Mini vacation in the Eemhaven

When you just live in a new city you naturally want to discover all the nice places. Me and my boyfriend have been living in Amersfoort for six months now, and we wanted to do something different than strolling through the city center. So we decided to do a mini-vacation in the Eemhaven, the surprisingly nice area behind the Koppelpoort (as seen from downtown).

Spending the night on a boat

Through Instagram, I had found the Bed & Breakfast Vita Nova in Amersfoort. This is not just any B&B, but one located on a boat in the Eemhaven. Here you can spend the night uniquely, but you have to consider ship's comfort. Eléne is the proud owner and you notice this immediately. We were warmly welcomed and given the key to our cabin. The cabin is indeed small but fully equipped. Besides the nice bed under the skylight there is also a bathroom that you have all to yourself.

After putting our things in the ship's cabin, Twan (my friend) and I were given a welcome drink by Eléne in the cozy hold. If you like games you can spend the whole evening here, because there is a suitcase full of different games that you can use. We chatted a bit with Eléne, drank our welcome drink and continued our mini-vacation in the Eemhaven outside the doors of this beautiful ship.

Drinks at the beach

Near the B&B is Zandfoort aan de Eem, the city beach of Amersfoort where you can have a drink or dinner. Since we had already made reservations at Dara we decided to leave it at one drink. Unfortunately it was not that warm, but when the sun shines well you can have a great time on this nice beach. They also organize fun events such as the Language Café on Wednesday nights and every Thursday there is a salsa night.

Enjoyment at Dara

At restaurant Dara you can sit outside and this is where we started our evening as the sun was still shining. Dara serves all kinds of mezzes from different regions. Mezzes are small dishes, so when you are not good at choosing food (like me) such a menu is ideal and delicious. After the first drink we went inside for dinner, but wow how beautiful it looks! As a big fan of beautiful interiors, I certainly feasted my eyes here.

First we shared an antipasti equipped with delicious olives, aged cheese, salmon croquettes and the most delicious aioli ever! After that, we both chose three more mezzes and then the table was full of even more goodies. From sweet potato fries to duck and steak tartare to haddock. There is something for everyone. It is safe to say that we tested this restaurant thoroughly and successfully. We were too full for dessert, but to end the dinner we enjoyed a delicious espresso martini on the terrace.

After a successful evening in the Eemhaven, we walk back to the ship to spend the night. We slept wonderfully and also get a delicious breakfast from Eléne. The breakfast features all some local products, which makes it extra nice. Our mini vacation in the Eemhaven was definitely successful and we are far from done discovering more new places!