We had booked a long overdue visit to the Netherlands for a football weekend trip to watch a Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar game. However, due to their progression in European competition both games were rescheduled for a later date, so we were left with zero games this weekend. We had already booked the Ajax stadium tour, so we decided to also book the Feyenoord stadium tour, if you can’t get to a game, the next best thing is a stadium tour, right?
We flew from Newcastle to Amsterdam and the flight both ways were relatively short at less than an hour and we stopped just outside of Amsterdam in the town of Zaandam. A random town which has been regenerated in the centre with modern versions of traditional Dutch buildings, the hotel in the centre is a bit of a magnet for people wanting to grab a photo for their socials. We stopped in the Zaan hotel, which is about 200 yards from the railway station, and it was a nice spot to stop for a few days, with plenty of amenities close by. The town itself is intriguing in terms of its architecture but a little rough around the edges, however the trains were superb with a frequent service to Amsterdam and very straightforward to use.
We headed to Rotterdam straight from our arrival at Schipol Airport, the train journey was just over 30 minutes and once we arrived at Rotterdam Centraal, we left our bags at the luggage lockers underneath platform 16. You can find them through an inconspicuous looking door beside a staircase, however they are well signposted and easy to use. We jumped on Tram 3 which was heading towards Beverwaard at the stop located just outside Centraal, you need to tap your debit card on the scanner next to the door when you get on and when your alight the tram.
The journey to De Kuip took around 20 minutes and allowed us to take in the views of Rotterdam, a sleek, modern city situated on the water with lots of interesting architecture. The tram stop is Stadion Feyenoord and is a 30 second walk to the stadium. After a quick browse in the club shop, we met the rest of our tour and headed inside the stadium. De Kuip is very impressive and has a lot of character once inside, you can imagine the atmosphere is electric when there is a match on. The tour was around 2 hours, and the guide was very engaging and informative, it was very relaxed, and we had plenty of time to enjoy the stadium and take in its rich history. My favourite part was the tunnel, it was decorated with random murals of the trophies the club had won but also of some of the musicians who had played at the stadium over the years. The tunnel emerges from beneath the stadium up some steep concrete steps so watch your footing.
We headed back to Rotterdam on the tram after the tour, we wanted to visit the Cube Houses and the Markthal before we headed back to our hotel. The cube houses are an intriguing piece of architecture and in some respects a Dutch version of the Byker Wall. Whilst the Markthal is packed with food stalls and is in a unique building with an ever changing mural design on the walls and curved ceiling.
On Monday we visited the Johan Cruijff Arena, we had booked it online in a double deal with a canal boat tour which we had planned for Monday afternoon. We travelled by train direct from Zaandam to the Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena station and we used the number 54 metro to head back to the city. Upon arrival to the station the stadium looms into view like a giant steam punk spaceship, it really is an awe-inspiring sight. It is a five-minute walk from the station to the stadium entrance and the stadium looms over head the whole journey. Upon arrival at the stadium, we signed in for the tour, which was non guided and then followed mini Cruyff signs which directed us to the areas of interest. The most intriguing aspect of the stadium is the fact that the pitch is not at ground level, it is a few storeys high with a car park underneath. Walking up the tunnel and the steps to the pitch, the stadium is equally impressive inside and feels compact despite its size. We enjoyed the aspects of the stadium we visited but it was over briefly, although you can enjoy it at your own leisure, and it lacked the depth and warmth of the Feyenoord tour. We popped in the club shop, which was undergoing building work, and picked up the obligatory keyring as a souvenir.
We enjoyed our time in both Amsterdam and Rotterdam, we spent lots of time in Amsterdam walking round the city, trying to avoid cyclists and trams, also being intrigued by the parking next to the canals and the mini cars that you see flying around. The external of the station and the main strip area are quite rough in Amsterdam, however a 15-minute walk takes you to the canals and plenty of option for food, shopping and things to see. We enjoyed plenty of Dutch fries, stroopwafels and some apple pie from a surprisingly quiet Winkel Café, we avoided a lot of the viral food spots due to queues and there are loads of great options for places to eat. The canal boat tour was a welcome chance to rest our legs for an hour and take in a different side of the city and another opportunity to marvel at the parking next to the canals.
We will certainly be back, and we are already planning our next trip, fingers crossed next time it will include an actual football match.