Quirky and tolerant, Amsterdam is a great place to potter. It's not very big, so you won't have to potter far - perhaps from a snug café to bookshop, or from an antique shop to see the tulips blooming in Vondelpark. And the best way to potter is, of course, by bike, for Amsterdam does bikes better than anywhere else. There are over 700,000 of them throughout the city, with cycle routes and bike parks to match. Add to that the network of canals which criss-cross the city, and perhaps it's no surprise that the centre has a cosy, small-town atmosphere, without the torrent of traffic that besieges other European capitals.
| Amsterdam is a great place to potter... |
Hotels in Amsterdam tend to be found mainly in the centre of the canal ring, with the most popular areas in Amsterdam city centre being south of the Centraal Station, and close to Museumplein, where the many museums are clustered. Amsterdam hotels can also be found in the red light district and as many stag and hen parties choose to stay in this area it is lively until the early hours and not suitable for those seeking peace and quiet!. Some cosy hotel venues include the hotels of the Leidseplein and Rembranmdtplein with their pretty terraces that are wonderful in the summer. The workers' district, De Jordaan, used to be a somewhat tough area, but is now a popular residential one, and provides some good mid range hotel options. Slightly further out of town, along the river Gaasp and near to the city's ring road, you can find some good mid-range hotels and there are also hotel facilities close to the airport that will especially suit the business traveller (and usually have soundproof windows).
So, now the accomodation is sorted, what is there to do in this laid-back town? Amsterdam has produced some remarkable artists, so perhaps you should start at the Rijksmuseum to admire the works of Rembrandt, before moving on to the Van Gogh Museum, where you can see his famous Sunflowers, and more besides.
To see sunflowers for real, go to the famous Floating Flower market on the Singel, where the stalls bob on houseboats, and if you are travelling with children, try the Nemo Science Museum at Ooosterdok. At Anne Franks House, you can't help but pause to consider the suffering that took place here, as you view the annexe where she hid with her family. On a cheerier note, you could catch a show by the American Boom Chicago group at the Leidseplein Theatre, to chuckle at comedy and political satire.
However leave plenty of time for coffee stops and leisurely meals, for one of Amsterdam's biggest draws is its appealing, intimate cafés and its huge variety of restaurants. Local Dutch cuisine is pretty healthy, with plenty of organic vegetables, and spices which were added to recipes by immigrants from the Far East. But there's cuisine from all around the globe here, from seafood to pancake houses, and as this is the home of Heineken, you'll have to wash it down with a cold, Dutch lager.
