Europe Trip Day 10 : Amsterdam - Canals, Flower Market & Red Light District

We took the metro to Paris Nord and boarded a train from Paris Nord to Amsterdam Central. The train journey was around three hours and twenty minutes. Travelling via train is very convenient in Europe as there is no need to check-in and typically the train stops near to the city center. We booked the business class coach which had really comfortable and spacious seats. The best thing was that we were served breakfast as well.

From the train station, we walked about five minutes before reaching our accommodation at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. The hotel is just adjacent to the train station and many of the local attractions are within walking distance from the hotel. We were given a warm packet of chocolate cookies upon checking in to the hotel. This is apparently the signature welcome provided by DoubleTree. The hotel is clean and spacious and provided a nice view of the canal and the city.

One distinct feature of Amsterdam is the canals which form concentric belts around the city. The main canals are Singel, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht. While Singel was built in the 15th century, the other three were built in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age.

Buildings lined the sides of the canals. One building of interest is Anne Frank House located at the upper part of Prinsengracht. This was the place where Anne Frank hid during World War II. As there was a long queue of visitors, we decided to move on.

We hopped from one canal to another canal through the connecting arch bridges. As we walked further down towards the end of Singel, we reached Bloemenmarkt or Flower Market. The market is made up of a row of shops which floats on barges permanently anchored by the side of the canal. There were a wide variety of fresh flowers and tulip bulbs. 

As we walked from the west to the east side of the city, we arrived at the Red Light District which is one of the main attraction of Amsterdam. The area is dormant by the day and becomes lively in the evening. As we strolled past the alleys, we could see girls of different shape and sizes parading through the neon lit glass windows of the parlors.