Open Monday mornings and Saturdays all day, there’s always something to find at this market. Lots of vintage items, the most gorgeous florals, and fresh food for making an amazing dinner that night.
Almost every underground station in Amsterdam has a fascinating story behind it. My favourite one is metro station ‘Weesperplein,’ because it has a hidden station underneath the actual station that was meant for the 'Singellijn.' However, that line was never build and the second station remained useless. Besides that the hidden station was also equipped to serve as a shelter during the cold war. The large doors that were meant to hermetically close the building are still visible at both ends of the platform. Other small details, like the panels in the ceiling than can be used as tables when turned around, are also silent references to the building’s former use.
The portal between the Leidseplein nightlife area and the Max Eeuweplein is pompously accentuated by a classical looking façade, designed in 1991 by Zaanen Spanjers Architects. On the frieze, supported by columns, the architect has carved an inscription: ‘Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum’ - ‘A wise man does not piss into the wind’. A ‘wisecrack’, disguised in Latin.
The city's biggest flea market is hosted the first weekend of each month in and around a gigantic warehouse in the industrial area of NDSM in Amsterdam Noord. I love to snuff around the hundreds of stalls to find unusual props. Taking the boat to cross the IJ and leaving the old centre behind is very refreshing. Make sure to also have a drink in Noorderlicht while the sun sets.