Why go?

For so much more than cheese, tulips, art and clogs. Where else in the world would you have right of way on a push- bike? Each quarter has its own distinct personality too, from flashy De 9 Straatjes (‘Nine Streets’) and the chic fashion district of PC Hooftstraat to boho De Pijp, arty Spiegelkwartier (Mirror Quarter), the Museum District and the food heaven found in Jordaan.

What to do

Seeing this picture-postcard port city on two wheels is a good way to go, although 12,000 bicycles are retrieved from the canals each year! Hire wheels from Mike’s Bike Tours, (mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com). If freewheeling is not your thing, a 24, 48 or 72-hour City Card will cover public transport. Leidseplein is your first stop for a taste of the action, then leave the crowds for the serenity of the Bloemenmarkt (flower market), where buckets of blooms are displayed on floating barges. There are more canals here than in Venice, so an exploration on water is fitting. Enjoying the last of the autumn sun, boats chug through the 200-year-old waterways that encircle the old centre. Paddle your own craft (canal.nl) or splash out on a motor boat (canalmotorboats.com), and grab a bottle of wine and Dutch kaas from cheese shop De Kaaskamer van Amsterdam (kaaskamer. nl). Drop anchor at De 9 Straatjes for boutique browsing, then pull up outside cafés to be served onboard. As you duck under low- lying bridges, look up to the brightly coloured fronts of crooked narrow houses. Cruise down the Keizersgracht (the king of the canals) before floating along the picturesque Prinsengracht where flowerpot-filled houseboats are moored. Spy the 85 metre-tall belltower of Westerkerk church poking above the rooftops. A 24- hour pass for the canal bus gets you up close to the major sites and you can hop on and off at any of the 18 stops along the three routes. It’s a good way to get to Anne Frank’s house (annefrank. org) and the must-see Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Rijks museums. For something more offbeat, pop in to Foam photography gallery (foam.org), or stroll in the oasis of Vondelpark. By night, visiting DJs fly in to play at nearby cultural centre Melkweg (melkweg.nl).

Where to stay

Open fires and Fendi sofas provide a welcoming entrance to The Dylan (00 31 20 530 2010, dylanamsterdam. com) in De 9 Straatjes and its private cobbled courtyard is a peaceful spot. Going canal-side, plush Sofitel Legend hotel The Grand Amsterdam is a respectable distance from the red-light district and has a spa and Turkish hammam (00 31 20 555 3111, sofitellegendthegrand.com). In the merchant houses of Jordaan, lavish Canal House (00 31 20 622 5182, canalhouse.nl) has rooms decorated with silks like those of the early Dutch traders.

Where to eat and drink

Head down a tiny cobbled street in the Old Town and you’ll discover Blauw Aan De Wal (00 31 20 330 2257, blauwaandewal.com), a former 17th-century spice store with thick beams and exposed brick. The melt-in-the-mouth herb crusted lamb is a must-order special. At Ron Gastrobar (00 31 20 49 61 943, rongastrobar.nl), two-starred chef Ron Blaauw has reinvented his degustation-led menu to serve up brasserie-style twists on his classics. Here you can still savour the likes of lobster salad with quail’s egg but without the velvet rope price. Herengracht Restaurant & Bar (00 31 20 616 2482, deherengracht.com) is a tourist-free drinking den. Tucked away near Dam square is little gem Wynand Fockink (00 31 20 639 26 95, wynandfockink.nl), a traditional tasting house and distillery, serving genever shots, liqueurs and brandies and a whole lot of boozy history since 1679. Just out of town and growing their own is Restaurant De Kas (00 31 20 462 45 62, restaurantdekas.nl), a restored 1920s glass conservatory. Swapping the ‘white tiles and fluorescent lighting’ of his city kitchen, Michelin-starred chef Gert Jan Hageman’s field-to-fork cooking uses a daily harvest of homegrown vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers.

Time running out?

Head to Saturday farmers’ market Boerenmarkt for bitterballen (calorie-laden croquettes), pannenkoeken (savoury pancakes) and poffertjes (waffles dusted with icing sugar).

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the euro. Amsterdam is one hour ahead of the UK and a one-hour, 15-minute flight from London. The cost to carbon-offset is 84p (climatecare.org).

Getting There

KLM (klm.com) flies from London Heathrow to Amsterdam daily.
Eurostar (eurostar.com) runs a regular train service from London St Pancras International to Amsterdam via Brussels.

Resources

Holland (holland.com) is the official tourist board website. I Amsterdam (iamsterdam.com) is an excellent online portal for disovering the city, offering itineraries, events and more.