the Golden Age canals lined by
gabled houses
candlelit cafes
whirring bicycles
lush parks
monumental museums
colorful markets
diverse dining
quirky shopping
and legendary nightlife
Make the free-spirited Dutch capital one of Europe’s great cities. With so much on offer it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. Here are my top tips to help you find your bearings and get the most out of your first visit to Amsterdam
Parks
Amsterdam’s best-loved escape is the Vondelpark – English-style gardens with ponds, footbridges, winding footpaths, and sculptures including Picasso’s The Fish.
Other include De Pijp’s Sarphatipark, and, on the site of the city’s former western gasworks, Westerpark, adjoining the post-industrial Westergasfabriek cultural complex.
Where to eat
Try traditional Dutch dishes at Bistro Bij Ons, La Falote or old-school kroketten (croquettes) specialist Van Dobben; or contemporary twists at Greetje or Hemelse Modder.
Don’t leave town without experiencing a spicy rijsttafel (‘rice table’; Indonesian banquet of small dishes); Tempo Doeloe does one of the best. Tuck into a Surinamese roti (flatbread wrap) at Tokoman.
Lively international eat streets in this multicultural city include Utrechtsestraat, near Rembrandtplein, and Amstelveenseweg, along the Vondelpark’s western edge.
Where to drink
Discover how home-grown Heineken is made at the entertaining Heineken Experience. Admission includes beers and a canal-boat ride to the Heineken Brand Store. Tours are also available at the wonderful independent brewery Brouwerij ‘t IJ, at the foot of the 18th-century De Gooyer Windmill.
Where to shop
Snacks such as frites (fries, typically smothered in mayonnaise), haring (raw herring, served with diced onion), and stroopwafels (caramel-syrup-filled waffles), as well as Dutch cheese (gouda, edam, et al) are staples at street markets, including the Jordaan’s Lindengracht Market, and the city’s largest, De Pijp’s Albert Cuypmarkt.
They also sell everything from clothes to fabrics, bike locks and flowers. Tulips in spring and bulbs year-round fill Amsterdam’s ‘floating’ flower market, the Bloemenmarkt.
For off-beat, individual boutiques, including famed Dutch design homewares and fashion, crisscross the nine small streets making up the Negen Straatjes.
Where to stay
The Medieval Centre, Red Light District and Nieuwmarket are in the heart of the tourist action but can be noisy, as can parts of the Southern Canal Ring (particularly around Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein). Quieter local but still central neighborhoods include Vondelpark, the Western Canal Ring, the Jordaan and De Pijp.
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