Courtney Crawford

This museum is located in the house that Karl Marx was born in. It has lots of information about Marx, his life, his ideologies, etc. There aren’t very many artifacts, it's mostly informative displays and some photos with written information to read. Expect to spend a lot of time reading, as the majority of the museum is text. It has a very modern and artistic feel to it. The museum is three floors and there is also a garden.

A beautiful town hall turned palace located in the center of Amsterdam. If you’re interested in history, art, architecture, or just want to get to know a bit more about the city, it’s a great place to visit. The entrance fee includes an audio guide with headset that shows you around. The tour takes about 1-1.5 hours to complete. You get to see Citizen’s Hall and walk through the rooms that host visitors during state visits. Well worth a visit on your trip to Amsterdam.

My biggest complaint about this stroopwafel shop is not the long wait but rather the exorbitant pricing for a tiny treat. Furthermore, the fact that the prices, or the menu with the flavor options, are NOT listed anywhere to be seen until you are ready to give payment. Only then can you see the small paper listing the prices - €10 for a mini waffle, €13 for a medium etc. There is no room in the shop to walk in to check the menu before waiting in line. Was it a delectable and sweet stroopwafel? Yes, I can’t lie about that! But it certainly wasn’t worth the price. Other shops around town are cheaper, still delicious, and advertise their pricing right in the window outside.

Very interesting sight worth a visit. You can pretty freely walk around the ruins of this historical fortress. The Golden Gate is here and you are able to climb the stone staircase to the top of the fortress where you get an elevated view of Istanbul. There are two corner towers that you can walk in: one of which was a prison. There are very few visitors and it would actually be a nice place to bring a picnic lunch due to the large grassy area and picnic tables. Currently the mosque in the middle of the fortress is under construction.

This mosque is cleverly tucked away in the busy area of the spice bazaar. The entrance can be difficult to find, but if you manage to make your way inside, you will be rewarded with an interior much more blue than the Blue Mosque. The tile work, all hand painted, was the most impressive that I saw in all of Istanbul. Almost every surface in the mosque is covered in various shades of blue in beautiful patterns. Due to its location, it’s very quaint and does not have many tourist visitors.