News from AmsterdamTips.com
Dutch no-frills airline Transavia currently has a “Valentine’s” deal on flights to Barcelona - return prices can be found for just €59 all in return. Flights depart from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Rotterdam (RTM) and Eindhoven (EIN) airports.
Hurry, as this deal expires on February 15th at 0959 CET. Travel is for Feb 14th to May 31st.
Posted: February 14th, 2011 under Travel Deals.
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Take advantage of the off-peak season to get some good travel and hotel deals to Amsterdam. You will often find the major museums not so crowded at this time of year. The winter weather can still be very chilly though so wrap up warmly. With Valentines Day in February why not consider a romantic visit strolling Amsterdam’s canals with someone special…
Please note, the new AmsterdamTips.com events listings section for March 2011 onwards has moved to here :
Hermitage Amsterdam – “The Immortal Alexander the Great – The myth, the reality, his journey, his legacy” ongoing until March 2011.
Rijksmuseum – “Gabriel Metsu: A Master Rediscovered” exhibition of the 17th century Dutch genre painter. Runs to March 2011.
Rijksmuseum Schiphol – “Dutch Winters” – Painting exhibition at the airport, free entry for passengers, located between piers E and F (non-Schengen). To March 2011.
Van Gogh Museum – “Illusions of reality” – Naturalist painting, photography and cinema 1875-1918. Closes 16th Jan 2011.
Tropenmuseum – “Cars & Traces” – Mexican artist Betsabeé Romero’s exhibit inspired by the motor car. Look out for the “Tattoo” Volkswagen Beetle around Amsterdam. Until 27th Feb 2011.
Rembrandt House – “The Last Caravaggio” – St John the Baptist Reclining – a little known Caravaggio work can be seen in Rembrandt’s studio (runs to 13th Feb 2011).
Dutch Resistance Museum – “Love in Wartime” – Long-term exhibit ongoing until April 2011.
Allard Pierson Museum – “Alexander’s Legacy – Greeks in Egypt” – Alexander the Great’s impact on Egypt. Runs to March 2011.
Amsterdam Historical Museum – “A’DAM – Men & Fashion” – Display on men and their clothes in Amsterdam over the centuries. Closes 30th Jan 2011.
Nieuwe Kerk – “Passion for Perfection” – Extensive display of Islamic art. Runs until April 2011.
Jewish Historical Museum – “Boris Kowadlo – Photographer between Memory and Future”. Unique visual archive of Jewish life in Netherlands and Israel from the 1940s and 50s. To March 2011.
FOAM – “Joan Fontcuberta – Landscapes without Memory” – Photo exhibit of Spanish artist. Runs to 27th Feb 2011.
Huis Marseille – “Digital? Analogue!” – Analogue photos from master printer Peter Svenson. To 27th Feb 2011.
Museum Geelvinck – “Careful! Fragile! – 300 Years of European Porcelain” runs until April 2011.
Bags & Purses Museum – “For Your Eyes Only” – the mysterious content of women’s bags revealed. Runs to 30th Jan 2011.
Football: Eredivisie (Dutch league) restarts after the winter break. Ajax home matches at the ArenA:
Ajax vs De Graafschap – 4th Feb, 2045
Ajax vs VVV Venlo – 20th Feb, 1430
International friendly at Philips Stadium, Eindhoven:
Netherlands vs Austria – 9th Feb, 2030
Jumping Amsterdam – Indoor international equestrian event featuring some of the world’s best show jumping and dressage riders. Amsterdam RAI, 20th-23rd Jan 2011.
ABN Amro Tournament – ATP tennis tour event to be held at Rotterdam’s Ahoy between 7th and 13th Feb 2011. Scheduled to enter are the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Robin Söderling.
Fiesta Cubana – Join DJ Arno at the Badcuyp Amsterdam for the popular monthly Cuban-style salsa night. €5 entry, 7th Jan, 4th Feb from 10pm.
Queen Esther Marrow & The Harlem Gospel Singers – 17th Jan at Theater Carré.
The Cunning Little Vixen – Performed by the Netherlands Opera. 9 shows between 15th Jan and 6th Feb at the Muziektheater.
Chinese New Year – Head over to Amsterdam’s Chinatown district (around Zeedijk and Nieuwmarkt) to catch the new year celebrations. 3rd Feb.
à la Russe – Dutch National Ballet perform to Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Stravinsky. 10 shows at the Muziektheater between 8th and 25th Feb.
Huishoudbeurs 2011 – Women themed home and fashion event, to be held at Amsterdam RAI 12th-20th Feb 2011.
International Film Festival Rotterdam – One of Europe’s biggest film festivals in its 40th year. Runs 26th Jan to 6th Feb.
Thin Lizzy – 25th Jan, Paradiso
The Cult – 5th Feb, Paradiso
Skunk Anansie – 25th Feb, Heineken Music Hall
Maroon 5 – 28th Feb, Heineken Music Hall
Looking for a good value hotel in Amsterdam? Then check out our Amsterdam Hotels page.
Posted: December 9th, 2010 under What's On.
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For a unique experience head to the charming tourist town of Valkenburg in the southern Limburg province, 10 minutes train ride from Maastricht. Each December the town holds a Christmas market inside its large municipal caves (Gemeentegrot) where you will find numerous stalls selling arts and crafts, christmas items and other knick-knacks. The caves are attractively lit and you can have a tipple of Gluhwein at the cafe.
The Gemeentegrot Christmas market in the centre of Valkenburg is open daily until December 23rd 2010. Opening hours are 1200-2100 weekdays, 1000-2100 weekends. Entry costs €4 for adults, €2 for under 12s, free for under 4s.
The city of Maastricht has a couple of Christmas market locations in the centre of the city – one on the banks of the Maas river (Kerst aan de Maas) and the other in the Vrijthof square. There are market and food stalls, cafes, 2 ice skating rinks and one ferris wheel. We found the market a little bit commercial though – one stall was selling frying pans – not exactly christmas fare… Kerstmarkt Maastricht runs until Jan 2nd 2011.
Other Christmas market events in Netherlands:
The city of Dordrecht (south of Rotterdam) will hold the country’s biggest Christmas market between December 17th and 19th 2010. The 2.5km Christmas market route around the historic centre will comprise some 300 stalls, 7 entertainment podia and an ice skating rink. For a fantastic view of the city head up the tower (all 275 steps) of the Grote Kerk church.
Deventer in the east of the country will hold a Christmas market on Sunday December 19th at Stadsplein De Brink, between 1100 and 1700. The city will also hold its 19th century themed Dickens festijn (Charles Dickens event) over the same weekend.
Nijmegen holds its Christmas market event on the Dec 19th.
Amsterdam will have an ice skating rink and Christmas stalls at Rembrandtplein / Thorbeckeplein running until Jan 2nd 2011. There will also be rinks at Leidseplein and Museumplein.
Koningsplein will host some stalls and at weekends you can catch some Christmas choir singers. Westergasfabriek will hold its Funky Xmas Market on December 12th whilst Albert Cuyp markt will have a Christmas theme on December 19th.
Posted: December 6th, 2010 under What's On.
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If you are visiting Amsterdam, Netherlands during December 2010 then check out our AmsterdamTips.com summary guide to what’s happening in and around the city. The winter holiday season is a lovely time for visiting Amsterdam – with Dutch Sinterklaas, Christmas and New Year celebrations in full swing. It gets dark early during December (around 4.30pm) and temperatures can easily go below zero – so wrap up warmly!
Hermitage Amsterdam – Exhibition “The Immortal Alexander the Great – The myth, the reality, his journey, his legacy” running until March 2011.
Rijksmuseum – “Gabriel Metsu: A Master Rediscovered” showing the works of the 17th century Dutch genre painter. Opens Dec 16th (to March 2011).
Van Gogh Museum – “Illusions of reality” – Naturalist painting, photography and cinema 1875-1918. Ongoing until 16th Jan 2011.
Tropenmuseum – “Cars & Traces” – Exhibition of Mexican artist Betsabeé Romero inspired by the motor car. Until Feb 2011.
Temporary Stedelijk Museum – 2 exhibitions running “Taking Place” and “Monumentalism” running to 9th Jan 2011.
Rembrandt House – “A Connoisseur’s Cabinet” – prints from the Frits Lugt Collection (runs to 9th Jan 2011).
Dutch Resistance Museum – “Love in Wartime” – Long-term exhibit running until April 2011.
Allard Pierson Museum – “Alexander’s Legacy – Greeks in Egypt” – The impact Alexander the Great made on Egypt. Runs to March 2011.
Bible Museum – “Marvellous Miracles” – Bible stories created by artists with mental disabilities. Runs to Jan 2011.
Amsterdam Historical Museum – “A’DAM – Men & Fashion” – Exhibition on men and their clothes in Amsterdam over the centuries. Until 30th Jan 2011.
Jewish Historical Museum – “Boris Kowadlo – Photographer between Memory and Future”. Unique visual archive of Jewish life in Netherlands taken in the 1940s and 50s. To March 2011.
Huis Marseille – “Digital? Analogue!” – Analogue photographs from master printer Peter Svenson. To Feb 2011.
Museum Geelvinck – “Careful! Fragile! – 300 Years of European Porcelain” running until April 2011 at this merchant canal house.
Bags & Purses Museum – “For Your Eyes Only” – the private content of women’s bags. Runs to 30th Jan 2011.
Football: Ajax Eredivisie (Dutch league) home matches at the ArenA:
Ajax vs NEC – Dec 8th, 1845
Ajax vs Feyenoord – Dec 19th, 1230
Basketball: ABC Amsterdam home matches at Sporthallen Zuid (near Olympic stadium). Games on 2nd Dec (vs Friesland Aris), 12th Dec (vs WCAA Giants) and 18th Dec (vs BS Weert).
Holiday on Ice – Ice dancing show to be held at Amstelhal (RAI) Dec 2nd – 12th.
Fiesta Cubana – Popular monthly salsa dance event (Cuban style) at the Badcuyp in Amsterdam (near Albert Cuyp markt) hosted by DJ Arno. €5 entry, Dec 3rd from 2200.
The Sleeping Beauty – To be performed by the Dutch National Ballet at Amsterdam’s Muziektheater, 15 shows between 9th Dec and Jan 1st 2011.
Funky Sinterklaas Market (Dec 5th) and Funky Xmas Market (Dec 12th) – popular Sunday markets to be held at Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek.
Miljonair Fair – Luxury event to be held at Amsterdam RAI Dec 9th – 13th.
Classical Concerts – Full program running at Concertgebouw and MuziekGebouw aan’t Ij. Free concert at Concertgebouw every Wednesday at 1230. MuziekGebouw holds its free monthly lunchtime concert on Dec 7th at 1230.
Jazz – Many performances at the Bimhuis Amsterdam – “Monday Match: Dance & Music Impro Lab”, Dec 6th (2030) has free entry.
The Very Big Holiday Show – Christmas themed comedy show (with dinner) at Boom Chicago (Leidseplein) running Dec 6th-11th, 14th-30th.
Ice skating – Ijspretparc, outdoor ice rink at Polonceaukade, Westergasfabriek running between Dec 17th and Jan 2nd. There will also be rinks at Museumplein and Leidseplein.
World Christmas Circus – International circus event at Theater Carre, Dec 16th to Jan 2nd 2011.
New Year’s Eve – Free concert and fireworks at Museumplein, parties to be held at most popular venues including Pardiso and Melkweg. (Note – If walking around the city on New Year’s eve then do take care as there is a level of “firework anarchy” which some visitors could find intimidating.)
in Amsterdam:
Dec 2nd – Suede – Paradiso
Dec 11th – Golden Earing – Heineken Music Hall
Dec 15th – Jamie Cullum – Paradiso
Dec 20th – Ozark Henry – Melkweg
Dec 21st – Macy Gray – Melkweg
Other concerts in Netherlands:
Dec 1st – Shakira – Ahoy, Rotterdam
Dec 3rd – Simply Red – Gelredome, Arnhem
Dec 17th – Katatonia – Effenaar, Eindhoven
Looking for a good value hotel in Amsterdam? Then check out our Amsterdam Hotels page.
Posted: November 9th, 2010 under What's On.
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