Liberty City

Rooted in history yet constantly evolving, architecturally, culturally and socially, Amsterdam is as much a phenomenon as a destination, and as such its fascination never wanes

A city of libertarians, liberally seasoned with art and culture, Amsterdam is the living embodiment of a city that is all things to all people. Often lazily dubbed ‘the Venice of the North’, Amsterdam actually boasts considerably more canals, and unlike that other famous European city borne on water, this is no frozen exhibit but a vibrant ever-changing metropolis with an international reputation for catering to the full spectrum of the human condition.

For connoisseurs of fine art and architecture, both historic and contemporary, Amsterdam provides a surplus of riches, and the same may be said by backpacking students drawn like moths to the perfume of narcotics wafting from the coffee shops, or the stag-parties funnelling through the narrow lanes of the infamous Red Light District.

The truth is that these are only some of Amsterdam’s many facets, and like the diamonds famously cut here, it is only when viewed as a whole that you understand the intricate interaction of all these diffuse elements is what has fashioned this city into such a brilliant jewel. This capital is a perfect balance of juxtapositions, and unique beauty born of extreme contrast seems over the centuries to have become the city’s default manifesto, along with the continuing heritage of social innovation that has provided Amsterdam with so many historic firsts, from Europe’s oldest stock exchange to its earliest coffee houses.

This, it would appear, is the wonderful, natural byproduct of a climate of tolerance in a society that propagates free thinking and encourages innovation—the unavoidable sum that continues to create and fuse all of Amsterdam’s gloriously different parts. For visitors the fact that the city can be experienced in so many ways makes it virtually impossible not to return, but for first-timers there are some essential sights and experiences, which, though obvious, make an ideal introduction and would be almost foolish to avoid. Meanwhile those who have been before will marvel at how effortlessly the city slips its skin to reveal yet another intriguing layer.

There’s an old adage that ‘God made the world but the Dutch made the Netherlands’, and indeed with 27% of the country lying below sea level, much of it has been built over the centuries on reclaimed land, Amsterdam being no exception. Set at the mouth of the River Amstel as it flows into the IJ bay before joining the North Sea, Amsterdam has come a long way since its 13th century beginnings as a humble fishing community sprawled about a dam in the river. It does however continue to enjoy two geographic benefits that make it the perfect city to explore on foot, or more characteristically by bicycle.

Firstly, like the rest of the country, it is almost entirely flat; and secondly the main city centre is contained in a neatly compact area entirely navigable as a pedestrian. The area is delineated by three main canals, the Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, which fan concentrically out to form a belt known as the grachtengordel which runs through and around the centre of the capital. These canals and most of the beautiful town houses, lining the banks with their competitively ornate brick gables, were built during the Dutch Golden Age, the period roughly spanning the 17th century when the country’s trade goods, arts and science were among the most important assets in the world. Inside these runs the Singel canal, notable as this was once the boundary of the earliest walled old-town.

Many people will happily spend their time in Amsterdam among the many attractions within this perimeter, but for those keen on exploring the city to its fullest, to the east of here lies the docklands. Flanking the IJ Bay, this is an exciting and constantly rejuvenating space where many of the old warehouses once vital to the nation’s wealth still peer between shining edifices of contemporary municipal architecture. Meanwhile to the west, the large residential district known as the Jordaan is a fascinating warren of houses built in the early 17th century to accommodate a burgeoning working-class and immigrant population. It is also where one of the city’s most famous sons and one of Europe’s greatest artists, Rembrandt van Rijn, lived and died in penury.

His works can be viewed at the magnificent Rijksmuseum, the Dutch national museum that ranks as one of Amsterdam’s permanant ‘big three’ attractions. Located due south on the edge of the city centre, the museum is undergoing an extensive renovation not due to be completed until early 2013, but remains open and showcasing an abbreviated but still impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century Dutch works of art in one wing of the massive Neo-Gothic building. ‘The Masterpieces’ exhibition takes visitors through an evolution of the Dutch Golden Age, a time when the Netherlands' colonization and trade efforts made it the world's richest country. The collection itself features stunning samples of Delftware, silver and other artifacts, as well as paintings by Dutch masters such as Vermeer and Frans Hals, along with Rembrandt.

The Netherlands’ other artistic giant, and arguably the world’s most famous, provides the draw at the city’s other big museum. The Van Gogh Museum attracts visitors of all ages and from all corners of the globe but considering its popularity still allows visitors to truly engage with the artist’s work by getting up close and personal with the bold, dashing brush strokes on a series of canvases that constitute the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world. The museum also houses works by other towering 19th century impressionists, including Cézanne, Gauguin, Monet, Seurat, Sisley and Toulouse-Lautrec, in its permanent collection.

Third in the top trio, and smaller in stature yet packing even greater emotional punch, is the house at Prinsengracht 267 where Anne Frank and her family spent tortuous months in hiding from the Nazis. This offers the chance to take a viewing tour around the property where one of the most harrowing personal accounts of Nazi atrocity and persecution during the Second World War was documented in a young Jewish girl’s diary. Viewing the secret annex, and many other rooms in this restored canal house, is a deeply moving experience and well worth enduring the ever-present crowds for. This year extra events are being laid on to mark the property’s 50th anniversary as a museum, so avoid the ever-present queues by visiting in early morning or by advance purchasing special-access tickets for the evening. Another small word of advice, no matter how eager, do not try and cram these three into a single day or you will be left in sensory overload, not to mention emotionally drained.

Instead, punctuate Amsterdam’s copious museum experience (there are more than 50 ranking among the main attractions) with some fresh air—perfect in the form of a canal cruise or boat tour. Organised trips leave from regular points around the city, as do the local waterbuses, or you can even push the boat out literally by hiring one privately. Either way a few hours spent gliding serenely through some of the 165 waterways that split the city into ninety separate islands linked by more than 1,200 bridges, is guaranteed to provide the perspective this capital uniquely deserves.

Just behind the impressive hub of Dam Square (the location of the Royal Palace and a good central point of orientation), lies another outdoor attraction synonymous with the Netherlands, the city’s floating flower market. Known by the Dutch as the Bloemmarkt it has been held here since 1862 and comprised of a rank of floating houseboats moored against the edge of the Singel Canal. Stalls set out in front fill the air with fragrance for an entire block, so following your nose is possibly the easiest method of finding your way here. The Dutch love their flowers, and once you have you’ll be greeted by a riot of colour from a myriad of booms. They may have originated in Turkey but tulips have become unofficial symbol of the country (their bulbs even served as currency here during the tulip mania of the early 1600s) and you will find them here in abundance along with varieties of narcissus, geraniums and a host of exotic species indigenous to many former Dutch colonies. With something to offer throughout the changing seasons, the market is open daily from Monday to Saturday all year round.

Although Amsterdam’s biggest attractions are in no way diminished by their obvious popularity, for returning visitors one of the capital’s main delights is the fact that they form only a modest portion of what this eclectic and exuberant city has to offer. So for those already familiar with Amsterdam, or for first-time visitors who simply prefer not to follow the herd, there are plenty more suggestions for a slightly more oblique but no less relevant visit to the capital.

Tulip bulbs may have run their course as tangible assets, but Amsterdam is also famous for the world’s most enduring symbol of status, power and wealth—diamonds. Numerous jewellers are dotted around the city centre and the largest, such as Coster and Gassan, offer intriguing guided tours of their premises, centuries old and with international reputations. Watch diamond-cutters and polishers at their painstaking work and marvel at the exquisite jewels produced throughout the Amsterdam diamond trade’s 400 years of history and experience. Of course nearly all the factories have a retail outlet attached so there is always the opportunity to return from your trip with a really special souvenir.

If you find yourself in literal need of some ‘Dutch courage’ before taking the plunge at a jeweller’s, a visit to another historic institution could prove essential. The House of Bols, opposite the Van Gogh Museum, celebrates the legacy of Lucas Bols who in 1575 established what is now the world’s oldest distillery, still producing the Netherlands’ unique gin, known as Genevre, along with 33 different liqueurs—all of which can be sampled afterwards in cocktail form at the thoroughly contemporary Mirror Bar.

For the level-tempered Dutch, the love of all things flat even extends to their food, in the form of pancakes, probably the closest thing the country has to a national dish. Nothing is out of bounds for filling a pancake over here, not even sushi—an option you will find along with many more at the ever-popular Pancakes! Restaurant on Berenstraat. Their pancake with endive, ham, Camembert cheese and raspberry sauce can only be catering to victims of the munchies.

Two things you are never more than a few yards away from in Amsterdam are water and a watering hole. And if pancakes are not quite your thing you may prefer to take a trip across the harbour from Central Station to the waterfront of North Amsterdam where many of the city’s buzzing bars and restaurants are located. Try the Hotel Goudfazant, an impossibly hip restaurant located on the water in an industrial shed furnished with a single gigantic chandelier made of old bottles, and enjoy delicious, unfussy dishes such as veal cheeks with asparagus and tarragon mayonnaise or roast chicken and oyster ceviche, all eaten at long canteen tables where you will rub shoulders with the city’s creative elite.

Finding yourself replete after one of Amsterdam’s many great dining experiences and you may crave some fresh-air, but without being in the mood for brisk walking or pedalling. This could be the perfect time to seek out The St Nicolaas Boat Club of Amsterdam. The Boat Club is a non-profit society comprised of local volunteers, and their dedication keeps a small flotilla of historic open boats cruising the canals. They are not a tour operator, nor a business, and they do not charge to take you on the water but rely instead on donations. Visit the Chicago Boom Bar, the closest thing these chaps will ever have to an office, and ask for the sign-up sheet for a trip, then rendezvous at 12 Liedseplien at the appointed hour, hop aboard, relax and glance smugly at the huddled masses in the oversized glass-sided tourist vessels as you chug past with the locals en-route to far more interesting places.

As if this innumerable array of permanent attractions was not sufficient for a single city, it is also worth remembering to factor-in Amsterdam’s annual calendar of events. It seems as though there is something eye-opening or mind-broadening occurring here every day, never mind monthly or yearly, but two big events well worth noting are Queen’s Day, celebrated on April 30, which heralds 24 hours of full-on city-wide partying, and the Gratchen Festival, a moderately more civilized week of music with an impressive waterside concert finale held on the last weekend in August.

However, no matter when you plan your visit and no matter how many times you have been before, Amsterdam’s constant appeal is its fluidity, its capacity for change and the ability to effortlessly conjure fresh attractions, seemingly without drawing breath—let alone inhaling.

Rijksmuseum
Stadhouderskade 42
+31(0)20 6747000 www.rijksmuseum.nl

Van Gogh Museum
Paulus Potterstraat 7
+31(0)20 5705200 www.vangoghmuseum.nl

Anne Frank House
Prinsengracht 267
+31(0)205567100 www.annefrank.org

Coster Diamonds
Paulus Potterstraat 2-8
020 305 5555 www.costerdiamonds.com

Gassan Diamonds
Gassan Diamonds B.V.
Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 173 - 175 1011 LN
+ 31(0)20 622 5333 www.gassandiamonds.nl

House of Bols
Paulus Potterstraat 14 1071
+31(0)205708575 www.houseofbols.com

St Nicolaas Boat Club Of Amsterdam
www.amsterdamboatclub.com

Goudfazant
Aambeeldstraat 10 H
+31(0)20 6365170 www.hoteldegoudfazant.nl

Pancakes!
Berenstraat 38
+31(0)20 5289797 www.pancakesamsterdam.com