Foppe about his favourite spots in Amsterdam
Foppe has been working in the hospitality industry since he was fifteen and has worked at The Manor for over seven years now. This has lived in Amsterdam all his life and therefore knows a lot about the city. He loves to tell you all about his favourite spots in the city!
Exploring the neighbourhood
Hotel The Manor is in a prime location and Foppe knows about all kinds of fun things to do that are only a few minutes’ walk from the hotel: ‘If you go right out of the hotel, you have one of the nicest markets in Amsterdam, the Dapper Market. The market has been open 6 days a week for about 40 years now, but I remember that Monday used to not be an official market day’. If you turn left out of the hotel, you come to the Oostpoort shopping centre. Foppe: ‘At the end of the Oosterpoort, where you can shop nicely as well, there is a brewery and I would definitely recommend going there to have a look, and to drink a beer of course.’
No shortage of museums in Amsterdam
Foppe's favourite museum? He has to think about that for a moment. "There are so many museums in Amsterdam, large and small, and the exhibitions change all the time. There's the Allard Pierson, the Westerkerk, the Museum of Bags and Purses and the Hermitage, for example. I myself still find Museumplein impressive. Of course, there you can find the most famous museums, but even if you are not a fan of museums, you should see the outside of these beautiful buildings. In winter, there is also always a skating rink on Museumplein, which I always enjoy going to myself.’
Sporty through the city
Foppe loves running and can tell guests the best running routes to follow. ‘For new runners or for short runs, I often suggest a run around the Flevopark. The Flevopark run itself is about 3 kilometers long, a run from the hotel and back for about 6 to 7 kilometers. I myself also like to run down the Amstel canal towards the Utrechtsebrug and back again. If you go at a nice pace, it will take you about an hour. What I like about running in Amsterdam is that you get to see a lot of things; once I've had a good run it can be all the way out to the meadows in Ouderkerk. I want to run the half marathon at the Dam to Dam run next year, so I'm training for that. But I always tell guests to listen to their bodies and if you think it's too far, walk back slowly or sit down at a café to rest.’
Green in Amsterdam
Foppe not only enjoys running, but also just going for a stroll in the park or woods. ’The park is a great place to escape the busy city life for some time and here you can enjoy all the greenery. You can already see the Oosterpark when you walk out of the hotel, but the Amsterdamse Bos is also not so far away from our hotel. It's quite a big forest and you can walk there all day and visit the goat farm. I go there sometimes with my grandson. In March or April, the blossom trees in the Amsterdam forest start to blossom again, which always looks beautiful! So if you happen to be in Amsterdam in the weeks when it is open, that is a real must.’
Meat lovers and vegan favourites
In a city like Amsterdam, there sure is a whole lot of choice in restaurants. Foppe is particularly fan of two: ‘For meat lovers, there is really only one place where you can eat the best steak and that is Loetje! My personal favourite on the menu of Loetje is the steak Bali, this is just a bit spicier than a regular steak. For people who prefer not to eat meat, Mr. & Mrs. Watson is a really nice restaurant to go to. This is a vegan restaurant on the waterfront just outside shopping centre Oostpoort.’