Anytime you visit a new city, it can be hard to determine where is the best place to stay. The first time we visited Amsterdam, we stayed a few blocks from Amsterdam Central Station. It was very convenient for our short stay of 24 hours in Amsterdam, and we loved our bed and breakfast, but it was in a very touristy area. For our girl’s trip over the summer, we wanted to stay in an area that was a little less overrun with tourists but still close to the main attractions. We chose to stay in De Pijp, and came to the conclusion that this is the best area to stay in Amsterdam.
In this post, we’re sharing why we loved the vibrant neighborhood of De Pijp so much and why you should consider it as a home base for your next visit to Amsterdam.
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Location. Location. Location.
De Pijp is located just south of the historic city center of Amsterdam. The total journey from Amsterdam Central Station to De Pijp takes around 15 minutes. If you hop on the M52 line, it is a direct shot to De Pijp. Once there, you’ll be within a 20 minute walk to the Rjiksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Moco Museum. Amsterdam also has an easy to navigate tram system that can quickly connect you from De Pijp to the historic city center or you can walk if you’re wanting to get in your steps!
Since a lot of tourists choose to stay in the historic city center, De Pijp isn’t crowded and retains its authenticity. We loved being in a quieter area but could still quickly get to anywhere we wanted to go.
Don’t think “quiet” means “sleepy” though. There are a ton of things to do and places to eat in this neighborhood! It was definitely nice to slow down a little bit in this area since we were coming off spending a few days in London and headed to Paris next.
De Pijp is exactly what you envision when you think of Amsterdam.
Sure, there are canals with cute bridges going over them all throughout Amsterdam. But a lot of them are on busy roadways with tourists flooding around them and cars and bicycles whizzing by. The borders of De Pijp are lined with beautiful quiet canals that look like they’re straight from a fairytale. We especially enjoyed the bridges on the canal that runs by Ruysdaelkade street.
De Pijp is packed with character. The neighborhood originally served as a sort of overflow area for Amsterdam’s rapidly expanding population. The working class first called the neighborhood home, and over the years writers and artists also settled down in the area. The bohemian artsy vibes persisted, and today De Pijp is one of Amsterdam’s hippest neighborhoods.
It’s a great area to stay with children.
The Netherlands in general is a wonderful place to visit with children. The country consistently ranks as one of the top 10 places in the world to raise a family. You will find playgrounds and child-friendly restaurants and activities throughout Amsterdam, and De Pijp is overflowing with these things.
One of the best places for families to visit is Sarphatipark. This beautiful park has sprawling English-style gardens and meadows, picturesque ponds, a great playground, and a very large monument dedicated to the park’s namesake – Dr. Sarphati.
Sarphatipark is the place to go in De Pijp for a nature stroll, and the lawns make a wonderful place for a picnic on a sunny day. Kayla’s mini adventurer especially enjoyed the playground and its sandboxes. There were some community toys there for children to play with in the sand, which was great since we were traveling and had packed lightly. We went to the park nearly every evening so Kayla’s daughter could get some wiggles out after so much time spent exploring during the day. A lot of times, we were the only people in the playground area!
Museumplein is only a 20 minute walk from De Pijp. Here, three of Amsterdam’s most famous museums frame a scenic park that has a playground and swings. The green space is quite large and a great space for kids to run around and play. In the winter, families can ice skate together on the square. In the summer, there are usually street performers doing fun activities (like giant bubbles!) and kids will enjoy playing in the fountain located beside Rjiksmuseum.
There are a handful of food stands in this area too with a covered seating area and a public restroom that was very clean during our visit – two very convenient things when traveling with children! Be sure to carry a few extra euros with you, as some public restrooms require payment for use.
Another reason De Pijp is a great area to visit with children is because there are numerous grocery stores in the area. From higher end organic shops to more standard food marts, there were plenty of places for us to stock up on snacks and milk during our stay in De Pijp.
De Pijp has great shopping and food.
De Pijp is home to one of the largest markets in Europe! Albert Cuyp Markt is open 6 days a week and has 260 stalls. You can buy everything from fresh produce to colorful flowers to houseware items to souvenirs to clothing at the market. There is something for everyone! It is also an excellent place to get traditional Dutch food! Kayla sampled some Poffertjes (mini dutch pancakes) at Albert Cuyp Markt during her first visit to Amsterdam. They were made fresh to order and tasted heavenly.
Outside of the market, there are numerous artisan shops and a variety of restaurants. We particularly liked the burgers at The Butcher near Albert Cuyp Markt and the ribs at Cannibale Royale. Our favorite meal we ate in the area though was the fried chicken at Ladybird Fried Chicken. We are two Georgia peaches, born and raised, and can confirm that the fried chicken being served at Ladybird is the real deal. Amanda’s eyes literally rolled back in her head when she took her first bite, because it was so good. It tasted like home.
Sandwiched on the streets between Sarphatipark and Albert Cuyp Markt are several bars, restaurants, patisseries, fun and quirky shops, and one of Amsterdam’s most famous coffeeshops – Katsu Coffeeshop.
If you’re wanting to pamper yourself during your trip, Amanda highly recommends Colour Lounge Beauty. She got her hair done there and paid less than what she normally would have in the US! We also had a great experience at Inkorporated Tattoo & Piercing Boutique, where we upgraded our piercings to higher quality jewelry.
One of the biggest tourist attractions in this neighborhood is the Heineken Experience. With this interactive tour, you’ll be able to tour the first Heineken brewery and learn the history of one of the most popular beer brands in the world (definitely the most popular in the Netherlands!). The tour ends with getting to have a chilled Heineken at the brewery’s rooftop bar, aptly named “The Best ‘Dam Bar”
It has great accommodation options to choose from.
We chose to stay in an Airbnb, so we could have as much space as possible. We found an incredibly spacious option off of Quellijnstraat. It had an outdoor space out back with pet bunny rabbits to feed! It was such a fun experience! There are also a few hotels in De Pijp with great reviews. You can use the search box below to find the perfect place for you to stay in De Pijp:
Booking.comThe next time we are in Amsterdam, we will definitely stay in the De Pijp neighborhood again. We are convinced it is the best area to stay in Amsterdam! It far exceeded our expectations and was everything we could have hoped for in a place to stay for our girl’s trip to the Netherlands!
Do you think De Pijp is the best area to stay in Amsterdam? Let us know in the comments below!
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