Canal House

The canal-house annexe – now a moving museum – is where Anne Frank hid and wrote her world-famous diary. It’s a poignant, moving experience, and an Amsterdam must-see.

Stroll the city’s most stylish streets, packed with independent boutiques and vintage fashion stores, the latest Dutch and Flemish brands, and locally-made soaps and luxe toiletries.

These cosy, centuries-old neighbourhood pubs are the most authentic place for a local pint.

The typical foods, ingredients and flavours, cooking styles, dining scene and best foodie experiences in Amsterdam.

Dating from 1780, small in scale, wood-panelled, with candles on the gleaming, low-slung bar, ’t Smalle ticks all the boxes of a classic brown café. The icing on the cake is its dreamy terrace, projecting out over a picturesque Jordaan canal. Though discovered by tourists, it’s still a locals’ haunt, too.

From April to October the Westerkerk church (Prinsengracht 281) offers guided tours up its 85m-high tower delivers knock-out views of the surrounding canals and gabled houses. Open Monday to Saturday 11am-3pm.

Alongside Tussauds’ world-famous waxworks, the revamped Amsterdam boasts multi-media exhibits, and uses real-life actors and extras to add to the celebrity illusions.

The Netherlands’ equivalent of Harrods, De Bijenkorf is one of the oldest and grandest department stores in Amsterdam, with over 20,000 square metres of fashion, jewellery and pretty much everything else.

Picturesque Golden Age canals, premier league art, cosy cafés, and liberal urban living combine to make Amsterdam one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals.