Netherlands Travelers Recommend

If you’re visiting Amsterdam in spring, a day trip to Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse is an absolute must. They only open for a couple of months a year – in 2013 from March 21 to May 20 – and every year produce a miraculous psychedelic carpet of color from the seven million bulbs planted here, with some 100 varieties of tulip as well as daffodils and hyacinths. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kinderdijk consists of 19 wooden windmills – once there were 150 – and pumping stations dating from the 18th century, built to drain water from the polders as land was reclaimed from the North Sea. Well below sea level, the mills march towards the horizon on either side of the dyke. The opportunity to explore Delft, Rotterdam, and The Hague in a packed day includes a visit to the world-famous blue-and-white pottery Delftse Pauw factory in Delft and a trip up the 700-ft (185m) Euromast for panoramas over the striking contemporary architecture of Rotterdam city center.

Discover the traditional Dutch countryside just beyond Amsterdam. Drive through a picture-perfect landscape crisscrossed with canals and windmills, where you can still witness traditional crafts from days gone by. The picturesque village of Zaanse Schans is famous for its original windmills, vividly capturing Dutch life in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Warmer months mean the Dutch can finally say goodbye to gloomy skies and hello to better biking weather. Those looking to make the most of a trip to Amsterdam, particularly during its sunnier days, will discover a range of options for digging deep into the culture and history of this iconic destination. Book a bicycle tour or check out the sights and navigate backroads like a local by renting a bike and following a self-guided route. Looking for something just as personalized but requiring a little less effort? You can also enjoy a hassle-free hop-on hop-off bus or canal bus and be sure to stop at all of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions. Those who want to get a bit off the beaten path may enjoy a walking tour of Amsterdam’s racy Red Light District. Whether by day or night, this is a city highlight renowned around the globe and certainly worth a visit. Art lovers can check out the Van Gogh Museum and explore the work of one of the area’s most celebrated painters.

There’s no better way to get a grip on the architectural marvels of Amsterdam than by taking a canal tour; you’ll get to see many of the city’s best-loved sights, including the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge), the majestic 17th-century townhouses around the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canal Ring and the neo-Gothic façade of Centraal Station. Known collectively as Grachtengordel, Amsterdam's three main canals encircle the city and include dozens of additional smaller canals. Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht each serve the city's residents, while the 15th-century Singel canal protected medieval Amsterdam as a moat. Rightly so for a city so dependent on its waterways, Amsterdam has many different options for exploring these canals. Family-oriented choices include cruises in glass-topped boats to keep out the elements or the chance to keep hunger at bay on a cruise that includes pizza and ice cream as you float down the canals.

Amsterdam has all the offerings of a major world capital, yet the atmosphere is more akin to a village with tree-lined canals, art museums and a strong café culture. A perfect starting point is Dam Square, the heart of the city. Close to the 15th century Nieuwe Kerk and stately Royal Palace. Stroll towards the 14th century Oude Kerk - in the 'Wallen' Red Light District - to see the steamy side of life (Definitely not for kids.). Waterlooplein Market is nearby, and the Rembrandthuis Museum is just around the corner. Take the Amsterdam Hop On & Off Canal Pass to navigate the city by canal. If you prefer to do it like the Dutch, hop on a bike or try a self-guided tour of the city's impressive old mansions. Treat yourself in the evening with a candlelight cruise along the canals. Beat the queues by starting at the excellent Anne Frank House. Go for a stroll in the Jordaan neighborhood along Prinsengracht towards Museumplein ("Museum Square"), home to the Rijksmuseum.

If you want to explore art history before and after Van Gogh’s time, you don’t even need to leave the square. The Rijksmuseum is the grande dame of the city’s art museums, focusing on an era when Dutch painters dominated the European art market, and boasts such iconic paintings as Vermeer’s The Milkmaid and Rembrandt’s The Night Watch. And to take the story up to the present day, simply stroll on over to the Stedelijk Museum with its superb collection of 20th century and contemporary art. Not just paintings, but also furniture and decorative objects tell the story of revolution and innovation in the quest for new forms. As well as fine arts, Amsterdam’s museums cover diamonds, hemp and various aspects of the city’s history. It’s thirsty work taking it all in, so you may want to end your day’s wanderings at the Heineken Experience, where you’ll get to see and – of course – taste the famous Dutch brew.

More than 8 million people visit Amsterdam every year to enjoy its distinctive canal-scapes, the risque allure of the Red Light District and collection of important cultural hotspots. Crowds are inevitable in a city so popular, but here are some easy ways to avoid long lines at the attractions on your list. Art Museums Amsterdam is justly famous for its fantastic art galleries, which are crowded with visitors every day of the year. Art lovers who are short on time can buy tickets ahead of time to skip the lines at the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Small-group and private tours also often include speedy entrance to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh and the fabulous Portrait Gallery of the Golden Age at the Hermitage Amsterdam. History Museums Visitors come from all over the world to see the history museums of Amsterdam, with long queues forming on a daily basis. Skip the line at the Anne Frank House or the Amsterdam Museum with quick-access tickets.

Beer- and cheese-lovers are right at home in Amsterdam, where Dutch cheeses like Gouda, Edam and Leiden make up a healthy part of the cuisine and Dutch lagers are consumed heartily. To get the full cheese experience, head to a cheese market like Alkmaar, open weekly during the summer. A guided tour to the 400-year-old Alkmaar market will get you a scenic countryside drive and the chance to see cheese-carriers dressed in traditional costumes carry cheese through the village square. The tour also includes a stop at the cheese factory in Edam, where Edam cheese, traditionally sold in a circular shape coated with wax, is made. Of course, cheese makes you thirsty so you’ll need some beer to help wash it down. Dutch beers are mostly pale lagers (you can also find special brews like witbier and bok), the most famous of which are Heineken, brewed since 1873, and Grolsch, founded in 1615. Other Dutch breweries include Brand and Bavaria.

If you want a day trip out of Amsterdam, then head to some great destinations in Belgium. Like Bruges with its great canals, soaring Gothic churches and rows of imposing merchants’ houses. The Castle of the Counts, Basilica of the Holy Blood and the unparalleled collection of Flemish Primitive art in the Groeninge Museum make this a well-rounded cultural crash course. The charms of nearby Ghent represent a perfect blend of old and new, with its beautiful churches and public buildings. Meanwhile the country’s capital Brussels, doesn’t skimp on breathtaking sights either, presenting a showcase of styles from early medieval to the clean modern lines. Finally Antwerp, is the sophisticated, self-confident centrepiece of Flemish Belgium. The focal point of the world’s diamond trade also has its fair share of artistic jewels, including Rubens’ house.

The name of Anne Frank is forever linked with Amsterdam. The fate of a young Jewish girl and her family destroyed by the Nazis in World War II would have been long since overlooked were it not for one fact: after her death in March 1945, Anne’s diary was discovered by her father and published to worldwide acclaim. Today the Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht attracts international visitors in the hundreds of thousands each year to pay their respects in the cramped secret annex to the rear of the building. Here Anne, her sister and parents were incarcerated with another Jewish family for three years before they were betrayed to the Nazi occupiers of Amsterdam. Anne and her sister both died in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp but her father survived his ordeal in Auschwitz and returned to Amsterdam. The Diary of Anne Frank was published in 1947 and ensured that the tragic tale of the Frank family was never to be forgotten.

Sephardic Jews first came to Amsterdam in the late 15th century, escaping persecution in Spain and Portugal, and settled behind Waterlooplein, bordered by the Amstel and the Herengracht canal. They integrated successfully into Dutch life and flourished, with many working in the diamond industry. After enjoying years of religious freedom in Amsterdam, everything changed with the advent of World War II; the majority of Amsterdam’s 100,000 Jews were herded up and transported to Auschwitz and Belsen concentration camps. By 1945, less than 500 survived. Today, the Jewish Cultural Quarter houses several monuments to Jewish life in Amsterdam. -Sasha Heseltine Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our Amsterdam Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in Amsterdam.