Rembrandt Canal Cruise, Amsterdam

Hello blog friends! It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper catch up, so I wanted to make this next blog post extra pretty for you! This past weekend, I was invited on the Late Rembrandt Canal Tour. I booked into an early morning cruise, intent on capturing the quiet beauty of Amsterdam before the masses came alive. After grabbing a coffee from de Wasserette, I biked over to the Rijksmuseum to catch the Rembrandt tour boat. I expected it to be a relaxing morning, floating around the canals, sipping coffee, and taking pictures. And while the canals were as beautiful as ever . . . .
It turned out to be a not-so-quiet morning . . . . Because immediately after we set off, Hendrickje Stoffels, Rembrandt’s late lover, enthusiastically burst onto the boat!Apparently (and shame on me for not reading the fine print!) the Rembrandt boat tour is a theater cruise, narrated by the one and only Hendrickje. So as you float along the canals, you are not guided by a pre-recorded speaker – Hendrickje is there in the flesh, pointing out all of her favorite spots and chatting about Rembrandt’s life, paintings, and landmarks throughout the city.

The boat itself was adorable – warm and comfortable on a chilly and white spring morning.Now please do feast your eyes on beautiful, white-sky Amsterdam . . . .  I love taking photos when the sky is white. There’s no additional color or texture (blue sky, clouds) to distract from what’s happening on Earth. It was such a delight to see Amsterdam through the eyes of Rembrandt. The theatrical element of the cruise made historic landmarks along the canals come to life, and from the cozy saloon boat we had excellent views and a warm haven on a cold spring day.

The cruise itself is 75 minutes and will only set you back €25. On board you’ll be treated to a live actor guide, free wi-fi, toilets (which is rare on the tour boats!) and transport back in time to Rembrandt’s era. You can find out more or pick up your tickets here.

xo Ali

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