Colourful gabled buildings and stone hump-back bridges adorn the old city centre of Amsterdam. A lifetime of gazing at itself in the rippled reflections in the warren of canals doesn’t seem like a bad deal when you start exploring this charming city.
Cruise the canals
See Amsterdam from the water by taking a canal cruise through its historic centre. Several tour companies leave from the basin near the train station. Sit back as these narrow boats glide past elegant bridges, churches and 17th-century merchants’ houses. Learn about the deep maritime and trade history of the Dutch capital and how it came to be the celebrated artistic and cultural city it is today.
Explore the canals of the Jordaan area. This neighbourhood is the Amsterdam of postcards and guidebook covers with its winding canals, bridges lit up with fairy lights and colourful townhouses. Every narrow street is packed with boutique shops and laid-back cafes.
The village-like neighbourhood of De Pijp (The Pipe) is Amsterdam’s coolest part of town for culture. Wander through the trendy Albert Cuyp street market and stop at stalls selling freshly baked stroopwafels. De Pijp is home to some of the best bars and restaurants the capital has to offer. Avocado aficionados should visit Avocado Show, the world’s first cafe to include avocado in every dish. For those seeking out-of-this-world fine-dining, Graham’s Kitchen serves up works of art on a plate – cod with fennel, black angus beef with black rice and salsify.
Uncover the past
“I amsterdam” declares the man-sized sign outside the Rijksmuseum, and in more ways than one it’s right. The red-brick facade of this huge museum is a testament to the building style of the Dutch capital. You could spend days wandering through the vaulted rooms of this palatial institute, but absolute do-not-miss sights include Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’, which is the size of a wall, and Vermeer’s ‘The Milkmaid’.
Visit the Van Gogh Museum, which is dedicated to the most famous Dutch painter of all. His best-known works such as ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘The Potato Eaters’ attract the crowds, but stick around to see his lesser-known works, read his letters and find out what inspired this eccentric and troubled talent.
Feel chills down your spine as you enter the Anne Frank House. Witness tangible and recent history dating back to the Second World War in the house where this frightened little girl wrote her famous diary. Learn how it came to be published by her father, and what life was like in hiding during the war.
Finding folklore
In Spring, the Dutch countryside bursts into life as millions of flower fields come into bloom. See the rainbow strips of tulips on a drive out to Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens. A 45-minute drive from the city will put you at the centre of a kaleidoscope of purple hyacinths, pink crocuses, bright yellow daffodils and tulips in every colour sculpted into swirling patterns.
For a taste of Dutch folk life, head out to Zaanse Schans, a preserved village. See the sails of 17th-century windmills still turning and producing spices and flour. Smell the fresh pine of new clogs and sample farm-fresh gouda. For an authentic experience of the Netherlands, old and new, arrange car rental in Amsterdam and unearth a true original.
