Get your bearings
Amsterdam’s three main grachts (canals) –
Herengracht,
Keizersgracht and
Prinsengracht – embrace the city centre in a horseshoe shape. At its northern head lies Centraal Station. Main street
Damrak leads to
Dam Square, flanked by the
Royal Palace. Eastwards are the old docklands and west is the diverse
Jordaan neighbourhood, a former working-class area now crammed with shops, bars and eateries. Southwards are the tourist hubs of
Leidseplein and
Rembrandtplein squares, leading to
Vondelpark and the
Museum Quarter.
Old Masters, modern culture
There are few places on earth with as many Old Masters per square metre as Amsterdam’s
Museum Quarter. You might think you know Van Gogh’s Sunflowers or Rembrandt’s dramatic Night Watch from countless posters and postcards, but nothing can compare to seeing them in the flesh. Cultural gems lurk behind the façades of Amsterdam’s canal houses like the 17th-century rooms in
Amstelkring near the
Red Light District. Amsterdam’s cultural calendar includes the summertime music
Canal Festival and theatre and music during December’s
Winterparade.
City nightlife
Lazy evenings in lounge bars, supper clubs, and old-style pubs characterise an Amsterdam short break. The old quarter by
Oude Kerk (Old Church) near
Dam Square is home to the
Red Light District, one of Europe’s most unlikely tourist sights. Amsterdam’s ‘brown bars’, so-called for their nicotine-stained decor, dot
Zeedijk near Centraal Station,
Jordaan and along
Utrechtsestraat, near
Rembrandtplein. In
De Pijp and
Jordaan you’ll find everything from Syrian to Surinamese cuisine. During summer,
Vondelpark hosts free musical events.
Heydays and history
Get a glimpse of 17th-century Amsterdam’s Golden Age in the
Amsterdams Historisch Museum. In
Anne Frank’s House, a 10-minute walk from
Dam Square, memories of the Second World War come to life in the Secret Annexe where she wrote her diary. A stroll through
Jordaan shows its transformation from a working-class neighbourhood into a creative cosmopolitan community.
Eclectic shopping
Food-lovers flock to Saturday’s
Farmers’ Market in
Jordaan for smoked mozzarella and crêpes. Across town,
Bloemenmarkt’s barges on the
Singel canal make up the world’s only floating flower market. One-off boutiques pack
De 9 Straatjes (the 9 Streets) in
Jordaan. Shop for Dutch fashions in
Van Ravenstein or try Yvette Riemersma’s trendsetting footwear at
Antonia.
Family-friendly fun
The ship-shaped
Nemo building houses a hands-on science centre next to
Centraal Station, with city views from the rooftop café. A hop-on, hop-off canal trip is entertaining and all-weather-friendly, as is
Artis park, with the oldest zoo in mainland Europe, a planetarium and aquarium. Sunny days call for a picnic in
Vondelpark – rent a tandem, kids’ bikes or in-line skates.
