Christian Youth Hostel 'The Shelter City'

Amsterdam


Extremely convenient for central Amsterdam, this rambling Christian-run hostel is just outside the Red Light District, but a world away, powered by religious zeal and operating a no-drugs-or-alcohol policy. If you can handle this, the payback is spick-and-span single-sex dorms (two to 20 beds, some with in-room bathrooms), free breakfasts, and a peaceful cafe and garden courtyard.

Towel rental costs €1 and you can buy locker padlocks for €4.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Amsterdam attractions

1. Kleine Trippenhuis

0.05 MILES

The creamy confection of the Kleine Trippenhuis, just 2.44m wide, looks as if the builders made the most of the infill between two normal-sized canal…

2. Waag

0.06 MILES

The multi-turreted Waag was built as a gate in the city walls in 1488. In 1601 the walls were destroyed to allow the city to expand, and the building was…

3. Cannabis College

0.07 MILES

This nonprofit centre offers visitors tips and tricks for having a positive smoking experience and provides the low-down on local cannabis laws. There are…

4. Hemp Gallery

0.07 MILES

Part of the Hash, Marijuana & Hemp Museum, the Hemp Gallery has displays on hemp art and history.

5. Trippenhuis

0.08 MILES

Built from the lucrative profits of arms dealing, this elaborate grey stone mansion was designed by young Dutch architect Justus Vingboons in 1660 for the…

6. Red Light Secrets

0.09 MILES

Inside a former brothel in a 17th-century canal house, this museum fills a gap by showing curious visitors what a Red Light room looks like and answering…

7. Oude Hoogstraat 22

0.1 MILES

Property in Amsterdam used to be taxed on frontage. So the narrower your facade, the less you paid. The slender house at Oude Hoogstraat 22 must have…

8. Hash, Marijuana & Hemp Museum

0.11 MILES

Simple exhibits here cover dope botany and the relationship between cannabis and religion. Highlights include an impressive pipe collection, an…