This week, the Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show broadcasts from The Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The Conservatorium opened at the end of 2011, but the building has been around since the 19th century. This Neo-Gothic building, conceived by the renowned Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel, was originally constructed to house the Rijkspostspaarbank, or Savings Bank. When the bank closed, Amsterdam’s famous Sweelinck Music Conservatorium moved into the space, but changed locations in 2008. The space was then converted into the Conservatorium Hotel.
This revitalization heralded the regeneration of the Museumplein, a previously derelict area, as well as wider renewal of the world-famous cultural hub in Amsterdam’s Oud Zuid (Old South) neighborhood. Its opening coincided with the long-awaited re-opening of the refurbished Stedelijk Museum.
Located in Museum Square, the Conservatorium is just steps away from the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Royal Concertgebouw—a concert hall. It is also walking distance from luxury shopping districts, the Vondelpark, the Jordaan neighborhood, and the historical center of Amsterdam.
Guests this week include Schilo van Coevorden, the Executive Chef at the Conservatorium’s restaurant, Taiko, who enlightens us about new food trends in Amsterdam; Curator at de Hortus Botanicus Reinout Havinga, who gives us a botanical history lesson; and author and travel writer Rodney Bolt, who explains why he loves Amsterdam so much (and has given the city a prominent place in his fiction). There’s all of this and more, when Peter Greenberg Worldwide broadcasts from the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam.
Click here to listen to the show, streaming live from 10 am until 1 pm ET on Saturday, January 3, 2015.
Call in with your travel questions at 1-888-88-PETER (1- 888-887-3837) or email peter@petergreenberg.com. (Write “ASK PETER” in the subject line)
Axel Rüger, Director of the Van Gogh Museum, tells us the proper way to address Mr. Van Gogh and gives us a quick Van Gogh history lesson.
Rodney Bolt, travel writer and author, describes how the food revolution has changed Amsterdam and why Amsterdam makes for a good character in his fiction writing.
Manfredi Lefebre, Chairman of Silversea Cruises, talks about cruise culture and what he’s looking forward to in the cruise world.
Michael Luksetich, Owner and Operator of Mike’s Bike Tours, gives us the best reasons to see Amsterdam by bike—it’s safer, it’s more efficient, and it’s fun!
Reinout Havinga, Curator at de Hortus Botanicus, talks about plants and explains why cities first started cultivating botanic gardens.
Sarah Bartlett, travel writer for sources such as National Geographic, defines “supernatural” and lists the most haunted travel destinations. Some of them might surprise you.
Terry Maxon, staff writer for the Dallas Morning News, gives us his travel predictions for 2015 and answers the question, “are there any new airlines in our future?”
Andrew Tan from The Cannabis College Foundation talks about cannabis culture in Amsterdam and explains why it’s different than you might think.
Roderick van der Lee, Creative Director of Platform A and exhibitions curator of the newly-opened Radion Project Space, gives us a new way to look at Amsterdam and explains how he is giving Amsterdam’s artists new ways to exhibit their work.
Schilo van Coevorden, Executive Chef at Taiko in the Conservatorium, tells us where to get the best cheese and the best mussels (it’s not where you might think), and gives a tip to all of those would-be restauranteurs out there.
By Jessie Marek for PeterGreenberg.com
