Amsterdam City Guide
After writing my Munich City Guide, I knew I had to create one for Amsterdam too. The city where I was born and where so many of the people I love are...
Amsterdam holds a frequency that feels cozy, familiar and warm. But with a sexy touch. If you would wake up in Amsterdam and want to wander round the city the way I do, this would be your perfect slow-day stroll among locals...
Let me take you on a romantic stroll through the city where I was born...
Start your morning at the Noordermarkt (ideally on an early Saturday). Flowers, antiques, handmade cheeses, wild mushrooms, local produce and the smell of fresh bread. If you can, stop by Café Winkel 34 and treat yourself to a slice of traditional Dutch apple pie with whipped cream. It is a busy place but always worth it.
Continue your walk and stop by Eenvoud Jewellery on the Prinsengracht. A studio where you can customise jewellery pieces on the spot. Ask for Marijn! She has an intuitive way of helping you shape something personal, simple and timeless. It is the kind of place where you walk in without a plan and leave with a piece that feels like it has always belonged to you.
Move along the canals toward the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, a beautiful street stuffed with small galleries and vintage shops. Here you will find Renssen Art Gallery, run by Erik and his wife Suzka. I grew up as their neighbour and still remember the smell of fresh paint in the garden. Looking at their art takes me back to my childhood. Many of their pieces now live inside my home. Stepping into their gallery feels like stepping into a warm bath.
Erik and Suzka were kind enough to offer the Annie’s Alchemia reader a private visit to their home studio in Broek in Waterland, the countryside village where I grew up.
Right across the street sits Pantopia, my go-to matcha place in Amsterdam. The owner Youssef is half Italian and keen on using Italian products. For the launch of Annie’s Alchemia, he created custom mushroom pastries flavoured with Piemontese hazelnuts.
This place screams craft, creativity and playfulness. I like to get a warm matcha with coconut milk. Ask him for Annie’s Matcha and he will add a secret adaptogenic twist to it.
From there, you can walk straight into the museum district and visit the Rijksmuseum. The visit is worth the wait. Very close by you will find Cora, where you can stop for a tasty sandwich and a fresh juice alongside the canal.
At the entrance of the Vondelpark, you will find De Roos, a spiritual centre I personally adore. There is a sweet book shop with oracle cards and all sorts of incense.
If you feel like moving your body and get sweaty, I always recommend Movements Yoga. I love their hot yoga and hot pilates classes, especially now that the weather is getting colder. Book a class with Anna and step back into the crisp air feeling renewed and strong.
For dinner, I have two places I like to return to. My go-to is Gertrude. This place feels like Paris. Warm, intimate and romantic.
Another option would be to make your way back to where your morning started. Book a table at Domenica and enjoy an authentic Italian dinner. Chefs from Torino will create seasonal plates that feel like a warm hug.
And last but not least: Renessence. I love going here for my weekly float: an hour of warm sensory-deprivation and salt water holding my body until I feel weightless.
Sensory Deprivation Floating
A practice where a person floats effortlessly in a tank of body-temperature water filled with a high concentration of Epsom salt.
The goal is to eliminate external stimuli such as light and sound, to create a state of deep relaxation for both the body and mind.
I feel like this ritual resets my nervous system every time. Renessence also has a beautiful infrared sauna. Send me a message if you would like to book a session with them and make use of my discount code…
And if you are curious about the somatic healer I see in Amsterdam, feel free to reach out and I will provide you with all of her details.
I hope this guide allows you to experience the city in a way that it feels like home. Let me know what city you would like me to write about next!
