Excellent sightseeing with tram 2
When visiting Amsterdam you should really take a ride on tram line 2. This tram winds along everything the city has to offer. From the Central Station, past the old center with the characteristic canals, the popular shopping areas, the museum-quarter to the final stop in ‘Sloten’.
(Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash)
This 110-year-old tram line is therefore probably placed in the ‘top 10 trolley rides in the world‘ by the magazine National Geographic.
Let’s start from the end stop in ‘Sloten’. Ok, this is not the most eye-catching part of Amsterdam as the stop is in a new-build neighbourhood, but from here you can visit a real working Dutch mill: ‘De Molen van Sloten’ & the ‘Kuiperijmuseum’, located at the authentic village of ‘Sloten’. Here it is all about traditional craftsmanship: such as storing food and transporting it in wooden barrels. In addition, there is also a presentation in the attic of the mill about Rembrandt van Rijn (a miller’s son).
Once on the road, with line 2 in the direction of Central Station, the first kilometers go through the new-build district called ‘Nieuw Sloten’. On the way there is a transfer possible to the metro. If you are in a hurry to get to Central Station faster, the metro is a better option. The tram will certainly take 2 to 3x slower. If you are not in a hurry, then stay in.
The transition from new-to-old becomes immediately clear when you approach ‘Hoofddorpplein’. From the ‘Westlandgracht’ you can see from the houses and facades that they are characteristic of the period in which they were built. The ‘Hoofddorpplein’ was in fact built in 1926 by the architects Joan Melchior van der Meij and Co Franswa, in the style of the ‘Amsterdam School’. You will find this typical architecture in a lot of areas in Amsterdam.
After ‘Hoofddorpplein’ you will arrive at ‘Koninginneweg’ via the ‘Zeilweg’. You are now in the area ‘Oud-Zuid’ and you are now driving parallel to the ‘Vondelpark’. The ‘Koninginneweg’ is characterized by the many twists and the narrow street which is also used by the local traffic. It can therefore be quite chaotic, especially during rush hour. If the weather is nice then I would definitely take a walk through the ‘Vondelpark’. You can get off at every stop that follows and if you walk towards the Vondelpark there are several entrances to enter the park.
At the end of the ‘Koninginneweg’ you get the ‘Willemsparkweg’ which extends to the ‘Van Baerlestraat’. You have arrived in the ‘museum quarter’ surrounded with a lot of attractions. For the art and history lovers you have the following museums: ‘Stedelijk’, ‘Van Gogh’, ‘Moco-exhibitions’ and ‘Het Rijksmuseum’. If you like exclusive shopping in the more expensive brand stores, you can go to the ‘PC Hooftstraat’. And for those who are interested in classical music, there is ‘The Royal Concertgebouw’. And then you also have the ‘Museumplein’. A large open space that is used for various outdoor events. But it is also a popular destination to just enjoy the sun.
If you continue your journey by tram, the next stop after the ‘Rijksmuseum’ is ‘Leidseplein’. A square with many cafés and restaurants, which during the day is a sort of stopping place for shoppers and in the evening for nightlife. What is very remarkable is that the tram is moving through the narrow ‘Leidsestraat’ where the long stretched shopping area starts. The tram must then make its way through the shoppers and you will hear the characteristic bell of the tram ringing several times. The route through the old center with its many canals also starts from ‘Leidseplein’. Each canal gets passed up to the ‘Bloemenmarkt’.
If you were able to control yourself in order not to get out, the road will continue to ‘The Royal Palace’. This Palace is located on ‘Dam Square’ and you are really in the center of the city. From here you can also walk to the ‘Anne Frank house’, the ‘Nieuwe Kerk’ or to ‘Madame Tussauds’.
The last leg goes to ‘Central Station’ and this is also the final stop of this tour. From here there are many other options to do. Transfer to another tram line or metro, use a boat tour, start shopping or choose one of the nearby museum destinations, such as ‘Nemo’ or the ‘Maritime Museum’.
Where to buy tickets?
To see and experience everything, I recommend that you purchase an ‘I Amsterdam City Card‘. With this card you have free access to all museums in Amsterdam and you can also make unlimited use of public transport in Amsterdam (indicated with GVB), depending on the duration of the purchased card. With this card you can also take advantage of various discount offers in Amsterdam for attractions, music & theater, transport & bicycle rental, food & drinks.
Really believe me, this not only saves you a lot of money but also a lot of time. If you want to know exactly what this card is worth, you can download the PDF with information here.
