beaten-track, not touristy (but quite authentic and local), with the most relaxed young guides ready to crack a good joke and most importantly- customized to your needs and preferences. In the beginning of each tour nice peeps from AllTourNative ask you about what you would be interested in seeing and adjust their route depending on the crowd. In any case, expect some impressive street art, alternative galleries and contemporary exhibitions that you won’t find on your own.  Every tour is unique, so in case you love it, feel free to join the second time, as something new will be waiting for you! Forget about everlasting historical tours, when your guide is cycling in front of the group and telling you easy-to-forget facts in a monotone voice. Instead prepare for a very entertaining, amusing and interactive mix of history, art, unusual facts about Amsterdam and fun cycling in between.

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What is street art?

Amsterdam is full of street art. There is so much more to see than meets the eye at first sight. Our guides will help you to find all those beautiful and interesting art pieces hidden on walls, inside alleys, under bridges  or even on a lantern pole. Street art is so much more than just graffiti; has it’s own unique culture and set of unwritten rules. The beauty of street art not only lies in its variety, creativity and in the messages that street artists are bringing to us but also in the fact that street art usually is very brief and can be gone forever before you know it.

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What’s more

There is much more to see close to Teleport Hotel than you think, and brilliant guides (like cheerful Marnix)will make sure you experience it all. How about the stunning sight of a typical Dutch windmill on the way, or hip Westerpark with its exceptional Westergasfabriek always full of events, amazing coffee and good selection of beer? These small discoveries during the tour will make your stay in Amsterdam more exciting, as you will get to know what to do, where to eat, have a drink, enjoy some live music or party hard in the city. An advice given by a local who is passionate about his hometown is the best advice, so pay attention, learn Amsterdam secrets and create some new memories! And last but not least, taking your opportunity of a free tour at Teleport Hotel you highly increase your chances to make new friends to spend some time with in this amazing city.

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Please ask for more details about our tours at the reception, sign up with our friendly Teleport Hotel team and enjoy the city and art exploration! Our bike rental prices are moderate: 24 hours with a great bike will cost you only 15€, but if you need it just for the tour, then 10€ would do. Ride your bike, discover Amsterdam and have fun with us!

For a short video impression click here!

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