Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
Fold 1Culture in
Amsterdam
Few cities meld history with modern urban flair
like Amsterdam. You won’t get far without
discovering a masterpiece of art, traditional
pub, buzzing market or waterway.A bridge on the
Bloemgracht canal
in the Jordaan districtHighlights
Off beat Local life
RED LIGHT
DISTRICT TOUR
Most tourists end up in the
centuries-old Red Light District
at some point, but, for those
intrigued by this facet of the city,
try the fascinating one-hour tour
run by the nonprofit Prostitution
Information Centre. Guides
explain the business and take
you into a Red Light room.
Profits go to the centre
(pic-amsterdam.com;
Enge Kerksteeg 3; tours £13).HOUSEBOAT MUSEUM
Living on the water became
popular in Amsterdam after
WWII and some 2,500
houseboats line the city’s
Unesco-listed canals. This
quirky museum, a sailing barge
from 1914, offers a good sense
of how gezellig (cosy) life can
be on a boat. You can watch a
presentation on houseboats
and inspect the sleeping, living,
cooking and dining quarters
(houseboatmuseum.nl;
Prinsengracht 296k;
10am–5pm Jul–Aug, Tue–Sun
only Sep–Jun, closed Jan; £4).ELECTRIC LADYLAND
The world’s first museum of
fluorescent art features owner
Nick Padalino’s psychedelic
sculpture work on one side and
cases of naturally luminescent
rocks and manufactured
glowing objects (money,
government ID cards etc) on the
other. His art gallery and shop is
upstairs. Jimi Hendrix, the
Beatles and other artists play on
the stereo while Nick lovingly
describes each item in the
collection (electric-lady-land.
com; 2e Leliedwarsstraat 5;
1pm–6pm Tue–Sat; £4.40).VAN GOGH MUSEUM
This museum houses the world’s
largest collection of the great
19th-century Dutch painter’s
works. It is as much a tour
through his troubled mind as
through his work. There are also
paintings by Gauguin, Toulouse-
Lautrec, Monet and Bernard.
Book ahead (vangoghmuseum.nl;
Museumplein 6; 9am–7pm
Sun–Thu, to 10pm Fri, to 9pm Sat,
shorter hours Sep–mid-Jul; £15).RIJKSMUSEUM
The Netherlands’ premier art
trove splashes Rembrandts,
Vermeers and 7,500 other
masterpieces across its galleries.
The crowds huddle around the
Golden Age artworks, so the
remaining rooms are free for
browsing antique ship models,
Dutch Delftware pottery and
magic lanterns. Visit after 3pm
and pre-book tickets. The
gardens are free (rijksmuseum.nl;
Museumstraat 1; 9am–5pm; £15).ANNE FRANK HUIS
The Anne Frank Huis is a powerful
experience that draws almost one
million visitors annually. The focus
of the museum is the melancholy
Secret Annexe, where Anne and
seven others hid from the Nazis
before being mysteriously
betrayed and sent to their deaths.
Pre-book tickets online to
minimise queues (annefrank.org;
Prinsengracht 267; 9am–10pm
Apr–Oct, 9am–7pm Sun–Fri, until
9pm Sat Nov–Mar; £8).VONDELPARK
The lush urban idyll of the
Vondelpark is one of
Amsterdam’s most magical
places – sprawling English-style
gardens with ponds, lawns,
footbridges and winding
footpaths. On a sunny day, a
party atmosphere ensues when
lovers, cyclists, in-line skaters,
pram-pushing parents, spliff-
sharing friends and champagne-
swilling picnickers all come out to
play (hetvondelpark.net).CYCLING AMSTERDAM-
NOORD
The avant-garde thrives in Noord,
the vast community across the
river from downtown
Amsterdam. This northern part
of the city has shot up recently
to become one of Amsterdam’s
most fashionable areas. Free
ferries depart from behind
Centraal Station. The area is great
for cycling; hire a bike
and pedal north along the
Noordhollands Kanaal to reach
windmills, cows and farms.A post-war living room in
the houseboat museumA reproduction Van Gogh self-
portrait in the Van Gogh MuseumVondelpark is Amsterdam’s most
popular park, especially in summerFold 2MINI GUIDE
ALBERT CUYPMARKT
This is the city’s largest and
busiest market. Named after
landscape painter Albert Cuyp
(1620–91), it’s legendary for its
huge variety of food, fashion and
bargain finds. Be sure to sample
the cheese and a piping-hot
stroopwafel (caramel syrup
waffle). Beyond the market, the
area of De Pijp is home to
galleries and fashion boutiques
(albertcuyp.nl; btwn Ferdinand
Bolstraat & Van Woustraat;
9.30am–5pm Mon–Sat).