Stay Alert. 🔔
The bike path (fietspad) is red. If you walk on the red path, you will be hit. Locals commute at high speeds and they do not stop for tourists taking selfies.
The Red Bike
Avoid the bright red, green, or yellow rental bikes. They scream "I don't know the rules." Rent a "Black Bike" (Zwarte Fiets) to blend in with the locals.
The Bakfiets
The cargo bike. Used to transport groceries, furniture, and children. Seeing a mother transport three kids and a Christmas tree in one bucket is peak Amsterdam.
The Vondelpark. 🌳
The city's backyard. It is the perfect place to practice cycling away from the traffic. It connects the Museum Quarter to the Oud-West.
Wild Parrots
Look up. The park is full of wild, bright green ring-necked parakeets. Legend says they escaped from an old lady's house in the 1970s and thrived.
The Picasso
Hidden in the grass is an original sculpture by Picasso ("The Fish"). It was a gift to the city, and people casually picnic next to it.
Het Blauwe Theehuis
The Blue Tea House. A round, spaceship-like modernist building in the middle of the park. It is now a brewery taproom. A perfect pitstop.
Central Station
Under the Sea
The Bike Garage. 🅿️
Where do you put 800,000 bikes? Amsterdam built a massive, futuristic parking garage *underwater* in front of Central Station.
The Design:
Opened in 2023. It holds 7,000 bikes below the surface of the IJ river. It is clean, bright, and silent—a cathedral for commuting. It connects directly to the metro and trains.
NDSM Wharf. ⛴️
Take your bike on the free ferry behind Central Station to the north side. It is an industrial wasteland turned art hub.
Street Art
The old shipyards are covered in graffiti and street art. It is the best place to cycle without traffic and see the gritty, creative side of the city.
Pllek
A restaurant built out of shipping containers with its own man-made beach. Sit by the fire, look across the water at the city skyline, and realize you've escaped the tourist trap.