One of Europe's true jewels, with its Golden Age canals bordered by slender gabled buildings and spanned by arched bridges, Amsterdam has an outsized reputation for everything from innovative design to nightlife.
When the canals' ripples reflect the city's twinkling lights, it is the best time to visit Amsterdam.
You can take a sightseeing cruise on one of the waterways. Non-touristy alternatives include learning first-hand about the city's history of migration aboard Rederij Lampedusa's former refugee boats, or helping keep the waters clean by plastic fishing from Plastic Whale's boats made from retrieved and recycled plastic waste.
You can get a table at De Belhamel if you want to enjoy the canals from land. The restaurant is located at the head of the Herengracht and is ideal for canal-watching.
The top three museums are located around the Museumplein. The best one is the Rijks museum. In a palatial 1885 building designed by Pierre Cuypers to hold national and royal collections, it features paintings by Dutch masters including Rembrandt and Vermeer.
The Van Gogh Museum is home to the world's largest collection of Van Gogh's work. Modern and contemporary creations by the likes of Mondrian and De Kooning are the focus of the Stedelijk Museum.
The Van Gogh Museum is no longer a part of the I amsterdam City Card, a discount card that gives access to dozens of city attractions. The Netherlands Museum Pass includes all three museums, as well as hundreds of museums across the country, and can be purchased in person at the Rijks museum.
The Jewish community in the Netherlands was devastated when Germany invaded the country in 1940. The liberation took place in May 1945.
Anne Frank hid for over two years with her family and friends in a dark, airless "Secret Annexe" until they were betrayed and sent to concentration camps. Her father was the only one to survive.
The Verzetsmuseum is a museum that tells the story of the Dutch Resistance.
Bells and spokes are part of the city's sound. The bike lanes criss-cross the city and the terrain is flat.
The former ship-building yards of Amsterdam Noord are one of the fascinating places to visit beyond the built-up streets.
The Vondelpark is an English-style garden with fragrant roses, winding paths, ponds and sculptures. One of the best things to do in the city for free is to hang out in the sunshine at the park.
Vondelpark is a great place to reflect on Dutch art and history.
Dutch gezelligheid can be experienced in one of its bruin cafés. These pubs are named after dark timber and tobacco. You'll never be far from one in the city, particularly in charming neighborhoods like the former workers' quarter, the Jordaan, where canalside gems with candle-topped tables include Cafe Papeneiland.
Awash with bars, concert venues and music-thumping clubs, Amsterdam's renowned nightlife extends far beyond De Wallen, the Red Light District, and there are also plans to build purpose-built premises outside the city.
Both Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein are major hubs. The heart of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer community is Reguliersdwarsstraat. There are large-scale clubs on the western outskirts.
One of the city's most up-and-coming neighborhoods and haven of ultra- hip watering holes is called Noord. You should also check out the Cafe de Ceuvel.
The Albert Cuypmarkt is a lively street market that sells delicious cheap eats like haring and Vlaamse frites.
A classic snack at bars is deep- fried ball-shaped meat filled bitterballen.
Dutch cuisine is having a resurgence thanks to the country's fertile fields and abundant waters. At D'Vijff Vlieghen you can find reimagined traditional recipes such as veal escalope accompanied by an elevated version of the mashed potato and vegetable dish stamppot.
Nothing says "I'm in Amsterdam" more than drinking a beer under a windmill. Brouwerij 't IJ is best known for its signature Zatte Tripel, but it is also a great place to drink a beer. On a behind-the-scenes tour, you can see the brew in action.
The local firewater is made from juniper berries and is served chilled. The 17th-century Wynand Fockink is one of the smooth jonge and oude that Amsterdam has to offer.
Tradition dictates that you bend over the bar, with your hands behind your back, and take a deep sip when you arrive at Jenever.
The bike carrier straps can be used as shelving. The door stops are glow-in- the-dark. The lamps are self-adhesive. In Amsterdam, you'll find Dutch designs that are witty, inventive and above all practical.
Droog has a garden, gallery space and restaurant where you can buy most of the tableware.
At first glance, Amsterdam's cityscape seems unchanged from the Golden Age paintings, but tech-savvy, forward- thinking innovations include solar-paneled bike lanes, a sustainable "floating neighborhood" on arks, and the world's first 3D district.
Exhibitions on the 21st century urban environment can be found at the architecture center.
In Amsterdam, what is the craziest thing to do? It's right up there, on a giant swing. At the top of A'DAM Tower, a high-rise ex-office block, a six-seater swing sends you out over the building's edge, 100m in the air.
You can take in the view from the tower's observation deck or ride a virtual-reality roller coaster.
Food, drink, electronic dance music, and classical concerts on barges moored on the canals are just some of the celebrations that will coincide with your visit to this festive city. King's Day (Koningsdag; 27 April) is the biggest day of the year in Amsterdam.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
