Visit Amsterdam

Did you know that Amsterdam has more canals than Venice, flanked by fine 17th century gabled houses and spanned by a staggering 1,281 bridges, It fully deserves its reputation as one of Europe's most picturesque cities. However, far from being a living museum, the Dutch capital has a vibrant cultural life with world-class museums, music venues, theatres and an ever expanding collection of chic hotels and restaurants.

Amsterdam's compact size, combined with a warm and liberal attitude of its locals, makes it feel more like a large village than a sprawling city. Cosy cafés, unusual museums, quirky boutiques, and lively markets all make Amsterdam a great place to visit. Whether you take a trip for a weekend or a longer stint, Amsterdam has it all for the discerning visitor. Visit the magnificent Rijksmuseum, the bijou Huis Marseille photography gallery, one of the many windmill microbreweries or catch a cool and collected free jazz concert.

Amsterdam boasts some of the world's most iconic museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, Rijksmuseum, NEMO Science Centre and the Anne Frank House.

Don't forget the quirky little hidden gems like the Handbag Museum, Van Loon and Huis Marseille.

Amsterdam boasts some of the world's most iconic museums, including the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, Rijksmuseum, NEMO Science Centre and the Anne Frank House.

Don't forget the quirky little hidden gems like the Handbag Museum, Van Loon and Huis Marseille.

1. Amsterdam & Manhattan, which was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century as New Amsterdam, are almost identical in size.

2. Believe it or not, there are over 750,000 bicycles in Amsterdam with 490,000 cyclists pedaling around the city each day.

3. Stroll around Amsterdam's Centraal Station and Eastern Docklands and you might not realise that you're actually below sea level, on reclaimed land. As the French philosopher René Descartes said: "God created the world but the Dutch created Amsterdam."

4. "Holland" only applies to two western provinces along the North Sea, Noord and Zuid Holland (North and South Holland), encompassing Amsterdam, Den Haag and Rotterdam, the rest is fondly known as The Netherlands.

5. Each night, approximately one third of the water in Amsterdam's 400 year-old canal system is replaced by fresh water from the Ijsselmeer by an intricate system of sluices and mechanical pumps.

1. Try posing a picture on your favorite social channel in front of / on top of / peeking around the 6'5"ft-tall travelling iamsterdam letters, currently located behind the Rijksmuseum

2. The perfect shot from the "piazza", or Mediterranean-style Café DECK5 roof terrace, of the NEMO Science Centre, which can be visited without buying a museum ticket

3. From the narrow Staalstraat drawbridge, overlooking the picturesque Groenburgwal canal and Zuiderkerk church spire

4. Take a snap onn Herengracht canal, recreating the iconic 17th century painting 'The Bend in the Herengracht near the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat in Amsterdam' by Gerrit Berckheyde

5. And finally, from the top of the Westerkerk church tower, whose bells Anne Frank heard as she hid on nearby Prinsengracht during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam

Amsterdammers really enjoy getting "gezelig", which can be loosely translated as getting cosy with friends and an added dash of nostalgia.

Enjoy fresh coffee and delicious almond pastries overlooking one of the many canal; enjoy a picnic in the Vondelpark; settle into a tiny candlelit bar with an Amstel beer; hire a 'sloep' boat to motor around the canals at sunset with friends and enjoy the mardi gras-style celebrations on the national holiday, King's Day.