Amsterdam is an incredible city that visitors often like to return to many times. And they won’t always see everything that the city has to offer since there are so many canals, museums, bars, restaurants, and other historic sights to explore.
But there are some people who feel like they’ve already explored parts of Amsterdam without setting foot in the city. And that’s thanks to its appearance in popular culture, including TV shows, movies, and even a recent international video game.
And then, when these people do decide to visit Amsterdam, they’re often looking out to see the same locations around the city that they’ve already experienced.
Here are some of the most famous examples of Amsterdam appearing in pop culture media.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a world-famous series created by Apple TV that follows the fortunes of a football club based in London, England. But in the third season, the team travels to play a mid-season friendly at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the home of Ajax. And from there, the team split off to have their own experiences exploring the city.
Perhaps you want to see the jazz clubs and follow in the footsteps of Higgins and Will as they head to the Red Light District to learn more about Chet Baker. You can visit the Prins Hendrik Hotel mentioned in the series, where Baker died.
You may just prefer to explore the canals – though likely not as up close as Rebecca did when she fell into one.
Colin and Trent headed to a gay bar in the city, and there are plenty of nightclubs you could visit too.
Or you may just wish to head a little way out of the city as part of your tour, riding a bike to see the windmills like Jamie and Roy did (once Roy had learned to ride a bike in the city centre)
Considering how it was just one episode, it crammed a huge amount of Amsterdam into its 63-minute runtime. And if you, like millions of others around the world, enjoyed seeing Ted and the rest of the team exploring the city in their own way, you could plan your own trip to see the same places.
Diamonds Are Forever
Ask anyone what the most famous movie series in the world is, and there’s a good chance they’ll say James Bond. And with Bond’s jet-setting ways as he chases villains around the globe, it’s no surprise that Amsterdam has featured prominently in one of the movies – namely, Diamonds are Forever.
This classic movie acts as a sort of time capsule for the city. It was shot and released in 1971, so you can see how Amsterdam looked 50 years ago. And to be honest, it doesn’t look all that different.
There are two main scenes – one where a boat travels along the river Amstel, and another when Bond drives in the centre of the city over the canal as he travels to the apartment of Tiffany Case, who ends up being the main Bond girl for the movie.
There aren’t too many iconic spots to seek out here, but if you’re a Bond fanatic, then you’ll love exploring the same streets that were used in making the film. It’s a great excuse to travel to Amsterdam, anyway.
The Fault in Our Stars
The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 movie that sees two older teenagers who are battling cancer develop a friendship and, ultimately, a romance. As part of the story, they take a vacation to Amsterdam so that the main character, Hazel Grace, can meet author Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) and ask about the abrupt ending of her favourite book.
For an extended part of the movie, the two main characters go on a date in the city, dining at a restaurant and enjoying some outdoor music. But there are some key locations from the city included in the film that you can identify, including some of the canalside walks and, more famously, the Anne Frank House.
It’s a beautiful movie and worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of Amsterdam already. And if you’ve seen The Fault in Our Stars and you want to take your own pilgrimage to the city, then taking a guided canal tour is a fantastic way to spot some of the shooting locations from the film.
And then, with your own trip to the Anne Frank House, you can say that you’ve followed in the footsteps of Hazel Grace and Gus. Just don’t try to harass any authors while you’re in town.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
A little more of an unusual one, but Amsterdam (or at least a small part of it) was recreated in exquisite detail in the 2022 video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.
Specifically, it’s the area around the Oude Kerk (Old Church) that has been included in the game, and it’s a fantastic representation of the area that has been recreated in painstaking detail. This video does a great job of showing the game side-by-side with the real-life area. There’s even a boat not too dissimilar to our own in the clip!
If you’ve played the game and enjoyed this scene, it may have whet your appetite to head to Amsterdam to see the real-world version for yourself.
Amsterdam Pop Culture Summary
These are just some of the most famous examples of Amsterdam appearing in popular culture, but the city has made many smaller appearances in other movies and TV shows. Amsterdam’s architecture and layout is iconic, and it’s a lot of fun seeing it pop up in the media we’re enjoying.
But of course, it’s even more fun when you head to Amsterdam to see it all for yourself, and what better way to tour the shooting locations of the city than from a boat tour around the canals? Get in touch now if you want to book.
