Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [161]
Saunas
Sauna Damrak Damrak 54 (Old Centre) 020/622 6012. Centrally located gay men’s sauna; €14.50, including towels. You can also get a private sauna for two for €33 per hour; towels extra. Mon–Fri 10am–11pm, Sat & Sun noon–8pm.
Thermos Sauna Raamstraat 33 (Jordaan and Western docklands) 020/623 9158, www.thermos.nl. Modern gay men’s sauna, with steam room, swimming pool, sun beds, cinema, café and bar spread over five floors. Daily noon–8am; day pass €19, under-25s €14. There’s also a beauty salon, offering facials, waxing, body treatments and massage (daily noon–8pm).
Kids’ Amsterdam
With its canals, narrow cobbled alleys and trams, the novelty value of Amsterdam can prove entertaining enough for many kids aged six and above. There’s also a whole host of attractions specifically aimed at young children, ranging from circuses and puppet theatres to urban farms and one of the best zoos in Europe, with a Planetarium attached. There are also plenty of opportunities for play – practically all of the city’s parks and most patches of greenery have some form of playground, and the recreation area in the Vondelpark is heaven for kids and parents alike.
You’ll find most places pretty child-friendly; the majority of restaurants have highchairs and special children’s menus, and bars don’t seem to mind accompanied kids, as long as they’re well behaved. Indeed, having a small child in your care is unlikely to close many doors to you in Amsterdam.
Though not all hotels welcome young children, this will be made clear to you when you book. If you require a babysitting service, contact Oppascentrale Kriterion (daily 4.30–8pm, Mon also 9–11am; 020/624 5848, www.oppascentralekriterion.nl), a long-established agency with a good reputation.
Kids’ Amsterdam |
Activities
For older children, a good introduction to Amsterdam might be one of the canal trips that start from Centraal Station or Damrak. Much more fun, though, is a ride on a canal bike. This can get tiring, but jetties where these pedalo-style bikes can be picked up and dropped off are numerous, and it’s quite safe; see "Water transport" for details. If your kids enjoy being on the water, you could also take them on a free ferry ride to Amsterdam Noord (only 5min away). The Buiksloterwegveer is a small, tug-like ferry, which leaves day and night every six to twelve minutes or so from behind Centraal Station and travels back and forth to the north side of the River IJ. Cars aren’t allowed, but you can take bikes and motorbikes. For more details on the city’s canal cruises and bike tours, see "Tour operators".
For panoramic views of the city, try climbing the tower of the Westerkerk (summer only; see "Westermarkt"). Alternatively, see Amsterdam on two wheels: it’s possible to take the kids along when you’re cycling around the city, by renting either a bike with a child seat attached, or a tandem, depending on the size of the child. Bike City at Bloemgracht 70 (020/626 3721, www.bikecity.nl) rents out both types and gives friendly advice too.
In the winter, there’s ice skating at the Jaap Eden IJsbanen, which has indoor and outdoor rinks. If the canals are frozen over and you don’t have any skates, just teeter along on the ice with everybody else; see "Ice skating" for safety points before venturing out. Another option is bowling; the centre near the RAI complex has eighteen lanes and a café (see "Bowling").
The best swimming pool for kids is the indoor, tropical-style Mirandabad, De Mirandalaan 9 (020/546 4444; tram #25), which has all sorts of gimmicks such as wave machines, slides and whirlpools; there’s also a separate toddlers’ pool. In summer, the most popular outdoor pool is in the Flevopark; for details of this and other outdoor pools, see "Pool and carambole".
The Huis van Aristoteles at the Westergasfabriek (Wed, Sat & Sun 10am–11.30am & 2–5pm; €5 per person; 020/486 2499) is a giant play area for kids, with lots of little houses and levels to explore and regular film and theatre showings.
Finally, TunFun (Mr Visserplein 7 020/689 4300,