Time Out Amsterdam City Guide with Pull-Out Map (Travel Guide): Travel Guide with Pull-out Map

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If I’m with friends or family, I often visit Café de Ceuvel in Noord. On a warm summer day, we bring our swimsuits and take a dive. One thing the Dutch are famous for is apple pie, and you’ll find the best at a café called Waargenoegen in Noord’s Neef Louis vintage design store.’ ... and there’s always loads of art to see ADE – Amsterdam Dance Event – is one of the biggest EDM festivals in the world, with many artists playing all over the city. In August, we celebrate love with hundreds of thousands of people during Pride – we are incredibly proud as Amsterdammers to celebrate Pride together as one. And November brings Museumnacht– museum night – when almost every museum in Amsterdam opens long into the night. Imagine seeing a Frans Hals painting while dancing!’ Interview by Derek Robertson. Amsterdam is well-loved for its great food, scenic cycles and poppin’ nightlife, but often, its USP is its uber-cool, uber-chill and completely unique coffeeshops. And for those who aren’t yet familiar, we’re not talking about trendy croissants and latté art in the shape of little seahorses. Sure, they’ve got coffee in Amsterdam . But when we talk about coffeeshops, we mean licenced cannabis cafés, where you can choose from extensive marijuana menus. Many places in Amsterdam claim to be big on sustainability, but The Tire Station (a 112-room eco-designer hotel) really does practise what it preaches. Energy from renewable sources, an eco-garden on the roof with beehives, and tables made from recycled yoghurt pots: their credentials are impeccable. And none of this impinges on style or comfort (the rooms are hip and funky) – making this a great base to explore West and beyond.

From here, a little retail therapy. Head to the Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes in Dutch) to explore an array of boutiques situated in one of the most gorgeous parts of the city. Whether it’s vintage clothes from Episode , a cookie from the famous Het Koekemannetje , or a new board game from The Gamekeeper , there’s something here for everyone. Originally built in the 17th century to house immigrants and the working class, this area has since been transformed into the city’s most expensive neighbourhood. Jordaan brims with elegant townhouses and spacious apartments and is dotted with art galleries, expensive boutiques and classy restaurants. But it’s not all extravagance and luxury; there are plenty of charming little stores and restaurants attracting younger crowds who live a little further west. If a sedate pace and upscale lifestyle are what you crave, this is the place to be. Culturally, Oud-West is as rich as any other neighbourhood, and not simply in terms of high-flown art galleries and museums. Some of the city’s coolest institutions can be found here: there’s LAB111 , a cinema and exhibition space that’s home to various collectives and showcases quirky independent films and documentaries; OT301 , a legal squat that’s now a live music venue, cultural centre and pay-what-you-can vegan restaurant (staffed by volunteers); and De Nieuwe Anita , a retro living-room-cum-bar-cum-basement-venue that hosts everything from live music to taco tasting. It’s beautiful, vibrant and bustling, but it’s also very approachable and relaxed. Because it’s small, you can visit everything on foot and by bike, and there’s always something going on or somewhere to explore.’ It comes into its own in summerHit up STRAAT Museum , a gallery brimming with gargantuan pieces of graffiti and street art. Once you’ve finished, head to Pllek for lunch on a faux-beach with a view of the river. And they’re more than that, too – these joints are social hubs, creative spaces, and they often have great food menus for your munchies too. One thing to note, though, is that a few of Amsterdam's coffeeshops are really famous, and it's to their own detriment... These spots are now inescapable tourist traps, and we wouldn't recommend them (you won't find Smokey and Bulldog the First on here, for example).But if you want to visit a proper good one? Read on, friends. These are the best coffeeshops in Amsterdam.

We just named Amsterdam the fifth best city in the world, based on the results of our annual Time Out Index survey. And so who better to tell us why ‘Dam is so hot right now than Taco Dibbits, director of the world-famous Rijksmuseum? From its progressive politics to its dazzling art scene, he tells uswhy he loves his home city. Amsterdam’s a tolerant, progressivecity The best way to take in the magnificent Old Town – particularly Oudegracht – is from the water, and you needn’t restrict yourself to traditional canal tours (although they are great). Kayaks, pedalos and even gondolas are available to rent at various spots around the city centre.Since the sixteenth century Amsterdam has welcomed immigrants and, along with them, their many cultures and beliefs. Nowadays, Amsterdammers work hard on upholding and redefining tolerance as one of the city’s essential values.’ You can walk or get around by bike The Netherlands’s second-biggest city has a distinctive, ultra-modern feel, born out of the huge rebuilding projects undertaken after World War II. Some of the 20th century’s most renowned architects have worked here, and the city’s warm, diverse character is shared by the enthusiastic, can-do locals.

It seems fitting that the Tropenmuseum , a huge ethnographic museum, should be located in multicultural Oost. The Tropen – housed in one of the city’s most beautiful and impressive buildings – has eight permanent exhibitions and hosts a multitude of smaller, temporary displays of visual and contemporary art. There’s not much in the way of nightlife here, but for sundowners with the best view, Strandpaviljoen ‘t Badhuys – the island’s only beach bar – is the place to head. Grab a table on the terrace just a few feet from the golden sands.If time is of the essence, book a Tuk Tuk Safari , a guided tour of the whole island in an electric tuk-tuk. Lasting 90 minutes and complete with witty, informative drivers, the tour takes in Vlieland’s wildlife in all its epic diversity (plus some breathtaking views). Expect seals, birds of prey and the most dramatic cloud formations imaginable. A multi-storey car park might not seem the best spot for a bar, but Waterkant proves otherwise. Best enjoyed in warmer weather, they have a glorious, spacious terrace lit up with fairy lights. By day, it’s the perfect place to watch canal traffic sail serenely by, but it gets boisterous at night as a hip young crowd comes to the party. In the autumn, the Rijksmuseum will present two great exhibitions. One is called ‘Clara’, about an eighteenth-century rhinoceros who grew to be the most famous in history. The other is ‘Crawly Creatures’, an exhibition which explores the appreciation of little creatures such as toads, lizards and spiders in art and science, featuring work by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, and Maria Sibylla Merian.