• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 477 0

in diminishing Amsterdam’s image as a counterculture icon, instead touting it as a centre for business and international high finance. Almost all of the inner-city squats, which once defined local people-power, are gone or legalized; many coffeeshops, especially those in the Red Light District, are closing; and the Red Light District itself – for years the beacon of the city’s laissez-faire attitude – is being cleaned up, and many of its sleaziest establishments closed down. The cityscape, too, continues to evolve, with large-scale urban development on the outskirts and regeneration within.

Canal house on Prinsengracht

Nevertheless, Amsterdam remains a casual and intimate place, and Amsterdammers themselves make much of their city and its attractions being gezellig, a rather overused Dutch word roughly corresponding to a combination of “cosy”, “lived-in” and “warmly convivial”. Nowhere is this more applicable than in the city’s unparalleled selection of drinking places, whether you choose a traditional brown café or one of a raft of newer, more stylish bars. The city boasts dozens of excellent restaurants too, with great Indonesian options and a host of increasingly adventurous Dutch establishments. As for cultural attractions, the city holds its own in contemporary European film, dance, drama and music; it harbours several top-notch jazz venues, as well as the Concertgebouw, home to one of the world’s leading orchestras, and the state-of-the-art Muziekgebouw, the city’s prestigious venue for opera and orchestral music. The club scene is relatively restrained, although a wealth of gay bars and clubs partly justifies Amsterdam’s claim to be the “Gay Capital of Europe”.

Amsterdam bicycle

Introduction to Amsterdam |

So much to see, so little time…

Amsterdam is perfect for short breaks: it’s small, so you can amble about almost everywhere and see pretty much everything; there are very few must-see sights, so you don’t have to spend half your time feeling guilty about the cultural icons you should be visiting; and there are literally hundreds of enticing bars, cafés and restaurants where you can take the weight off your feet between attractions. The itineraries below give an idea of how to plan your time. Mostly designed around key sights, they cover everything from a flying visit to a full week in the city, and can be used as rigidly, or as flexibly, as you like.

Two days

Dam Square • Anne Frank Huis • Red Light District • Oude Kerk • Rijksmuseum • Van Gogh Museum • Leidseplein • Grachtengordel South • Museum Van Loon/Museum Willet-Holthuysen • Rembrandtplein

Three days

As above, plus:

Westerkerk • Koninklijk Paleis • Brouwersgracht • Western docklands

Five days

As above, plus:

Rembrandthuis • Waterlooplein • Verzetsmuseum • Artis Zoo • Tropenmuseum • Heineken Experience • De Pijp • Vondelpark • Museumtramlijn • Amsterdamse Bos • Amsterdam ArenA

Seven days

As above, plus:

Stedelijk Museum • Esnoga • Joods Historisch Museum • Eastern docklands • Amsterdam Noord • Haarlem • Keukenhof Gardens

Where to go

The city’s layout is determined by a web of canals radiating out from a historical core to loop right round Amsterdam’s compact centre, which takes about forty minutes to stroll from one end to the other. Butting up to the River IJ, the Old Centre spreads south from Centraal Station bisected by the Damrak and its continuation, the Rokin, the city’s main drag; en route is the Dam, the main square. The Old Centre remains Amsterdam’s commercial heart, as well as the hub of its bustling street life, and also holds myriad shops, bars and restaurants. The area is also home to the Red Light District, just to the east of the Damrak, and contains dozens of fine old buildings, most memorably the Oude Kerk, the Amstelkring and the Koninklijk Paleis.

The Old Centre is bordered by the first of the major canals, the Singel, whose curve is mirrored by those of the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht – collectively known as the Grachtengordel, or “Girdle of Canals”. These waterways were part of a major