January in Amsterdam: When Tourist Numbers and Shop Prices Shrink!

Happy 2009! If you're sick of holiday travel crowds, now is a great time to visit Amsterdam alongside the fewest fellow visitors. Sure, there are reasons winter isn't high tourist season here -- temperatures are at their lowest and days are short -- but if you're interested in seeing the city's top attractions minus the throngs of tourists that summer brings, January is an ideal time to visit.

I'll admit that sometimes January finds me asking griping questions like: How am I supposed to lose holiday weight when there are still oliebollen for sale on the streets? How much does a last-minute ticket to anywhere-that's-warm-and-dry cost? Will I ever see the sun again? But then I remember the biggest reason January can feel more gleaming than gloomy: SALES! New question: Where am I going to get the best deal on a fab new coat?

And don't be discouraged by the cold weather -- Amsterdammers continue to enjoy outdoor pursuits like ice skating at the picturesque Museumplein (pictured above). Warm up with some hot chocolate afterward for a true wintry Amsterdam experience.

^{Pictured: The reflecting pool in front of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum becomes an ice-skating rink during winter months
Photo © Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions}