I’d highly recommend a walking tour with Marten. You can expect to not just learn about the city but to learn something about the Dutch mentality, the values, what the local customs are like. There is no better way to begin your trip to Amsterdam.Amsterdam walking tour
Marten immediately made my granddaughter and I feel comfortable. He was warm and engaging to both of us . His knowledge, expertise and experience makes him a top notch tour guide. His skill at making history and art so interesting to not only me, but also my 16 year old granddaughter, was so appreciated. We were lucky enough to have booked two separate tours with him . The first one was the Jewish history tour, which was very moving, and so worthwhile before we went to the Anne Frank House . It gave us a better understanding of Jewish life in Amsterdam before and after the holocaust.
The other tour we took with Marten was of the Van Gogh Museum and Van Gogh himself. His story telling skills made learning about Van Gogh so very intriguing. His ability to draw attention to relevant things that one could easily overlook was so appreciated. Walking and talking while interweaving philosophical viewpoints made it even more thought provoking. It was very special to learn from this wonderful guide.
We actually bumped into Marten the day after our tour and we were all so excited to see each other. Amazing tour guide
Marten K. is an exceptional storyteller. At the Van Gogh Museum, he wove an intricate and captivating story of Vincent Van Gogh’s life as a mentally unstable, yet brilliant artist, highlighting the numerous artistic innovations he pioneered. He connected Van Gogh’s artistic accomplishments through his early days in Holland, then in Paris and finally in other French locations, including his one-year stay at a mental asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He detailed Van Gogh’s many relationships with Gaugin and other Impressionists. Throughout his telling of Van Gogh’s life story, he highlighted Vincent’s relationship with his younger brother, Theo, who loved and supported him throughout his life. Marten gave my wife and me many fresh insights that I had not heard in my art studies in college or learned in visits to other museums and exhibits with Van Gogh paintings. Our Van Gogh tour with Marten was so enlightening and memorable that we’d, without hesitation, use him for other tours he offers.Marten K. is the best guide you’ll find!
Martin expertly guided us through the Van Gogh and Rijks Museums. He has a deep knowledge of the artists and the art including artistic influences, time periods, and life circumstances. Martin also gave us background on the buildings including origins and newer editions and modifications. We especially appreciated his guidance through the Rijks Museum which is massive and crowded. Highly Recommend
We enjoyed walking through the old part of Amsterdam with focus on the pre-war Jewish neighborhoods. Martin has a strong command of history both local and global. He was able to contextualize a lot of what we were learning. We asked to end the tour at a particular time at or near the Anne Frank House. Martin accommodated us nicely with this.Informative
Unsere Tour mit Marten war sowohl informativ als auch unterhaltsam. Er hat uns mit viel Engagement und Fachwissen begleitet und spannende Hintergrundinformationen vermittelt, die den Rundgang besonders interessant gemacht haben. Absolut empfehlenswert!Dank Marten wurde die Tour zum Highlight
I enjoyed our time together. The story telling and local knowledge are interesting and fun. We walked and talked of the houses, the occupants, the changing norms and all manner of subjects. History, art, culture, architecture…
We have been fortunate to participate in many, many tours. There is a huge difference between a generic tour guide and a host. In addition to possessing a passion for history, a deep sense of Dutch pride and an easy manner, Marten is an enthusiastic and personable host. We challenged him by asking to alter the tour plan at the last minute to accommodate avoiding things that we had already seen. He graciously and seamlessly adapted to our request and we spent an easy three hours walking and talking. We would recommend Marten highly to anyone seeking insight into the fascinating history and contemporary life of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is Awesome
Marteen was on time, very knowledgeable about the area as well as the history. My husband and I had a great time and we enjoyed the food, especially the stroopwafels!!!Great in a history lesson of the area
Marten is great! He walked us through many different city areas and highlights. His enthusiasm for Amsterdam as a historian was clear through the storytelling he wove throughout our tour. This made the tour informative and engaging. Highly recommendedAmsterdam Storytelling