Amsterdam: The Coziest City in the World?
- Themi Alexandra
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
I remember thinking “this place better be worth the wait” as my flight delay hit five hours and counting and its third gate change from Chicago to Amsterdam. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I overheard someone near me say enthusiastically, “Amsterdam is the coziest city in the world!” I live for cozy vibes as a natural born homebody and a big fan of wintering. Her words were the injection my weary body needed to stay awake. A few hours later we finally took flight and headed for the cozy capital of the world.
Amsterdam had me from the get-go. Just like some shoes look more appealing in a smaller size, some cities can be more appealing because of their smaller, more manageable size. Amsterdam felt this way to me, appealingly small. It’s easy to feel at home in a place that feels contained, where narrow townhouses with gabled facades are snugly nestled alongside each other. Add in the appeal of inviting sidewalk cafes, friendly people, and the enchantment of its canals and it was easy to see what the lady at the gate was talking about.
The city cradles you amongst its canals and lulls you into a dream state, where you can picture a slower life, a better quality of life where you bike everywhere. Before you know it, you are the effortlessly chic woman riding with bread and fresh flowers in your basket back to your charming townhouse. File this reverie under “If life were a Lasse Hallstrӧm movie.”
But this isn’t Chocolat, nor am I Juliette Binoche, simply another American tourist drunk on the European dream of a slower way of life. It’s hard not to feel romantic among Amsterdam’s famous canals. And yet as alluring as those canals are, I was most enchanted by the way the light from the historical streetlamps reflected against the water, particularly at night. I found it magical. A sight I never tired of seeing.
My mom and I talk about how our apartments are best seen at nightfall. They may be beautiful during the day but they sing at night when bathed in the glow of the surrounding city lights. I can say the same of cities, some are best seen by night. As soon as dusk fell over Amsterdam, its beauty was magnified for me as I got to see the contrast of the warm light against the dark water, the glow caressing the crest of the slowly moving water.
If there is one thing I remember about Steve Martin’s An Object of Beauty (other than how much I enjoyed reading it), it’s the reflection of light on water. The book is about a New York city gallerist so there is much discussion about art and someone comments about the depiction of light on water in paintings. Something about how it’s elementary yet beautiful every time. I’m fuzzy on the exact details. What stayed with me all these years after reading is the feeling. I felt seen because I love the reflection of light on water. Whether it’s in a painting, a photograph, or real life - it catches my eye and touches my heart every time.
Naturally a highlight of our time in Amsterdam was the canal cruise Mary and I took after dinner one evening. The streets were quiet, the night was dark, and the lights were bright. I was in heaven! If this was all I got to see of Amsterdam it would have been enough. But wait, there actually was more! The ticket price included cocktails and cheese to make an already idyllic evening even more enjoyable.
Our time in Amsterdam was a fleeting two night stay and yet I didn’t feel like our time was lacking. We stopped at a few of their world class museums and wandered our way around the rest. I do not like to travel with many plans in place. I adore a wander day - time to walk a city with no purpose other than to experience it and see where the day leads. I love when I don’t feel pressure to see a thousand things. Amsterdam is a city you can enjoy without doing a lot and I loved that. I like cities that allow you to simply be.
The lady at the gate was right. Amsterdam is the coziest city in the world. Of this I was convinced…until I got to Alkmaar. See my next post, Coming Home, about our time in the newly crowned coziest city in the world.
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