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Amsterdam Map: Heineken ExperienceHeineken Experience Frommer's Recommended

Hours Tues-Sun 10am-6pm
Address
Stadhouderskade 78
Location At Ferdinand Bolstraat
Transportation Tram: 16, 24, or 25 to Stadhouderskade
Phone 020/523-9666
Web site www.heinekenexperience.com
Prices Admission 10€ ($16); children 17 and under admitted only with parental supervision
Season Closed Jan 1, Dec 25

Frommer's Review

Five minutes into the self-guided multimedia tour at Heineken's old Amsterdam brewery, I was already mentally pinning Frommer's "Overrated" icon to this review. Two things persuaded me not to: First, the further you go, the better it gets; second, the other visitors (mostly young males) were having a whale of a time. But admission is steep -- even if you do get two "free" fills of Heineken beer and a keepsake Heineken glass -- and it seems like a bunch of Heineken marketing whizzes came up with a brilliant wheeze to repurpose the facility and grow the market. You pay to get hit by a high-energy multimedia assault aimed at fixing the word "Heineken" deep in your psyche, and to receive compelling content like "Water is a vital ingredient in beer-brewing."

The experience, such as it is, unfolds inside former Heineken brewing facilities, which date from 1867. Before the brewery stopped functioning in 1988, it produced more than 100 million liters (26 million gal.) annually. Fermentation tanks, each capable of holding a million glassfuls of Heineken, are still there, along with multistory malt silos and all manner of vintage brewing equipment. You "meet" Dr. Elion, the 19th-century chemist who isolated the renowned Heineken "A" yeast, which gives the beer its taste. In one amusing attraction, you stand on a moving floor, face a large video screen, and get to see and feel what it's like to be a Heineken beer bottle -- one of a half-million every hour -- careening on a conveyor belt through a modern Heineken bottling plant. Best of all, in another touchy-feely presentation, you "sit" aboard an old brewery dray-wagon, pulled by a pair of big Shire horses on the video screen in front of you, that shakes, rattles, and rolls on a minitour through Amsterdam.

It is fun, I have to admit. But serious types can take cold comfort from a multiscreen presentation on the evidently dire state of freshwater resources around the world.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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Home > Destinations > Europe > The Netherlands > Amsterdam > Attractions > Heineken Experience

Frommer's Star Ratings

Frommer's Recommended 0 stars Frommer's Recommended
Frommer's Highly Recommended 1 stars Frommer's Highly Recommended
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended 2 stars Frommer's Very Highly Recommended
Frommer's Exceptional 3 stars Frommer's Exceptional

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Frommer's ranks every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment it reviews for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating scale, an expression of the strong compare-and-contrast opinions that are a brand hallmark.

Other ratings provide stars based primarily on price and amenities; the Frommer's star rating is meant to quantify the kind of intangible, experiential elements that help travelers make informed decisions.

The "baseline" recommendation is zero stars--every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment that Frommer's chooses to review is recommended; otherwise, we simply wouldn't include it.

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