{"id":848956,"date":"2022-06-07T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T06:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&#038;p=848956"},"modified":"2022-06-07T15:36:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T22:36:46","slug":"exploring-amsterdam-with-microsoft-soundscape","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/articles\/exploring-amsterdam-with-microsoft-soundscape\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Amsterdam with Microsoft Soundscape"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Amsterdam, Breakfast, Museums, and Soundscape &#8211; the perfect weekend!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of the Rijksmuseum, a huge grand building with a combination of gothic and renaissance architecture. In front of the museum are large letters spelling out \u2018I Amsterdam\u2019, surrounded by people ice skating.\" class=\"wp-image-849163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-1066x600.jpg 1066w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-655x368.jpg 655w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-343x193.jpg 343w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/I-AMsterdam-skate-rink_1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Hi, I\u2019m Frazier from the Soundscape Team. One of my friends is going on a city break to Amsterdam next month and asked me for some tips of things to do there, as they know I\u2019ve been before. Today, I am sharing how I did this using Soundscape&#8217;s latest feature, \u201cRoutes\u201d. In this blog, I hope you will not only learn about this amazing new feature, but how much fun it was to revisit my trip and be able to share a few highlights with my friend. Soundscape will work anywhere in the world, so you can travel with it and have your familiar experience in your language of choice.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My friend only has a weekend in Amsterdam and wants to pack in as much as possible. My plan was to create a walking itinerary for a day using a Route, and then also share some Markers of other places they might like to visit while they are there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the bottom of this blog, you&#8217;ll find links to all the Markers mentioned, so you can try them out for yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"what-is-a-soundscape-route\">What is a Soundscape Route?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Soundscape Routes are like a trail of Audio Beacons \u2013 a feature of Soundscape which plays a sound which always comes from the direction of the place it\u2019s set on. (<em>Read about Audio Beacons in our \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/group\/enable\/articles\/getting-fresh-air-with-microsoft-soundscape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Getting Fresh Air with Microsoft Soundscape\u2019<\/a> blog<\/em>). In fact:\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A Soundscape Route is a sequence of Soundscape Markers joined together and finishing at a destination.<\/li><li>When arriving at one of the Markers on the Route, instead of switching off, the Audio Beacon will automatically set on the next Marker.<\/li><li>You can use Markers as intermediate waypoints along your Route to help you navigate to your end destination with greater ease.<\/li><li>Routes can be shared, and each person is able to edit the Route based on their preferred style of guidance, some may want very frequent Markers, whereas others may prefer to only have Markers at key spots along the way.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The Soundscape \u2018Route\u2019 is a personal experience and can be tailored to individual preferences, whether you are creating it for yourself, or to share with someone else!\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I visited Amsterdam with my girlfriend between Christmas and New Year, it happened to be the time of year that they have their annual Light Festival with several light installations around the city. My first recommendation was to go while this was on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My plan for the day was to grab a filling breakfast, go to a museum or two, walk around the city to appreciate the architecture, finishing with a boat tour to see the fabulous light installations, all while keeping well-fueled at some caf\u00e9s and restaurants I had particularly enjoyed while I was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/breakfast-Bakers-Roasters-Amsterdam-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape in Amsterdam - photo of a cooked breakfast with bacon, sausages, potatoes, poached eggs, and some relish\" class=\"wp-image-849211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/breakfast-Bakers-Roasters-Amsterdam-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/breakfast-Bakers-Roasters-Amsterdam-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/breakfast-Bakers-Roasters-Amsterdam-360x360.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"starting-the-day-off-right\">Starting the day off right<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning with breakfast, the first Marker I\u2019m creating is for \u2018Bakers and Roasters\u2019. This is a great spot for a hearty breakfast to start the day! My friend is staying over on this side of the city, so launching the Route when he leaves his hotel should give him a nice simple walk to the caf\u00e9. Plus, it\u2019s only a few minutes&#8217; walk from Amsterdam\u2019s Museum district so it fits in perfectly with the plan for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"waypoint-2-rijksmuseum\">Waypoint 2: Rijksmuseum<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Markers-1-and-2-app-screenshot.png\" alt=\"Soundscape - app screenshot showing a map of the first two Markers on the Route\" class=\"wp-image-849169\" width=\"261\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Markers-1-and-2-app-screenshot.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Markers-1-and-2-app-screenshot-139x300.png 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Markers-1-and-2-app-screenshot-83x180.png 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first stop after breakfast is the Rijksmuseum, while it\u2019s still early in the day. This is one of the most visited museums in the Netherlands! It is the national museum of the Netherlands and is dedicated to Dutch arts and history. The museum is in a huge, grand building, I&#8217;d make sure to allow plenty of time to walk around the grounds and take in the architecture!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the museum, along with all the exhibits, you will also find the \u2018Research Library\u2019, the largest art history library in the Netherlands. This was one of my favourite parts of the museum \u2013 after walking around looking at all the art and historical artefacts, this picturesque, working library was somewhat unexpected!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several other museums in this area, such as the Van Gogh Museum, so if my friend would like to visit somewhere else then they can easily try a different museum without going far from the Route. In fact, the beauty of a Soundscape Route is that it doesn\u2019t matter how far from the Route you might want to venture as the Audio Beacon will always be audible from wherever you may be. You can make a little detour and then just follow the sound of the Audio Beacon back to where you branched off! In this way, Soundscape gives you the freedom and flexibility to explore and discover a place on your own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"jordaan\">Jordaan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Next up on the day\u2019s itinerary is the Anne Frank house museum. The museum is in the lovely neighbourhood or Jordaan and is about a 30-minute walk from the Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam is a very pedestrian friendly city due to the concentric nature of the waterways, all arcing around the city centre, you can get to virtually anywhere by walking along the canals, so I suggested to my friend that they walk between the two to really take in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I placed a couple of intermediate Markers to help guide my friend between the Rijksmuseum and Jordaan, along with another in the centre of Jordaan to give them the opportunity to explore the neighbourhood some more and take in the sights of the tree lined canals and visiting the many independent shops in the area, and possibly grabbing a light lunch in one of the many tempting cafes. They can always skip this last Marker and go straight to the museum when they are ready if they prefer and come back another day when they have more time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"849244\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-narrow-street-with-bikes.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape - View across a canal and down a narrow. side street. There is a row of bikes parked on the opposite bank of the canal. The buildings are tall and narrow, 5 storeys high, with lots of windows.\" class=\"wp-image-849244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-narrow-street-with-bikes.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-narrow-street-with-bikes-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-narrow-street-with-bikes-135x180.jpg 135w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"348\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"849247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Markers-1-6-app-screenshot-close-up.png\" alt=\"Soundscape - A map of the first six Markers on the Route, starting in the south, and heading north. The map shows the concentric waterways radiating out from the centre.\" class=\"wp-image-849247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Markers-1-6-app-screenshot-close-up.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Markers-1-6-app-screenshot-close-up-261x300.png 261w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Markers-1-6-app-screenshot-close-up-157x180.png 157w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" data-id=\"849241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape - View down a treelined canal from a bridge, there are 3-5 story townhouses down either side.\" class=\"wp-image-849241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-240x180.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Fun fact: it is said that the houses have so many windows because the windows are lighter than walls, and this helped to stop the subsidence caused by soft ground that the city is built on.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"waypoint-6-anne-frank-house\">Waypoint 6: Anne Frank House<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Anne-Frank-House-Marker-app-screenshot.png\" alt=\"Soundscape - Screenshot of the Marker details page for the Anne Frank House, showing the name, distance, and the location on the map.\" class=\"wp-image-849160\" width=\"261\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Anne-Frank-House-Marker-app-screenshot.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Anne-Frank-House-Marker-app-screenshot-139x300.png 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Anne-Frank-House-Marker-app-screenshot-83x180.png 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The sixth waypoint is the Anne Frank House. This is the very house in which Anne Frank hid from Nazi persecution during the Second World War. I didn\u2019t get to go here myself when I was in Amsterdam because I hadn\u2019t booked a ticket and the queues were very long. So, when I created this Marker, I added an annotation to make sure to book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment! I did also let them know this in the email I sent when I shared the Route, just in case they don\u2019t look before they get there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[Image caption:] The distance shown on this screen will always be to your current location. Here it is showing the distance from where I was creating the Markers, but once you are in Amsterdam, the distances will be more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"dinner-boat-tour\">Dinner & boat tour&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The last activity of the day is a boat tour around some of the canal-side light installations of the Light Festival. Before this though, it\u2019s time to get some dinner. The boat tours leave relatively early, but after all the walking I\u2019m sure they will have worked up an appetite! I created the Route\u2019s fifth Marker on \u2018Jacketz\u2019, a restaurant in central Amsterdam which serves jacket potatoes with all kinds of toppings! When I went, I had the pulled pork filling, topped with a lot of cheese which was delicious and incredibly filling. It&#8217;s a good hearty meal, but it will be quick enough to eat and make it to the boat tour on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From Jacketz, it\u2019s just a five-minute walk to the boat tour. The tour takes in some of the best sights of the festival and will give a perspective that you only get from canal-level. On the tour, you also get a commentary explaining what each bit of art represents \u2013 some of them can be incredibly abstract! I even thought about creating my own Soundscape Markers along this canal tour to share with my friend just so that he could point out a few things that don\u2019t get mentioned on the actual tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"849298\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape - Amsterdam canal boat passing under a bridge which is illuminated with lights fanning out from under the tunnel\" class=\"wp-image-849298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-1066x600.jpg 1066w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-655x368.jpg 655w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-343x193.jpg 343w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-boat-under-bridge-1400x788-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"849304\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape - A view along a wide Amsterdam canal to a bridge at night-time. The bridge, and a building to the l eft of it, are both illuminated with the water reflecting off the surface of the water\" class=\"wp-image-849304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-1066x600.jpg 1066w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-655x368.jpg 655w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-343x193.jpg 343w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-canal-night-view-1400x788-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"849301\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1.jpg\" alt=\"Soundscape - an image of a light installation in an Amsterdam canal. Several small, illuminated cube, arranged roughly in circles with the outer circles illuminated in green and the inner circles in purple.\" class=\"wp-image-849301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-1066x600.jpg 1066w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-655x368.jpg 655w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-343x193.jpg 343w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-240x135.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/06\/Amsterdam-light-festival-illuminated-cubes-1400x788-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">Photos of Amsterdam light festival installations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the walk back from the boat tour to the hotel, it is worth checking out what other Light Festival installations are on the way \u2013 there are a number that aren\u2019t visible from the canals, so even after the boat tour, there is still more exploring to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"other-markers-to-explore\">Other Markers to explore<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Narrowest-house-Marker-app-screenshot.png\" alt=\"Soundscape - Screenshot of the Marker details page for the Narrowest House in Amsterdam Marker, showing the name, distance, and the location on the map. The description reads \u201cOnly 2.2m wide!\u201d.\" class=\"wp-image-849148\" width=\"261\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Narrowest-house-Marker-app-screenshot.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Narrowest-house-Marker-app-screenshot-139x300.png 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Narrowest-house-Marker-app-screenshot-83x180.png 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After I had created the day\u2019s itinerary for my friend, I then created some more Markers just in case they had time on their other days to check out some more of my recommendations, plus a couple of interesting facts I had learnt while I was there!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First up, the narrowest house in Amsterdam. Houses in Amsterdam used to be taxed based on the size of their fa\u00e7ade, so it was cheaper to have a very narrow house, even if it went back a long way. This resulted in some tall and thin houses! I added this as a Marker for my friend to discover while they\u2019re walking around!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also added another couple of food spots \u2013 one unassuming caf\u00e9 in a library that served a simple but incredibly tasty breakfast, and a burger restaurant which has a wide selection of burgers to try, they offer a trio of mini-burgers as a sampling platter to make the mouth water! It\u2019s a great spot for a quick and tasty meal that isn\u2019t \u2018fast food\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After this, I added another couple of museums. The Amsterdam Museum is a museum all about the history of Amsterdam. Whenever I visit a new place, I love to learn about the history of the area, so I thoroughly recommended this if they have time. Another museum is the Van Gogh Museum, which I didn&#8217;t get a chance to visit, but is very much on my list if I return. And for something slightly different, I also created a Marker for the Heineken factory tour. I have heard that this is a fun way to spend a few hours if the weather is bad!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Magere-Brug-app-screenshot.png\" alt=\"graphicaSoundscape - app screenshot showing a Marker for Magere Brug\" class=\"wp-image-849166\" width=\"261\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Magere-Brug-app-screenshot.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Magere-Brug-app-screenshot-139x300.png 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Magere-Brug-app-screenshot-83x180.png 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I added some Markers for some interesting landmarks I\u2019d seen while I was there.&nbsp; The first of which is the Magere Brug, or \u2018Skinny Bridge\u2019 in English. It is a very pretty bridge built on the site of a bridge from the 1600s which is said to have been so narrow that pedestrians could only cross it in one direction at a time. The bridge is also illuminated at night, making it a lovely place to go for an evening walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second of these landmarks is Dam square, the historical centre of Amsterdam which dates back to the 13<sup>th<\/sup> century, when the Amstel River was dammed. At one end of the square is the Royal Palace, a magnificent building, and around the rest of the square there are several other tourist attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"sharing-the-route\">Sharing the route<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating these Markers and putting them together in to a route took me about 15 minutes, but it was great fun to revisit my trip from a few years ago. Once I was finished, I shared these with my friend. They have checked them out and added a few of their own, now they are ready to go and explore Amsterdam! Once they\u2019ve been, we will get them to provide an update on how they found using Soundscape to explore a new city as a tourist using Soundscape Routes and Markers, so check back in the future for an update!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"348\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-start-app-screenshot.jpeg\" alt=\"Soundscape - a screenshot of the Amsterdam Route details screen within Soundscape, showing the name of the Route, options to start, edit and share, along with a list of the waypoints.\" class=\"wp-image-849157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-start-app-screenshot.jpeg 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-start-app-screenshot-139x300.jpeg 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-start-app-screenshot-83x180.jpeg 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"348\" height=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-map-app-screenshot.png\" alt=\"Soundscape - A screenshot of a map view of the Route with each of the markers displayed as a pin on the map. The first being in the south of Amsterdam, and the final one being in the north.\" class=\"wp-image-849154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-map-app-screenshot.png 348w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-map-app-screenshot-139x300.png 139w, https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2022\/05\/Amsterdam-Day-Plan-map-app-screenshot-83x180.png 83w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Links to Markers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Bakers%20%26%20Roasters&annotation=A%20great%20spot%20for%20breakfast.%20Be%20sure%20to%20make%20a%20reservation!&name=Bakers%20%26%20Roasters&lat=52.35732&lon=4.88986&source=0&readLink=localbusinesses\/YN8000x11679180232266298800\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bakers & Roasters<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Rijksmuseum&name=Rijksmuseum&lat=52.3600246&lon=4.8853123&source=0&readLink=localentities\/35e4bc2c-ada5-6b91-ab25-b9bd385318e1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rijksmuseum<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Antiquairbrug%20(Brug%2069)&name=&lat=52.36255522406664&lon=4.887893406660673\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intermediate Marker 1 \u2013 Antiquairbrug (Brug 69)<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Raamstraat%20intersection&name=&lat=52.36658864923232&lon=4.882199292093255\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Intermediate Marker 2 \u2013 Raamstraat Intersection<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Jordaan&annotation=Lovely%20neighbourhood%20to%20explore&name=&lat=52.37459982753561&lon=4.880431868423536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jordaan<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?annotation=Make%20sure%20you%20book%20a%20ticket%20in%20advance!&name=Anne%20Frank%20House&lat=52.3750639&lon=4.8840087&source=0&readLink=localbusinesses\/YN8000x1094221826076952501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anne Frank House<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?name=Jacketz&lat=52.37819&lon=4.89541&source=0&readLink=localbusinesses\/YN8000x13716350246201816950\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jacketz<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Boat%20tour&name=52.376389,%204.897484&lat=52.376389&lon=4.897484&source=0&readLink=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boat Tour<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=The%20Narrowest%20House%20in%20Amsterdam&annotation=Only%202.2m%20wide!&name=&lat=52.371261157912784&lon=4.897644167714818\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The narrowest house in Amsterdam<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Caf%C3%A9-Restaurant%20De%20Bazel&name=De%20Bazel&lat=52.3656&lon=4.89273&source=0&readLink=localbusinesses\/YN8000x18243451419649624716\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Library Cafe<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?name=Burgermeester&lat=52.3655881&lon=4.8974942&source=0&readLink=localbusinesses\/YN8000x500433616\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Burgermeester<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Amsterdam%20Museum&name=&lat=52.3702620562365&lon=4.89071842235526\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amsterdam Museum<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?name=Van%20Gogh%20Museum&lat=52.3583741&lon=4.8810242&source=0&readLink=localentities\/bf72f19f-1b41-87ed-7145-c0d417aeaa14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Van Gogh Museum<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?name=Heineken%20Experience&lat=52.3578258&lon=4.8913823&source=0&readLink=localentities\/09cc710b-e26d-4917-c5d2-a763f03d5fab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Heineken Factory Tour<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?nickname=Magere%20Brug&annotation=Built%20on%20the%20site%20on%20a%20bridge%20from%20the%201600s%20which%20is%20said%20to%20have%20been%20so%20narrow%20that%20pedestrians%20could%20only%20cross%20in%20one%20direction%20at%20a%20time&name=Magere%20Brug&lat=52.36367&lon=4.90321&source=0&readLink=localentities\/ae980e38-18cc-25c3-82d4-8d84dcb870c1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Magere Brug<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li><a class=\"msr-external-link glyph-append glyph-append-open-in-new-tab glyph-append-xsmall\" href=\"https:\/\/soundscape-app.msrenableservices.com\/v1\/sharemarker?name=Dam%20Square&lat=52.3729005&lon=4.8940432&source=0&readLink=localentities\/2c3c08eb-54c4-ccc4-b5f8-74a0a0f08352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dam Square<span class=\"sr-only\"> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve got any stories about how you\u2019ve used Soundscape Routes, or anything else to do with Soundscape, then we would love to hear them! Please don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch with us at <a href=\"mailto:soundscape@microsoft.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">soundscape@microsoft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"helpful-tips\">Helpful tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Creating a Route<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To create a Route, select \u2018Markers & Routes\u2019 on the Soundscape home screen, the select the \u2018Routes\u2019 tab, followed by the \u2018+\u2019 button in the top right corner. Give your Route a name and description, then select \u2018Add Waypoints\u2019.<\/li><li>From here you can either add existing Markers, select new places from the Places Nearby option, add your current location, or search for somewhere else.<\/li><li>Once you have added all the places you\u2019d like in your Route, select \u2018done\u2019. You can now reorder or remove waypoints if needed, if not, select the \u2018done\u2019 button again and your Route will be saved.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sharing a Route<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To share a Route, select \u2018Markers & Routes\u2019 on the Soundscape home screen, the select the \u2018Routes\u2019 tab and select the Route that you would like to share. Select the \u2018share\u2019 button which will then give you a number of sharing options.<\/li><li>As the Route is shared as a file rather than a link, we recommend sharing it via email. Other platforms will work but may require extra steps.<\/li><li>When receiving a file, tap on it, and then select the \u2018share\u2019 icon. This will give the option of various apps you can \u2018share\u2019 the Route with, select Soundscape. Soundscape will open and you will be presented with the option to save the Route.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Creating a Marker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>To create a Marker, firstly find the place you would like to save as a Marker. You can do this by either selecting somewhere from the \u2018Places Nearby\u2019 list, selecting \u2018current location\u2019 on the home screen, or by searching using the search bar at the top of the home screen.<\/li><li>Once you are on the location details page for your chosen place, select the \u2018Save as Marker\u2019 button.<\/li><li>The name will be automatically filled, but you can change this, and you can also add an annotation which will be announced along with the name when the Marker is nearby.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Repositioning a Marker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If you would like the change the location of a Marker you have created, select the \u2018Markers and Routes\u2019 button on the Soundscape home screen and then select the Marker you would like to reposition.<\/li><li>Select \u2018Edit Marker\u2019, followed by the \u2018edit\u2019 button on the map at the bottom of the screen. Note: with voiceover this is called the \u2018Nudge Marker\u2019 button.<\/li><li>If you aren\u2019t using voiceover, then at this point you can drag the map until the Marker\u2019s pin is in the correct location. Once you are happy with the location, select \u2018done\u2019 to close the map view, and then \u2018done\u2019 again to save the change to your Marker.<\/li><li>If you are using Voiceover, select \u2018edit Marker\u2019, followed by \u2018nudge Marker\u2019. You can then either nudge the Marker in the direction that your phone is pointing or use Voiceover actions to nudge the Marker in a specific direction or snap it to your current location.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amsterdam, Breakfast, Museums, and Soundscape &#8211; the perfect weekend! Hi, I\u2019m Frazier from the Soundscape Team. One of my friends is going on a city break to Amsterdam next month and asked me for some tips of things to do there, as they know I\u2019ve been before. Today, I am sharing how I did this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40306,"featured_media":849163,"template":"","meta":{"msr-url-field":"","msr-podcast-episode":"","msrModifiedDate":"","msrModifiedDateEnabled":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"msr-content-parent":835063,"footnotes":""},"research-area":[],"msr-locale":[268875],"class_list":["post-848956","msr-blog-post","type-msr-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","msr-locale-en_us"],"msr_assoc_parent":{"id":835063,"type":"group"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/848956"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/msr-blog-post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40306"}],"version-history":[{"count":40,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/848956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":849853,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/848956\/revisions\/849853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"msr-research-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-area?post=848956"},{"taxonomy":"msr-locale","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-locale?post=848956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}