Shopping
By: Hanan bou najm Dleikan
Traditionally, shops and markets are closed all day Sunday and Monday mornings. Normal shopping hours are 09:00 or 10:00 to 18:00 (17:00 on Saturday) although some are now beginning to stay open later in the evenings and about half of the shops on the main shopping streets are even open on Sundays. There is late-night shopping on Thursdays until 21:00, when most shops on the main streets are open.
The main shopping areas are the Leidsestraat between the Leidseplein and Spui, and the Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk, leading from the Munt Tower via the Dam to near the Central Station. There are large stores near the Munt Tower (V&D and Hema), and at the Dam (Bijenkorf and Magna Plaza). There is a large supermarket behind the Palace at the Dam, open until 22:00 7 days a week.
The Jordaan and the streets around it contain many small interesting individual shops. The PC Hooftstraat and district, near the museums, contains many of the more chic shops.
There is an interesting daily clothes and second-hand market around the City Hall and Opera; there is a busy cosmopolitan food and clothes market in the Albert Cuypstraat (trams 4, 6, 10 and 16). The flower market on the Singel (between the top of the Leidsestraat and the Munt Tower) is not to be missed (trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16, 24, 25).
Some things to do for free
•Take the free ferry behind central station to the other side of the IJ and go for a walk along the North Holland Canal.
•Walk up the roof of the New Metropolis and admire the view (follow the rail lines east from Central Station, and cross the footbridge to the big green building that looks like a ship).
•Go to the Begijnhof (entrance from the Spui, or round the corner in the Gedempte Begijnensloot)
•Visit the Historical Museum gallery (take the other exit from the Begijnhof and turn left).
•Wander along the Flower Market (on the Singel).
•Browse the Waterlooplein market (at the Waterlooplein).
•Visit the Albert Cuyp market (tram 10 to Frederiksplein, or 4, 16, 24, 25 to Albert Cuyp).
•Go to a free lunch concert in the Concertgebouw (Museumplein).
•Go up the tower to the cafe in the Kalvertoren shopping mall, and admire the view (Kalverstraat near the Munt).
•Go to the cafe in Metz and admire the view (corner of Leidsestraat and Keizersgracht).