Think Spring and you think tulips. Think tulips and you think The Netherlands. Think the Netherlands and you think Amsterdam. South-west of Amsterdam, there are the must-see bulb fields of Keukenhof (see my article in the Spring 2025 issue of Small Talk). If you’re looking for fresh tulips in Amsterdam, you may find a few at the floating flower market on Singel, next to other bouquets and house plants. Here you have an incredible choice of packaged bulbs – for spring and summer blooms – as well as artificial flowers. You won’t miss the souvenirs on sale alongside them either. The impressive window displays of the cheese shops opposite will surely attract big and small visitors but there’s more to the city than tulips and cheese. Below are a few of the family-friendly highlights.
“God created the earth — except for Holland which was created by the Dutch.”Old Dutch saying
History
First, a little background and history. The Dutch people’s economic fortune has always been linked to the sea. A nation of fisherman, then traders and explorers, they have always been tied to the tides. A large part of the country is below sea level, without its sea wall and water defences, Amsterdam would be flooded by the North Sea twice a day.
Since the 12th century, across the country water has been blocked by dams and pumped (ah yes, by windmills) into channels, diverted away to create polders – land drained and separated from the sea by a dike. Amsterdam began as a small fishing village which developed upon mounds of earth within the river Amstel. With a growing population and yearly flooding of the river, a dam was built across the river – giving rise to the name Amstelledamme, which later became Amsterdam. Sea trade increased, bringing the city prosperity and big banks. By the 16th century, the city was the greatest in the country and in the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, no longer under Spanish rule, the nation was the richest in the western world. The Hague may be the political capital, but Amsterdam is the cultural, intellectual and nominal capital.
The city is often called the Venice of the North (as is Bruges – see my article in the autumn 2025 Small Talk) because of its numerous canals, more than 50 of them, fanning out from the centre and dividing the city into 100 islands linked by 400 pretty bridges. Since land has always been precious in the city, the houses optimised space by being built tall and narrow, since tax was paid on the width of the facade. Have your children look up to admire the ornate roofs of the oldest houses. They will notice the hooks under the gables. Ask them to guess what the hooks were used for. No, not for violent punishments and hangings! The hooks enabled furniture and household goods to be hoisted to the upper floors via a pulley.
Whichever way you look, whether on foot, by metro, tram, bus, bike or boat (or pirate cruise), you should come across the following highlights:
Parks & Zoo
You and your children can run wild in Amsterdam’s many parks, including the Vondelpark, in the city centre, home to a tea house, Picasso sculpture, open-air theatre and rose garden.
Amsterdam Zoo is one of the five oldest zoos in the world. Meet animals and plants from around the world, explore the stars in the Planetarium and learn about microbes and nature in two unique and interactive museums: Micropia and the Groote Museum.
Museums
Amsterdam is home to some world-class museums:
- Anne Frank House – the moving story of Anne, her diary and the secret annex. Suitable for older children. Tip: Tickets come on sale approx. 3 weeks in advance. Book official tickets. If you can, read Anne Frank’s Diary, “The Diary of a Young Girl,” before you go.
- Nemo Science Museum – next to the central station, impressive architecture and curiosities of everyday science and technology explained through interactive displays and engaging activities (eg bridges, lightning, a crackling sweater or a rainbow). Tip: access to the roof terrace is free.
- Van Gogh Museum – to learn about Vincent’s art and life. Tip: Free entry for under 18s. Take the family tour and pick up a treasure hunt.
- Rijksmuseum – 800 years of history and home of the Dutch masterpieces (by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh etc). Tip: Free entry for under 18s. Try the free Family Route – Rijksmuseum with lots of exciting mini-quests or the Family Quest add-on, to unravel eight special Rijksmuseum secrets and discover a special surprise.
- National Maritime Museum for 500 years of Dutch maritime history and interactive displays. Tip: Look out for the museum’s family activities
- Other family-friendly museums
Hidden gems
- Our Lord in the Attic museum– a secret attic church from the 17th century, built under the roof of a canal house by a wealthy Catholic merchant, who was forbidden to practise his faith in public under the Protestant city council.
- Begijnhof – the city’s most famous alms houses, dating from the 14th century but rebuilt in the 17th A pretty garden and a secluded courtyard, with a chapel and the oldest house in Amsterdam. These historic houses were modest homes for the Beguines – a group of unmarried religious women who lived together in a close community under vows of chastity, the last of whom died in 1971.
- Marionette Theatre – for a charming traditional puppet operetta
- Mouse Mansion – a little shop whose model houses, boats and scenes are populated by toy mice.
Shopping
Amsterdam is a great place for shops and markets, whether you are looking for vintage clothes, flowers, souvenirs or books.
Eating
Look out for street food stalls and cafes tempting you with: pannenkoeken (pancakes), poffertjes (mini fluffy, sugar-dusted pancakes), bitterballen (bite-sized deep-fried balls of meat or vegetarian fillings), stroopwafels (2 thin waffles filled with caramel syrup), frietjes (fries), kroketten (meat-filled snacks), apple tart and, if you are feeling more adventurous, traditional raw haring (herring).
Amsterdam’s colonial heritage is reflected in the many Indonesian and Surinamese restaurants on offer too.
Eet smakelijk!
How to get there from central Brussels:
By train: approx. 2 hours
By car: approx. 2.5 hours (Tip: As it’s limited and expensive to park in the centre, consider Park & Ride or staying at a hotel outside the centre which has a car park)
Goede reis!
By Alison Plater, BCT Information Team info@bctbelgium.org
This article was first published in the 2026 spring edition of the BCT’s Small Talk magazine.
