Visit Amsterdam - Must-see places in the city where (almost) everything is cool

Visiting Amsterdam is a unique experience. With its picturesque network of canals, extensive history and culture, the Dutch capital is one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

Over the course of 50 years, in the mid-17th century, Amsterdam quadrupled its area, becoming at the time the third largest city in the world - after London and Paris. At the centre of this plan was the Grachtengordel canal network, now designated a UNESCO Heritage Site. Built on land reclaimed from the sea, Amsterdam was for several centuries one of the centres of commerce, culture, maritime and economic power.

When you look at this list of places to visit in Amsterdam, you'll find some very interesting places, especially if you're a fan of culture and museums. However, when you visit Amsterdam, it's not the names of the museums, the grandeur of the churches or the modern architecture that stick in your mind. 

The Dutch capital is much more than things, Amsterdam is a way of being, it's a feeling, it's an experience. From eating cannabis cakes to strolling past the shop windows of the Red Light District, the city is synonymous with extravagance and originality. And for that reason alone, Amsterdam is well worth a visit.

What to see and do in Amsterdam

Rent a Bike

There's no turning back. The best way to visit Amsterdam is by pedal power. It is estimated that there are more than 847,000 bicycles in the city, which means there are more bicycles in Amsterdam than the population itself (821,000 people).

Cycling in Amsterdam is a unique lifestyle, made easier by the extensive network of cycle paths and, of course, the fact that the terrain is flat. Do as I did, get on abikeand head for Lake Sloterplas, or cycle to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel to discover a village that dates back to the 12th century and has some interesting historical sites.

There are shops everywhere where you can rent bikes by the hour or by the day. Most streets have separate cycle lanes, so it's safe to cycle. In fact, in my experience, I think it's more dangerous to walk, as you run the risk of being run over... by a cyclist.

Navigating the channels

Built in the 17th century to protect homes from the sea, Amsterdam's canal belt creates the image we have of this city in the land of the Tulips. This "fortification" was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

As well as walking through the streets along the canals, the best thing is to navigate them and observe the city from this vantage point. The canals are very photogenic at any time of day, but particularly after sunset when the bridges light up.

There are various boat trips, from light sightseeing to evening cruises with candlelit dinner and unlimited drinks. If you buy the I amsterdam City Card here, you'll be entitled to a free trip along Amsterdam's canals.

The Herengracht, where the social elite built their grand houses, is one of the four main canals. If you like these canals in Amsterdam, then you should also plan a trip to Venice.

See Windmills in Amsterdam

If you're visiting Amsterdam for a few days, you'll have time to get out of the centre a bit. Just a few minutes from the heart of the city, you'll find landscapes of flowery fields, some beaches, historic towns and many windmills.

About 20 minutes away by train, discover the picturesque town of Haarlem or the dunes on the beaches of Bloemendaal aan Zee e Zandvoort aan Zee. If you're looking for windmills - one of Holland's trade marks - then there are many to visit. However, the most famous area (and perhaps the most beautiful) is around Zaanse Schans. There you'll find landscapes painted with flowers and sprinkled with countless windmills.

If you're short on time, you can visit a few windmills in Amsterdam. One of them is in the De Gooyer - considered the tallest wooden mill in the country. Right next door is the craft micro-brewery Brouwerij 't IJ. Take the opportunity to relax and savour a fine beer.

Amsterdam's oldest building

Oude Kerk (Old Church), was built in 1306, and is considered the oldest building in Amsterdam and became the model for many other churches. The work includes brilliant stained glass windows, a gilded ceiling and a 17th-century carillon. Additional structures were added later, such as a tower in the 16th century. It also has a carillon from 1658 that is considered one of the best in the country and Oude Kerk offers excellent views over the city.

Still in religious architecture, alongside the Anne Frank House, a Amsterdam West Church (Westerkerk) is one of the most visited. Completed in 1630, the Renaissance church has Gothic features and an 85-metre tower.

Just a two-minute walk from Rembrandt House Museum is Zuiderkerk (South Church). Built between 1603 and 1611, it was the first Protestant church in the Dutch capital.

A Portuguese Synagogue, was completed in 1675, making it the largest in Europe. Located in the Jewish Quarter and inspired by Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, it's one more point you can add to your Amsterdam itinerary.

Museums in Amsterdam

If there's one thing there's no shortage of in Amsterdam, it's museums. From the Rijksmuseum, to Van Gogh Museum, from Stedelijk Museum to Royal Concertgebouw are some of the places you can visit in Amsterdam. 

All of them are located in Museumplein, a kind of cultural heart of Amsterdam. This Museum Square also has open-air exhibitions, markets and even an ice rink in the colder months. Entry to many of these museums is included on the I amsterdam City Card.

The Stedelijk Museum, for example, includes pieces by Picasso, Warhol, Monet and Matisse. At the Rijksmuseum, there are more than 80 galleries with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh.

The Van Gogh Museum has more than 200 paintings and hundreds of drawings by the Dutch artist, as well as pieces by Gauguin and Monet. Another place to visit is Rembrandt's former home, now transformed into the Rembrandt House Museum.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark is one of Amsterdam's main leisure areas, separating the Oud-West and Oud-Zuid neighbourhoods. It's a green space, ideal for a stroll or a picnic. There are extensive green spaces, sculptures, small lakes, cafés and even an open-air theatre.

In the summer months, the Openluchttheater presents a vibrant programme of free music and theatre performances. Also not to be missed is the sculpture "The Fish" by Pablo Picasso.

Anne Frank House

The queues are always huge outside the Anne Frank House-Museum in the Jordaan neighbourhood. It preserves the secret annex where the young Anne Frank hid for two years from Nazi persecution until she was sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. There's not much to see there, but it's still a remarkable place in human history. 

Otto was the only member of the Frank family to survive the Holocaust and in 1947 he published his daughter's diary. The diary, as well as photographs and personal belongings of the family, are on display at the site.

Smelling the tulips

Tulips are a symbol of Dutch culture and when you visit Amsterdam you can't help but notice them everywhere. If you're travelling to Amsterdam in spring, take a short trip to the tulip fields of Keukenhof, in Bollenstreek. There are many kilometres of flowers in every colour between Haarlem and Leiden. There are, of course, plenty of opportunities to smell the tulips in the city, but the flowery landscapes are irresistible.

Jordaan neighbourhood

Jordaan is the most popular of Amsterdam's neighbourhoods, not least because of the fusion of styles and eras - from residential areas to markets (Noordermarkt), from fashion shops to restaurants and bars. On Saturdays, the street Lindengracht becomes a huge open-air market where you can find handicrafts and all kinds of products, including tulips, of course.

Jordaan is best known as the location of the Anne Frank House, but it is also home to less fashionable places such as the Woonboots Museum - a floating museum. More savoury is the Amsterdam Cheese Museum. Not only are there cheese-making tools on display, but you can also taste some of the varieties produced in Holland.

Royal Palace of Amsterdam

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam) serves as the King's residence. Construction began in 1648 and required careful engineering to support the weight of the building. The interior is decorated with luxury items (as you would expect from the opulence of any royalty) including furniture, paintings and sculptures by important artists.

Red Light District

I haven't met anyone who hasn't passed through the (world) famous Red Light District when visiting Amsterdam. In Oudezijds Achterburgwal, just a few minutes from the Oude Kerk church and Nieuwmarkt Square, lies this unusual neighbourhood.

There, unionised prostitutes appeal to the desires of passers-by in shop windows. Men come and go from these houses where sexual pleasures are sold, but all within the law. 

Just as legal as going to one of these houses is letting yourself be carried away by the hallucinations caused by cannabis or marijuana and if that's what you're looking for, you can smoke or eat a cake with small amounts of the drug. Yes, everything is legal. As I told you in this text, in Amsterdam you can visit countless museums, so it was only to be expected that there would even be a museum linked to these practices - the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum.

Other places to see in Amsterdam

• Dam Square
• Prinsengracht
• Singel
• Heineken Experience
• Dutch Eye Film Museum
• Tropenmuseum
• Magere Brug
• Moco Museum 
• Johan Cruyff ArenA (Ajax Stadium)
• Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
• NEMO Science Museum

Map of places to visit in Amsterdam

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