Amsterdam Guide
Cosmopolitan and open-minded, Amsterdam’s canal-crossed, cobble-stoned heart is choc-a-bloc with narrow 17th-century houses, grand squares and art museums. Bicycles and trams rule, making it an ideal place for leisurely strolls and gentle browsing in quirky shops and galleries.
Don’t miss the Van Gogh Museum in busy Museumplein (Museum Square), home to the world’s richest collection of work by the Dutch master. Visit the haunting Anne Frank House and explore the nearby Jordaan, with its tiny shops and galleries. Take a seat at one of the many canalside cafes and watch the bicycles and boats go by.
Check out contemporary art at the Stedelijk Museum, rehoused until 2009 in a disused post office building. The 11th floor is home to bar/club/restaurant 11, which has spectacular views of gabled houses and shimmering canals. For contemporary design, visit the sophisticated Eastern Docklands. The best way to visit is by boat.
Browse groovy boutiques in the picturesque Negen Straatjes (Nine Little Streets) area. In the Jordaan, you’ll find alternative specialist shops selling picture frames, comic books and jewellery. Further south, global designers line both sides of posh PC Hooftstraat, while crowded Kalverstraat in the centre has all the high-street names. The market on Waterlooplein has vintage clothing and knick-knacks. For Delft Blue ceramics, visit the Jorrit Heinen shop on Prinsengracht.
Amsterdam’s main green space is Vondelpark, which has an outdoor café and open-air summer performances. For a city beach, try family-friendly Strand West in Westerpark, open all year. In summer, the roof terrace of the NEMO centre becomes a kind of beach, complete with palm trees and panoramic views of the city’s waterfront. In winter, an ice rink appears on the Dam.
Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, home to the world-renowned Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, has perfectly resonating acoustics and hosts hundreds of classical performances. Bimhuis offers the best of international jazz and the Muziektheater has top-quality ballet and opera.
You can’t leave without sampling Indonesian food, a colonial legacy. Rijsttafel (rice table), with its variety of aromatic little dishes such as pork simmered in sweet soy sauce, is a good way of trying several delicacies. The De Pijp district, in the south of the city centre, has tapas bars and contemporary fusion restaurants. Utrechtsestraat has French, Thai and Indonesian. For Surinamese roti (bread) and chicken, make your way to the Dappermarkt in the east of the city.
Canal tours leave from Damrak, the road linking Central Station and the Dam. You’re transported back to a time when those pretty canalside homes were warehouses, hauling in cargos of nutmeg and pepper from Java.
