With another day in Amsterdam to relish and a curiosity to visit the abode of the Royals, we headed towards the Royal Palace situated in the very heart of the city, Dam Square. Bustling with tourists and surrounded by shops, cafes and hotels, it really is the place to be in Amsterdam.
Despite the splendour of the building and the crowd of people gathered on its steps, we walked straight past the Palace, only to realise our mistake after about 15 minutes of searching.
Having finally found our destination, we stood in the square admiring the exterior of the Royal Palace, juxtaposed by the intensity of the blue sky.
Built in the 17th Century and once occupied by King Louis Napoleon, the Palace is now at the disposal of the Dutch Monarch. Lined with windows and crowned with a domed cupola, you definitely have to visit if you've always wanted to know what it's like to live amongst royalty.
We posed for some photos in front of our new home for the day, making the most of the beautiful weather.
After taking our fair share of photos, we ventured inside the immense building, anticipating all of the beauty we knew it would comprise of.
After sorting out our audio guides and traipsing up a grand staircase, we emerged in the central hall.
The photos speak for themselves really. Spectacular chandeliers sparkled above our heads, ornate marble detailing spanned every wall and the ceiling was rich in decorative paintings. 
The light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and bounced off all of the walls' nooks and crannies, flooding the rooms with an airy brightness.
The chandelier's are definitely one of the Palace's most charming features, adding that extra touch of royalty and pizzazz.
Amsterdam Palace is any photography lover's dream. To call it photogenic would be an understatement, to say the least.
If you find yourself around Dam Square, be sure to have a little snoop around. I promise you won't regret it.
Having explored all that the Palace had to offer, we went for a wander around Jordaan, which is one of Amsterdam's most famous neighbourhoods.
As you might expect, there are canals and bikes galore.
It's in this area that you'll find the celebrated Anne Frank House. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the interior as it is not permitted and seems a little inappropriate in such an emotionally poignant place. However, I urge you to go and visit yourself as it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Amsterdam.
Just remember to take some snacks and a drink as the queuing time is horrendous due to its popularity, but I can assure you it's worth the wait.
We finally got round to taking photos on the renowned I Amsterdam sign situated in front of the Rijksmuseum. It's virtually obligatory as newbies in the city.
With people mounting the letters left, right and centre, it's difficult to get your desired shot but with a little patience and athletic effort, I managed to climb the 'e' for a photo.
(Feeling pretty smug, I must admit).
So that's it for my Amsterdam travel posts. We had the most incredible city break full of excitement, sun and laughing until we were close to tears.
Amsterdam, you've stolen my heart. I'll be back.
0 comments:
Post a Comment