Discovering the intersection of faith and history.
TASTE Amsterdam
April, 2026
Amsterdam is a wonderful city to wander through and over. It many bridges and canals will continually tempt you to take pictures of the views. Yield to the temptation. There is no other city with such pictorial presence.
Guide books are correct in steering visitors to the main highlights of Amsterdam, including the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House. If you are not able to score tickets for these top attractions the following tour is well worth your time and taste buds.
Begin at the easily accessed Rembrandt Square. The towering statue does honor for this towering figure of the art world. From there head north two blocks and cross over a bridge - Kloveniersburgwal. When you arrive on the far side take a right on ’S - Gravelanndse Veer. Look back across the canal at the Dancing Houses. They are all leaning left and right from the uneven settling of the soggy soil beneath. Next, turn left on Groenburgwal and take your first right across bridge - Staalmeerserburg. Then at the end of one block and on the left is Espresso Puccini. This is a great spot for breakfast or lunch bite.
Continue a short walk over the bridge, heading east. Once across you will notice the Baruch Spinoza Monument to the right. Turn left and go one block where you will find Rembrandt House Museum This is a treasure. This four story museum is actually Rembrandt’s house! It has been incredibly restored to its original splendor and you get a feeling for the man and his world.
Upon finishing the tour of the Museum House double back and walk through the Flea Market. No need to buy anything but the stalls and tables have curios and objects that help interpret the Dutch world.
Continue on and cross over - Waterlooplein onto - Jonas Daniel Meijerplein. Walking one long block to the Jewish Historical Museum on your right. If time permits duck in for a visit but more importantly, cross the street to visit Portuguese Synagogue. This is an operating synagogue that dates back to the 17th century. It is a miracle that it is still standing. Its interior is out of this world.
Two more open air memorials are some of the finest monuments in Europe. The first is down one block, - Weepserstraat. On the right is the brand new National Holocaust Memorial. Mirrored glass atop a brick base contains the names of of the over 102,000 Jews of Amsterdam that were killed in the holocaust. It is made in the form of four Hebrew letters לזכר that mean “in memory of’. Here you will find the entire Otto Frank family including his teen aged daughter Anne.
Finally, go down to the nearby Nieuwe Keizsgracht canal. Turn right and visit the Shadow Canal https://www.schaduwkade.nl/ This is a simple memorial to 200 Jews who were arrested and sent to their death int eh 1940’s. Metal plaques ha e been imbed on the quay that name the former residents in the houses across the canal.
It’s time to take a break to soak in both what you have witnessed and to take in some Dutch beverages. Take a right and head two blocks up to Cafe Hooischip. It is a casual and very local bar that serves up refreshments and reflections.
From here you are now a mere two blocks from the starting point at Rembrandt Square.
Amsterdam is a bike-centric city. Millions of bikes move across the city every day. In fact they have the right of way. Make sure your head is on a swivel when doing this or any other tour in Amsterdam. The cyclists are friendly but often in a hurry.
