Amsterdam City Guide

What does the word “Amsterdam” conjure up for you? Marijuana and the Red Light District? Tulips and cheese? Or is it Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Anne Frank? Truth is Amsterdam has it all. ‘I amsterdam’ proclaims the city logo: something for everyone.

Amsterdam is tiny but it packs a big punch. The skyline is a frill of historic gables, rather than spiky high-rises. You can walk almost anywhere. People are laid-back and super-friendly. They rattle around town on Miss Marple-style bicycles, and seem to have untold hours to enjoy themselves in parks and cafés.

Yet Amsterdam has more bridges than Paris, and more canals than Venice. Its orchestra was recently voted the best in the world, and the museums are home to some of the most famous paintings on the planet. But here ‘historical’ does not mean ‘stuffy’. Amsterdam is young. Alive-and-kicking. You’ll find hot clubs, cool contemporary art, bravura modern architecture, cutting-edge chefs and hip cafés.

Amsterdam is a city that invites you in – to while away time in a museum, to hire a bicycle, treat yourself to first-class shopping, take a boat ride, just hang out, or even to roll up a joint in one of the infamous ‘coffeeshops’. And here is how to do it…