May 2007 Hot Hostel

Amsterdam

Story Highlights

- Directions
- The Rooms
- Tourist Circuits
- The I Amsterdam Card

Amsterdam has a special place in the heart of the backpacker for a lot of different reasons. Some rock up in the city of sin to kick back with a special green friend, some make the pilgrimage to see the moving testament to Anne Frank and some fly in to see the birthplace of Rembrandt and Van Gogh.

I however took the trip to check out one of the most special St Christopher’s hostels in the chain and build up some top tips about what a backpacker can get out of Amsterdam on a budget.

Directions

Heading straight out of Central Station all you have to do to get to St Christopher’s at the Winston is walk along Damrak, make a left onto Oudekerks Plein and take a right onto Warmoesstraat. A five minute walk down here will take you past a lovely selection of cafes, DVD shops and specialist stores on the outskirts of the Red Light District before bringing you to our anything but humble, abode.

The Rooms

The rooms inside are enough to blow any creative personality away. No one is the same as another and each was decorated by an inspirational artist. There are far too many ways of describing the awesome power instilled by this incredible interior decorating so here are the best bits, boiled down to a fine stew.

Top of our list has to be the Jesus Room. This delicious pad has a chandelier, a foot fetish theme that borders on the obscene and access to a bountiful balcony that offers views over the west of the city.

The Manga Room comes in at a close second with a gargantuan robot climbing out of the wall and towards your snuggled up toes. If that’s not chilled out enough for you, book into the Green Room where, by the end of your stay, you will be at one with the world. Either that or you’ll have a rather unusual craving for a nice green salad.

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The Tourist Circuit & The I Amsterdam Card

If you’ve been searching for a theme tune to represent your time in Amsterdam I have it for you – Anything Goes. Amsterdam is the more open about sexuality, drugs and fine art than a transgender, junkie, art dealer.

The Red Light district is part of what makes Amsterdam - Amsterdam and it’s also a massive part of the tourist scene. If you fancy a laugh take a walk along the East Canals in the early evening. Tour groups of all ages can be seen with their guides, gawking at the Spanish, African and Eastern European ladies lit with red. If that’s a bit too much effort it’s more than a bit of fun to sit in the Beer Garden and look down a certain window strewn alleyway. This scenic view offers you a little entertainment at the expense of the men who check both ways at the end of the alley, slowly sneak down to peer into the red light windows and then realise the other end of this avenue opens up to a yard full of St Christopher’s backpackers, all kitted out with cameras. When they realise this it’s fun to wave!

If you’re a bit a bit of a culture vulture, then you’re going to love a beautiful piece of red plastic from the Holland Tourist Board called the I Amsterdam Card. This modestly priced card gets you 30 free treats and twenty discount offers on major tourist attractions and restaurants.

I used this to pack a three day visit with more fun than an overstuffed Turkey. Point one on the itinerary was Anne Frank’s House. This poignant tour is something that really puts you in touch with what the other end of the human spectrum is capable of and it’s a good inspiration to appreciate Amsterdam as it is today. The queues can be a bit monstrous so it’s worth making this trip to the house on the Prisengracht canal first thing in the morning.

A short walk north from here takes you to the mouth watering Pancake Bakery where you can munch you way through a Paris Hilton Pancake for a mere eight Euros and fifty Cents. If Banana and Nutella isn’t your thing use your card for a 25% discount on an International pancake like the Greenlandic. This imaginative concoction mixes a sweet base with, a healthy helping of spinach, a few hearty chunks of Brie and a nice sprinkling of Cashew nuts. This little beauty would normally cost you a whopping €12.45 but your card will give you a discount of more than €3.

A twenty minute walk and several great photo opportunities will take you to the streets behind the hostel and De Oude Kerk Church. Entrance is free with your card instead of €12 and inside you’ll find a boatful of interesting historical facts and a mix of contemporary art that ranges from dripping figurines to glass piggy banks. It might be surrounded by radiant red lights but it’s something a little bit different that is worth a look in.

A short walk south takes you along St Antoniesbreestraat which is riddled with vintage boutiques, selling clothes, coffee and sculptures. At the end of this and over a tiny little bridge you will find Rembrandt’s house which you can tour for free with your I Amsterdam card. It’s not the most fun way to spend an afternoon but it is a tourist box which you should tick when you’re in Amsterdam and the card saves you €11.

If you head back to the vicinity of our hot hostel you should visited Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder on Oudezijds Voorburgwal. This catholic attic church is one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam, it’s free and it’s a fun way to end your afternoon without paying the usual €12.

Chill out with the I Amsterdam card discount at Brouwerij Stamhuis & Historisch Stadcafe Heffe, a popular beer house with a great canal side vibe. Even better, it’s yet another attraction within striking distance of St Christopher’s. The discount knocks this lovely little treat down to €3 a pint.

A great way to complete a jam packed day in Amsterdam is to take a free canal tour with Holland International. The boat sets off every 15 minutes or every 30 minutes, depending on what time you arrive at the dock, opposite Central Station. The tour is impressively completed in four different languages and it’s a definite, value for money, eye opener which would otherwise cost you €13.

When you do all that in a day you need a little relaxation before bed time and Belushi’s at the hostel is the most affordable and stylish way to do this. Stella Artois is the best deal with two bottles for the price of one and Hoegaarden with a slice of orange is also a great way to take in this great city. The bar is a fusion of 1950’s chic and 00’s practicality, without the price tag and the pretentious crowd that you’d normally associate with a venue that looks like this.

On top of all that hostel based fun you also have the fantastical Winston Nightclub next door. All types of music play here, but there’s a special affinity for dirty electro. Check out the Beds and Bars this month for a full list of the tracks that you are likely to hear.

If you’re pushed for time on your final day, make the most of the free public transport that the I Amsterdam card entitles you to. Head down to Dam Square where you can catch a number 2, 5, 12, 16 or 24 tram to the Van Gogh Museum. It’s a pleasant twenty minute ride and the Museum is free with your card instead of the usual. €11. If you get the chance be sure to check out the basement where you’ll find the Max Beckmann exhibit. This is a very dark exhibition about the symbolism of life and death and it definitely draws in the backpacker demographic.

The I Amsterdam Square is packed with extra attractions such as stalls selling Van Gogh replicas for half the price you would pay in the museum gift shop. There’s also an abundance of contemporary local art on sale which makes a very nice souvenir for mum and dad.

If you want to walk the distance back to the hostel, it will take you approximately 45 minutes, the route involves the best canals Amsterdam has to offer and you can walk through the non touristy, mile long market that runs along Albert Cuyp – Straat. The food here is cheaper, there’s no sign of the over priced souvenir clogs and the people on the stalls are truly Dutch. The market goes by many names but the most common is North Market.

For a little extra penny pinching, grab some lunch from one of the Albert Heyn super markets. You can’t beat a filling lunch when it costs you less than €2.

For two days the I Amsterdam Card costs €43 but in the space of two days it paid me into more than €60 worth of attractions. Taking advantage of all the offers available would have saved me a lot more so I would definitely recommend that you get your paws on one of these bad boys. Check out these links for a bit of online, pre-emptive Dutch fun.