The Best 29 Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam for Instagram

Amsterdam, with its enchanting canals, historic architecture, and vibrant culture, has inspired countless visitors, writers, and artists over the centuries. Known as the “Venice of the North,” this city offers a unique blend of old-world charm, modern creativity, and commitment to sustainability, making it one of Europe’s most forward-thinking destinations. From exploring the best of Amsterdam’s scenic beauty to discovering its reputation as a sustainable city, there’s no shortage of things to do. In this post, we dive into some of the best quotes about Amsterdam, capturing the city’s spirit and charm.

These words from famous personalities and admirers alike reveal what makes Amsterdam a place that remains forever in one’s heart and mind—perfect quotes to accompany your travel moments on Instagram and other social media.

Best Inspiring Travel Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam’s Rhythm and Spirit

2 |

Amsterdam is not Holland. It is a city that attracts people from all over Holland. And lots of international tourists and party people”

Eddy de Clerq

Eddy de Clerq is a Belgian record producer who founded the first underground dance movement and the rise of Amsterdam club scene.

3 |

I love Amsterdam. The city is vibrant and alive. It’s fresh and so open. It’s definitely one of my favourite places.”

Stefon Harris

Stefon Harris is an American jazz vibraphonist. Besides being a musician, he is also an educator and thought leader.

4 |

The many cultures in Amsterdam contribute to the city’s high level of craziness-something which every interesting city should offer”

Charles Landry

Charles Landry is an English author, speaker and international adviser on the future of cities best known for popularising the Creative City concept.

5 |

Historic Amsterdam, that old part you first see when you turn up at Centraal Station, may have its monuments, but it’s also the most tawdry and overcrowded part of the city.”

David Hewson

David Hewson is a contemporary British author of mystery novels. His award winning novels include The Killing, The Villa of Mysteries and the most recent, The Garden of Angels.

Amsterdam…

For some, Amsterdam is a city of sin, while for some others, it is a city of freedom, an exemplary for others to follow. Some even compare this European city to the American city, San Francisco for the freedom and fun it offers along with its deep roots in art and culture.

Whichever way you decide to define the capital of Netherlands, Amsterdam is a unique city that means many things to many people. The following quotes about Amsterdam define the City’s charm.

6 |

Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth, it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin“

John Green

7 |

Amsterdam is like the rings of a tree: It gets older as you get closer to the centre.

John Green

John Green is an American author won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska, and his fourth solo novel, The Fault in Our Stars, number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012.

8 |

I am a village boy, and Amsterdam for me was always the big town.”

Anton Corbijn

9 |

I think Amsterdam is to Holland what New York is to America in a sense. It’s a metropolis, so its representative of Holland, but only a part of it – you know, it’s more extreme, there’s more happening, it’s more liberal and more daring than the countryside in Holland is”

Anton Corbijn

Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director.

Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam’s Red Light Area

10 |

But words are water in Amsterdam, they flood your ears and set the rot, and the church’s east corner is crowded.”

Jessie Burton

11 |

This city is like no other city in the world. It is brilliant but it is bloated, and I’ve never called it home”

Jessie Burton

Jessie Burton is an English author and actress. She has published three novels – The Miniaturist, The Muse, and The Confession.

12 |

Most visitors to Amsterdam will wander into the red-light district out of sheer curiosity. The narrow streets are mostly safe day and night – just don’t try to take pictures of the women working in the windows.”

David Hewson

Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam Canals

Best known for its abundance of tulips, gingerbread canal houses, and friendly biking trails, Amsterdam is also a city that is rich in opportunities, art, and romance, Amsterdam is famous for its historic winding canals, and goes beyond from being just a city for most travellers.

Amsterdam is intimately connected with water. Its one-hundred-sixty five canals were constructed over centuries to stimulate trade, transport and to reclaim land. The 17th century Amsterdam Canal Ring is of great cultural and historical value, now recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010.

I scoured the internet and found some of the best quotes and sayings about Amsterdam canals to give you an idea of what it’s like, and perhaps a few perfect captions for your travel photos on Instagram.

13 |

In Amsterdam, the water is the mistress and the land the vassal. Throughout the city, there are as many canals and drawbridges as bracelets on a Gypsy’s bronzed arms.”

Felix Marti-Ibanez

Felix Marti-Ibanez (1911-1972) was a Spanish author and publisher who emigrated to USA after the Spanish Civil War in 1939, thereafter becoming an American citizen.

14 |

Amsterdam is such a fun, cool place, and it’s very instagrammable with the canals and the boats and the flowers and the architecture. It’s amazing for outfit of the day shot.”

Nikkie Tutorials

Nikkie de Jager better known as Nikkie Tutorials is a Dutch makeup artist and beauty vlogger. She has 13.8 million subscribers to her Youtube channel.

15 |

Amsterdam was a great surprise to me. I had always thought of Venice as the city of canals; it had never entered my mind that I should find similar conditions in a Dutch town.”

James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was the leader of the NAACP, where he began working in 1917.

16 |

Stand outside De Eland, on the Berenstraat Bridge over the Prinsengracht, and you see what real Amsterdam life is like.”

David Hewson

17 |

In Amsterdam, the river and canals have been central to city life for the last four centuries.”

Janet Echelman

Janet Echelman is an American sculptor and fiber artist whose work have been publicly displayed at specific sites.

18 |

Amsterdam has more than 150 canals and 1,250 bridges, but it never seems crowded, nor bent and bitter from fleecing the tourist.”

Julie Birchill

Quotes and sayings on Amsterdam that may make you smile…

19 |

Call me a pig, but isn’t it brilliantly refreshing how early the Dutch eat dinner? When they’re still laying out the cutlery in achingly hip Barcelona, they’re hanging the closed sign on the restaurant doors of old Amsterdam.”

Julie Burchill

Julie Burchill is an English journalist and writer who began as a staff writer at the New Musical Express at the age of 17. She contributes to The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The Guardian. Burchill’s popular novels are many.

20 |

I dropped my pants in a tattoo parlour in Amsterdam. I woke up in a waterbed with this funky-looking dragon with a blue tongue on my hip. I realized I made a mistake, so a few months later I got a cross to cover it. When my pants hang low, it looks like I’m wearing a dagger!

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker and a humanitarian. She has won many awards including Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. She has been named Hollywood’s highest-paid actress numerous times.

Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam Cycle City

Amsterdam is a city where the number of bicycles outnumber its residents! The city is perfectly set-up with dedicated cycle lanes and regarded as the second most bike-friendly city in the world, only just after Copenhagen. Here are three quotes and sayings on Amsterdam that somewhat describes the city of cycles.

21 |

In Europe, I always have fun bike riding in Amsterdam”

Ezra Koenig

Ezra Koenig is an American musician, singer-songwriter and radio personality.

22 |

My experience in Amsterdam is that cyclists ride where the hell they like and aim in a state of rage at all pedestrians while ringing their bell loudly, the concept of avoiding people being foreign to them.”

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett – Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humorist and author of fantasy novels. His notable works are Discworld series, Good Omens and Nation. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.

23 |

Here people cycled with a reckless swagger, talking on the phone and eating breakfast.”

David Nicholls

Sayings and Quotes about Amsterdam to Inspire Creativity

The following quotes speaks of a city that inspires creativity.

24 |

I get inspired in certain places. You have to write in places like Amsterdam or Paris or New Zealand, when you’re standing on a yacht, looking out at the middle of the ocean.”

Action Bronson

Ariyan Arslani better known as Action Bronson is an American rapper and television presenter.

25 |

When I wrote my book about Amsterdam, the main objective was to talk about the city’s creativity rather than just its design.”

Marcel Wanders

26 |

Amsterdam is a breeding ground for new creative pursuits in many areas fueled by tolerance and openness to ideas, unlike any world city I’ve been to. There is something for everyone here, especially when you dare to go off the beaten path.”

Marcel Wanders

27 |

Amsterdam lives and breathes creativity. One moment you walk into a building from the 17th century, and the next you find yourself in a hub of creative start-up companies”

Marcel Wanders

28 |

San Francisco is a lot like Amsterdam – free, open-minded and casual – though I expected better weather.”

Marcel Wanders

29 |

What’s special about Amsterdam is that the city is able to connect worlds that are not otherwise connected.”

Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders is a Dutch designer and as art director who designs architectural and interior products.

More Quotes, Captions, and Sayings?

Ready to dive deeper into the world of poetic words and captivating captions? Our blog doesn’t stop here. We’ve curated an exquisite collection of destination quotes, adventure sayings, and much more, each designed to perfectly complement your travel experiences and nature explorations. Here are some you may like:

Country and City Destination Quotes, Captions, + Sayings

Amsterdam: Best 29 Inspiring Travel Quotes and Captions about Amsterdam.

Barcelona, Spain: 98 Epic Quotes, Captions and Sayings about Barcelona, Spain.

Bordeaux in Words: 17 Cute Quotes about the Wine Capital.

Budapest, Hungary: 65 Puns and Quotes about Budapest to Love.

Edinburgh City: Awesome 18 Edinburgh City Quotes, Captions, and Sayings.

English Countryside: 12 Famous English Countryside Quotes, Captions, and Sayings.

London Weather Quotes: 17 Sayings to Capture the City’s Ever Changing Skies.

London Tower Bridge: 29 Tower Bridge Captions for London Travel Photos on Instagram.

Milan: 9 Best Quotes that Make the City Irresistible.

Nature Quotes for Instagram: 51 Perfect Quotes and Captions to Capture Travel Moments.

Paris, France: 141 Very Best Quotes about Paris.

Scotland: 93 Very Best Scotland Travel Quotes, Captions, and Sayings.

Seville, Spain: 11 Best Quotes about Seville, Spain to Inspire a Visit.

Halloween Quotes, Captions and Sayings

Halloween Quotes: 55 Best Quotes, Captions, and Sayings for Spooky October Vibes.

On a final note…

It’s no surprise that Amsterdam in one of the most visited city in Europe – it may not be as glamorous as Paris or London nor is it deeply rooted in Roman history as Italy but Amsterdam is a city that offers you an insight into culture, beautiful places to stay with plenty of things to do whether you are visiting for 24, 48 hours or even much longer.

Have a splendid time discovering Amsterdam xoxo.

Happy and Safe Travels Always, Wherever Travel Takes You, xx

For more travel insights and tips, consider following Georgina from Timeless Travel Steps on BlueSky, Instagram and Facebook. Don’t miss out on her latest adventures and expert advice. Subscribe to stay updated and join a community of fellow travel enthusiasts eager to explore the world.