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Cold and Rainy Amsterdam: What to do?

Here is a scenario. You booked a nice city trip to Amsterdam. Flight tickets are booked and your stay at Amsterdam Teleport Hotel is confirmed! Now it’s time to get really excited. Evenings go by sitting at the couch, browsing the internet and looking at all the different places you want to visit. The number of places you are putting on your Amsterdam bucket list becomes quite overwhelming. There is so much to do and to see! But apart from not having enough time, what can go wrong during the trip you are asking to yourself? Then you realize there is one thing you haven’t checked yet: the weather! You add Amsterdam on your favourite weather app on your phone; you refresh the page a couple of times. Can it be true? Is the app working properly? You check other weather pages and that’s when you fully realize; it will be grey and rainy every single day of your trip! How is this possible you are wondering?rain

Here is a “comfortable” thought and explanation. Amsterdam has a mild sea climate with relatively warm winters and refreshing summers. Amsterdam gets on average 800mm of rain, spread out over 184 days, per year! But don’t worry; this is all normal for us! Local people are completely used to this type of climate. Most of us don’t even get bothered too much when the skies open up once again and we have to go bike to work, school or just for meeting a friend. And the good news is, since we have to deal with it 50% of the year, there is tons of exciting things to do even when it rains cats and dogs! So let me help you lift up your mood a bit and make you excited again for visiting our beautiful city!3647173262_1b70b5f61e_o

Let me start by recommending two very cool places not too far from the hotel: Westergasfabriek and De (Food) Hallen. Both places are very popular cultural hotspots in the city and offer tons of different activities year round. Westergasfabriek has a big variety of different shops, coffee places, galleries, restaurants and bars. Once per month they organise a big largely indoor fashion, design and art market. Definitely worth a visiimg_0851

If you decide to go a little bit further, by tram of course, why get under the rain when Amsterdam has such a good public transportation system, you get to De Hallen. De Hallen is a former tram depot that recently has been turned into a multipurpose cultural complex. Here you will find one of Amsterdam’s biggest food courts and lots of galleries and stores with unique souvenirs from Amsterdam. Those who are into cinema can eat their heart out as well. De Hallen has the largest independent movie theatre in The Netherlands which on top of that even has a one cinema hall (number 7) that is on the UNESCO heritage list because of its historical art deco interior.img_0971-2

I can hear you thinking: “This doesn’t sound too bad but what about the historical city centre”? Also in “old” Amsterdam there are many things to do when the weather is not cooperating. In the red light district for example there is the TonTon club. A cool, old school arcade hall where you can play lots of pinball machines and your all-time favourite classic racing, shoot-em-up games! After you had enough of game nostalgia you can go for a delicious local draft beer at Brouwerij de Prael or for those who want a bit more of a touristic beer experience at Brouwerij ‘t IJ which is located in a classic Dutch windmill. If gaming is not really your thing and you are wondering what to do, you should definitely go for a comfortable canal cruise. The easiest way to explore the city, all dry and provided with interesting historical information throughout the trip. During the winter months you might want to go for a special Amsterdam Light Festival watercolour cruise during the night.

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After the canal cruise and getting to know you should visit one of the many museums Amsterdam has to offer. Get your skip the line ticket at the front desk of the hotel and get inside straight away while other tourists are waiting outside being all cold and wet! The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, Eye Film museum, Nemo Science museum, Anne Frank house, Tropical museum, Hermitage and Foam photo museum are just few of the exciting options that you have.8928519988_9347a0cbaf_k

Another cool activity on a rainy day is to visit one of the many escape rooms Amsterdam has to offer. Sherlocked is located under the Beurs van Berlage, in the heart of the city centre. Other great options are Claustrophobia and Zombie escape.sherlocked-wide-shotcompressed

Last but not least there are two places totally worth mentioning that are a bit further away. On the other side of the IJ river (behind Amsterdam Central station) there are the IJ-hallen. Here you can find the largest flee market of Europe. You have to be lucky though. The market is held only one time per month. The last place I think that should complete this list is The World of Food.  This food court can be found in the Bijlmer a.k.a. Amsterdam Zuidoost. This food court represents the true multicultural spirit of the city. Amsterdam people with roots from all over the world share their delicious food for affordable prices!8244508693_858e876584_o

So nothing to worry about when coming to Amsterdam, there is always something to do! For those who are still a bit unsure and afraid of the bad weather, we provide free umbrella’s at Teleport! :)

Amsterdam Light Festival Presents

In case you’ve been browsing around Amsterdam and wondering what those beautiful colorful art installations around the city are, we’re happy to share the news with you. Our cozy city is proud to host the fifth annual Light Festival that celebrates art, light and festive holidays. As a matter of fact this year edition celebrates Amsterdam itself with a new theme “A view on Amsterdam” with city being the canvas for artists. These talented creators bring on new ideas on its look and interpret various visions on Amsterdam through their stunning art pieces.imgp2727-4huge-1448445450

Water Colors

What are the water colors of the canals of our charming town? Well, this season (all the way until 22 January 2017!) the water becomes alive with all the rainbow colors (including the rainbow installation itself). Some of the artworks can be seen from the shore, like Wolfert’s dog that marked the foundation of Amsterdam according to the legend or the nest that inspires organic architecture and reevaluation of the idea of home. Other pieces can be admired better from the water, for example illusive three-dimensional houses, which turn out to be just unbelievable flat lines of lights or the dangerous love zone that underlines the contemporary status of love. The most magnificent pieces are the brightest colorful tulips that you can ever imagine (and right in the middle of the canal!), the flower strip full of lilacs on the water and of course the brightly lit bicycles that are falling into the water as a symbol of 15 000 bikes that gets fished out of Amsterdam canals annually.

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We chose KINboat tour

We were lucky to be on the Amsterdam Light Festival tour with KINboat that impressed us with their laid-back guides and a nice vibe on board. It is a friendly company that operates smaller boats allowing for a more personal experience and communication with like-minded people.  So not only you get to enjoy an amazing view of the canals and light art, but also meet local guides who are passionate about their city, ready to crack a funny joke and tell a personal story. If you’re a bit more introverted and find communication with strangers difficult, KINboat will melt the ice with a cup of hot gluhwein or chocolate. Yes, alcohol is included! And it makes the perception of night Amsterdam even better.kinboat31

How great it was to discover that the boat had a 360 degrees overview of the water and leaning Dutch houses dancing in the lights of the art pieces. We could choose between inside seating and being covered against wind and rain or being outside on the deck with a spot for taking perfect pictures.  In addition, it happened to be a silent 100% electric and green boat, which made our experience more environmentally friendly and sustainable. We couldn’t believe that the tour was over, as 75 minutes flew by making us want to come back and explore more with KINboat guys.fountain

Fancy a walk?

If you’re not into looking at Amsterdam from below the ground level (although it’s stunning!), then Illuminade is the right part of the Light Festival for you. Enjoy a long evening walk around the magical city admiring the outdoor exhibition presented to you by local and international artists. 23 light art pieces are waiting for you to see Amsterdam in a different dimension (sometimes you can even walk through them!). This year walking route’s theme is biomimicry that brings nature to solve problems of humans. The best news is that you can enjoy this charming walk for FREE till 8 January 2017, just grab your map and good company.memories

Watch the green flying pigs in a tree (no, you don’t need to smoke to see them!) being a symbol of positivism and recycling, or find an illuminated glass house activated through your voice that would make you feel surreal, or dance with the light trees connecting with nature and art. Your opportunities are endless and will surprise you with each artwork you pass: just think about the flowering phantasm opening its petals with you movement or light waves that operate with the help of the wind and make you think about sustainable energy.net