Nearby Attractions & Things to Do

You're attending DJS Conf in the geographic and cultural centre of Amsterdam—step outside Beurs van Berlage and centuries of history, art, music and food lie in every direction. Whether you have one spare hour between keynotes or a full free post-conf time, this guide highlights the very best the city offers within easy reach of the venue.

Contents

  1. Top Picks within 10 min Walk
  2. Worth the 20-Minute Stroll
  3. Food, Coffee & Nightlife
  4. Hidden Gems & Local Secrets
  5. Family-Friendly Ideas
  6. After-Dark Inspiration
  7. Easy Day-Trips Beyond AMS

① Top Picks within 10 Minutes

  • Royal Palace on Dam Square (6 min). Once the world’s largest city hall (1655), now a working royal residence. Walk straight in for the Burgomaster’s Chamberwith its giant marble map of the world.
  • Nieuwe Kerk (7 min). No longer used for worship but hosts rotating world-class exhibitions. Audio guide included; the nave’s 30-metre vaults make even seasoned photographers gasp.
  • Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (8 min). “Our Lord in the Attic” is a fully preserved 17th-century canal house concealing a secret Catholic church across its top three floors. Narrow staircases but worth every step.
  • Bloemenmarkt (9 min). The only floating flower market in the world—technically just outside the 10-minute circle but close enough for the scent of stroopwafels and tulips to guide you.
  • Gassan Diamond Factory Tour (10 min). Free 45-minute tour explains Amsterdam’s diamond-polishing legacy. No purchase pressure and complimentary espresso.

② Worth the 20-Minute Stroll

Venture just a little further and you’ll hit theGolden Age belt—the semicircle of canals that powered 17th-century trade and still shapes the city’s postcard image.

Museums & Culture

  • Anne Frank House (18 min). Reserve online— slots sell out exactly six weeks in advance at 10:00 CET.
  • FOAM Photography Museum (19 min). Intimate, rotating exhibitions that often spotlight under-represented voices. Lovely canal-side reading room.
  • Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum (16 min).Surprisingly scholarly deep-dive into the botany, prohibition and future of cannabis.

Architecture Walks

  • Begijnhof Courtyard. Hidden medieval almshouses accessed via an unmarked door off Spui. Absolute silence requested—residents live here.
  • “7 Countries Houses”. A row of eclectic-style mansions on Roemer Visscherstraat—each facade represents a European nation. Quick photo stop en-route to the museums.

③ Eat, Sip & Socialise

Coffee Nerd Heaven

  • Bocca Coffee Roasters (15 min). Dutch Barista Champion 2024 beans; free cupping every Friday @14:00.
  • Screaming Beans (12 min). Pourover flight lets you taste three origins side-by-side. Limited seats, laptop-friendly before noon only.

Quick Local Bites

  • Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx. Since 1957. Order “patat oorlog” (peanut satay + mayo + onions) like a pro, then devour on the curb.
  • Maoz Veggie Falafel. Unlimited salad bar, open till 02:00, perfect post-canal-crawl fuel.
  • Van Stapele Koekmakerij. Sells exactlyone cookie—dark chocolate with molten white chocolate centre. They bake all day; expect a queue that moves fast.

Night-Owl Watering Holes

  • Hiding in Plain Sight (HPS). Speakeasy with 1920s jazz and a menu that reads like a short novel. Ring the doorbell; smart-casual dress.
  • Craft & Draft. 40 Dutch microbrew taps. Grab a Kees Caramel Fudge Stout if on rotation.

④ Hidden Gems & Local Secrets

  • The Free Library in the Public Records Office.Five floors of reading nooks overlooking Oosterdok. Day passes are—aptly—free, just show ID.
  • Oude Kerk Bell-Tower Climb. Timed tours (max 12 people) ascend 220 narrow steps for a 360° panorama no Instagrammer has yet ruined.
  • “Postzegelmarkt” Stamp Market (Wed & Sat).Tiny stalls at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal selling vintage stamps and banknotes—mini-treasure-hunt for design nerds.
  • Dapp Bio Markt (Every Saturday). 100 % organic farmers’ market east of Artis Zoo. Arrive by 09:00, sample raw-milk Gouda and the city’s best stroopwafel (fight us).

⑤ Bringing the Kids?

  • NEMO Science Museum (13 min). Giant hands-on experiments; rooftop terrace is free if you just want the view. Lockers and stroller parking on ground floor.
  • Artis Micropia (18 min). The world’s only microbe zoo—interactive microscopy, glowing petri-dish art, plus a “kiss-o-meter” that visualises mouth bacteria.
  • Vondelpark Playground & Paddling Pool (25 min).If the weather cooperates, rent a bakfiets (cargo bike) and pedal there in 10 min flat.

⑥ After-Dark Inspiration

Live Music

  • Paradiso (18 min). Neo-Gothic former church turned legendary rock venue—everyone from Bowie to Kendrick has played here. Check listings early.
  • Bimhuis (15 min, free ferry). Cutting-edge jazz overlooking the IJ river; nightly sets till 23:30.

Late-Night Culture

  • EYE Filmmuseum (15 min ferry). Screens cult classics at 22:00 in original 35 mm; café stays open for post-show debate.
  • ARTIS Zoo Night Safari (Fridays). Flashlight tours through the nocturnal house—book 2 weeks ahead.

⑦ Day-Trips Worth Extending Your Stay

Have an extra vacation day? The Netherlands’ rail network makesevery major town reachable in under 90 minutes. Tap your credit card at the gate—no booking fuss.

  • Haarlem (15 min train). Mini-Amsterdam without the crowds. Corrie ten Boom House, Frans Hals Museum, plus the country’s most Instagrammed windmill on the Spaarne river.
  • Zaanse Schans (17 min train + 10 min walk).Row of working 18th-century windmills; arrive before 09:30 to beat the tour buses.
  • Delft (57 min). Birthplace of Vermeer and world-famous blue-and-white pottery—try your hand at painting a tile workshop.
  • Utrecht (27 min). Dom tower climb, wharf cellar cafés, indie shopping on Twijnstraat. Trains every 10 minutes till 01:00.
  • Texel Island (2 h incl. ferry). Rent bikes at Den Helder station; ride dune paths, spot seals, feast on lamb & local beer Skuumkoppe.

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