Canal cruise
Amsterdam wouldn’t be Amsterdam without all its characteristic little canals. Renting a canal bike and get lost is great fun, but for you lazy guys out there, there are also guided tours on canal boats, most of which leave near the central train station, but also from the backside of the Paradiso, at the Singelgracht. A day pass gives you unlimited use of the canal bus and includes discounts on some attractions. Or if you’re in the party mood, go for the pub or cocktail cruise. Check some of these websites for more information:
http://www.canal.nl
http://www.lovers.nl
http://www.rederijkooij.nl Red Light District
How could we forget one of the pillars of Dutch civilization…window shopping for real sex without being arrested for it, and at the same time turning it into an attraction! The red light district is everything you’d expect from it, has some crazy sights, but is also full of great bars, coffee shops and small restaurants! Take a look at Amsterdam’s oldest church, or step into a Buddhist temple to pray with bald monks for your inner peace.

If you want to learn a little bit more, the Pig offers you a FREE audio walking tour through the infamous red light district! Explore the backstreets of Amsterdam’s most notorious neighborhood with the comfort of an MP3-player audio guide. Despite its seedy reputation “the Wallen”, is actually the oldest district in the city, dating back to when it was little more than a fishing village, long before this small port became a popular destination for sailors to offload their booty.

After you made a booking with us, you receive a link to a page with cool downloads and handy links. From this page you can download the Red Light Audio Tour. We have some MP3 players you can borrow at the hostels as well.

New Amsterdam walking tour
No matter what budget you’re on, this one’s for you, simply ‘cause it’s for free (although a donation is appreciated)! Every day at 11:00 & 15:00 an expert guide takes you from the meeting point outside the tourist information opposite the train station, and makes sure you’ll be touched by the magic of The Netherlands’ capital city during the 3-hour walking tour. Also pick ups at the Downtown and Uptown Pig around 10:30 every day!
www.newamsterdamtours.com/nat/

Indoor and outdoor Skating
Barcelona may be skater-heaven, Amsterdam is Skater-HELL! Fun & definitely possible on the many biking lanes, but not for the faint-hearted, as you’ll be surrounded by cars, motorcycles and millions of bikes, and some of the lanes are paved with bricks. The parks are good & safe alternatives. Outdoor skate parks can be found at Museumplein (mini-ramp & halfpipe) and Marnixstraat (great bowl!). When it’s shitty outside, try the large indoor skate park Everland in the North of Amsterdam.
www.skateparkamsterdam.nl

Ice-skating
In the colder months some parts of Amsterdam turn into romantic winter-wonder-land, complete with small ice-skating rinks, accompanied by hot chocolate and cookies. The best rinks in the city centre can be found on Museumplein and Leidseplein.

Swimming
Don’t expect rooftop pools with our climate, but for true water-rats the alternatives in the city centre are sports centers “Het Marnix” & “Zuiderbad”, which both have 25-metre pools. Or try the Mirandabad / Brediusbad (also open air pools).

Vondel Park
The Vondelpark is the backyard of the Uptown hostel, and an amazing spot where locals, tourists, musicians and all other kinds of people alike go to relax. Sort of the Central Park of Amsterdam. Sarphati Park
When Amsterdam got too crowded in the 19th century, a new neighborhood was built, which included the Sarphati Park. The surrounding area “De Pijp” is a great area of the city; loads of students, not too many tourists. Amsterdamse Bos
The Amsterdamse Bos was the city’s solution to two problems: Unemployment and no relaxing spaces. Landscaping this park solved both by creating jobs and providing a big piece of nature for the inhabitants. Westerpark
The Westerpark has lots of variety, from garden to city to landscape to nature. Around the park are the really old buildings of a former gas factory which have been rebuilt into a great cultural area with very nice cafés.

Beaches
In the city? Yes, simply ‘cause we put them there.

Strand West
This is city beach has an amazing view over the water ‘het IJ’. You can’t go for a swim in it though, since there are huge ships passing by.... But instead you can play beach volleyball or go for a ride in the tiny faireswheel, to catch a refreshing breeze and a nice view. There often are parties in the lounge bar (inside and outside).
www.strand-west.nl

Blijburg
At Blijburg you actually CAN swim! Therefore it gets crowded with al sorts of people. Families, students, yuppies, school kids, all are represented. Luckily it’s pretty huge, so enough space for all.
www.strand-west.nl Strand Zuid
Strand Zuid is in an actual park, so it’s a real ‘inner-city’ beach. You’ll find mainly families here, and Friday they have a ‘thank-god-its-Friday’-party which is good fun when the weather’s nice.
www.strand-zuid.nl