Dutch treat

“If you only have a short time in Amsterdam,” said our guide, “this is the place to come to experience its essence.”

I was standing on the stone bridge over the Singel canal that links tacky-touristy Nieuwendijk in the Old Centre with west-bound Haarlemmerstraat, a long street of three-storey gabled brownstones known for its eclectic range of shops and bars.

In front of me was a tulip stall, behind me was a herring stall, to my left was a cheese stall and I could see a coffeeshop with a mural of cannabis leaves in the window and a bar advertising Heineken beer. On cue, two cyclists hurtled past and almost knocked me over, ringing their bells manically. Welcome to Mokum.

Mokum is a nickname for the Dutch capital and derives from the Yiddish word meaning ‘safe haven’. Jews from across Europe began moving to Amsterdam from the 15th century, as the city was known for its religious tolerance. It’s mainly thanks to the Jewish immigrants, many of whom were successful merchants and traders, that Amsterdam became one of the world’s most important ports, as well as a centre for diamonds and finance, in the 17th century; in fact, the world’ first Stock Exchange was founded here in 1602.

Mee in Mokum (www.meeinmokum.nl) is the name of a group of English-speaking residents who lead guided two-hour tours around Amsterdam for a very reasonable €5. Along with some other English tourists, I’d met our guide Jan, a retired librarian, in the café at the Amsterdams Historisch Museum (www.ahm.nl), which takes visitors through 800 years of the city’s fascinating history and where you’ll learn how the city got its name.

The Historisch Museum is one of more than 50 museums in Amsterdam, ranging from big guns like the Van Gogh Museum (www.vangoghmuseum.nl) and the recently opened Hermitage (www.hermitage.nl), which portrays Russian history and culture, to smaller specialist museums such as the Museum of Bags and Purses (www.tassenmuseum.nl) and the Amstelkring (Oudezijds Voorburgwarl 40), a Catholic church hidden in the attic of a 17th-century home.

The city’s oldest church, and indeed oldest building, is 14th-century Oude Kerk (www.oudekerk.nl) in the heart of the Red Light District. As well as a few bars and an infants’ school, the church square is dotted with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing immigrant prostitutes in their underwear. But not for much longer.

Jan explained: “The council launched a project a couple of years ago to clean up this area by buying properties that are rented to prostitutes, as many of these ‘businesses’ are fronts for money laundering. The premises are being rented to bars, restaurants and boutiques. The aim is to reduce the Red Light District to a couple of streets, although some people argue that this will destroy Amsterdam’s character.”

Where there’s sex for sale there’s usually drugs and you won’t go far in Amsterdam without seeing (and smelling) a coffeeshop, which isn’t the place to go for a drink. The coffeeshops have been selling cannabis since the 1970s but they too haven’t escaped the council’s clean-up project and plans are afoot to get rid of about 25. One of the most popular with visiting Brits and celebrities is Cannabis Cup winner Greenhouse (www.greenhouse.org), which is known for its potent offerings and funky interior.

The most attractive part of Amsterdam is without doubt the canal belt. The canals, lined with beautiful mansions, were built in the 17th-century – The Golden Age – to provide housing for the wealthy merchants. To see what one of these houses was like in its heyday head to the Museum Van Loon (www.museumvanloon.nl), which was home to the founder of the Dutch East India Company.

The western canal belt is a great place for shopping as it’s here that you’ll find the Nine Streets, a fashionable area crammed with designer boutiques, delis and café-bars. De Kaaskamer (Runstraat 7) has more than 200 types of cheese while Frozen Fountain (Prinsengracht 645) is the place to go for contemporary Dutch home deco.

Lunchtime beckoned and we stopped at De Prins (Prinsengracht 124), one of Amsterdam’s ‘brown cafés’, so-called because of the years of accumulated smoke stains on the walls – although these day public places are no-smoking zones. Jan informed me that this was one of the best cafés to sample good-value Dutch cooking and we ordered some traditional meat and potato croquettes followed by a great big slab of apple tart.

Put off by the queue outside Anne Frank Huis – best to get there early – we headed to The Tulip Museum (www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com) a few doors along from De Prins. The first tulips in Holland were grown in the Hortus Botanicus (www.hortus-botanicus.nl), the world’s oldest botanical gardens, in the Plantage district. The flowers bloom in April and May and if you’re in town at that time the Bloemenmarkt (between Muntplein and Koningsplein), the world’s only floating flower market, is the place to go to see colourful displays. If not, buy some bulbs to take home.
 
Amsterdam is culturally rich and there’s no shortage of nightlife to cater for all tastes, whether you’re looking for a hip gay bar, karaoke, English-language comedy, live music or a cosy corner to sip a jenever (Dutch gin), like legendary Wynand Fockink (www.wynand-fockink.nl), a 17th-century tasting room whose interior has been graced by the likes of Churchill and Chagall. But I was exhausted and caught the free shuttle bus from Centraal Station back to Hotel Mövenpick (www.moevenpick-amsterdam.com), next to the ferry terminal in the regenerated eastern waterfront.

Gazing out of my window on the 18th floor, watching the free ferries cross the River IJ to the residential islands, envying the music fans getting ready for a classical/jazz/world music concert at the futuristic Muziekgebouw, marvelling at the child-friendly NEMO science centre whose form looks like a big green sinking boat, I was reminded that there is so much more to this vibrant city than its sleazy reputation; it deserves more than a fleeting visit.

Freelance travel writer Victoria Trott still likes Amsterdam even though on her first visit as a studen, the bus broke down four times and it took 24 hours to get there.

10 THINGS TO DO IN AMSTERDAM

• Enjoy a free tour of Gassan Diamonds’ factory (www.gassandiamonds.nl)
• Explore the atmospheric Jordaan district (www.jordaaninfo.nl)
• Take the family to Artis Zoo (www.artis.nl)
• Admire the view from the 23rd-floor bar of Hotel Okura (www.okura.nl)
• Tiptoe through the tulip fields in Keukenhof from mid-March to mid-May (www.keukenhof.nl)
• Watch a film at the Art Deco Pathé Tuschinski cinema (www.pathe.nl)
• Explore the city or surrounding countryside on a bike tour (www.mikesbiketours.com)
• Scoff and sightsee at the same time on The Pancake Boat
• Catch a gig, exhibition or DJ set at Melkweg (www.melkweg.nl)
• Savour a lakeside picnic in Vondelpark

THE MAIN EVENT

Amsterdam has a varied year-long events calendar. The main date is Queen’s Day on 30th April when thousands of people dressed in orange descend upon the capital to celebrate the Queen’s birthday while watching a rock concert in Museumplein, enjoying traditional music and dancing in the Jordaan district or wandering around the open-air market. Holland Festival is a multi-arts festival that takes place across the city throughout June and Grachtenfestival in the canal belt caters for lovers of classical music in August.

TAXI!

Amsterdam’s taxis are unregulated so make sure you agree a fare with the driver before getting in. Aim to use TCA, the city’s biggest taxi firm.

FACT BOX

WHEN TO GO

Amsterdam is a great place to visit at any time of year but winters tend to be cold and wet. Come in spring to see the tulips or autumn to avoid the crowds. Be sure to book well in advance if you visit in high summer.

GETTING THERE

Several airlines fly from London to Amsterdam so check out www.skyscanner.net for the best deals. By train from London takes 4 hrs 16 mins; a standard return fare starts at £116 from www.raileurope.co.uk. Take the car by ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland; single fares start at £49 from www.stenaline.co.uk.

ACCOMMODATION

For a luxury break try The Dylan (www.dylanamsterdam.com) or rent a houseboat (www.houseboathotel.nl) for independence. Stayokay Amsterdam Zeeburg (www.stayokay.com) is great modern hostel for families on a budget. Lastminute.com has good deals on upmarket accommodation in its ‘top secret’ hotels section.

TOUR OPERATORS

Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk), Co-operative Travel (www.co-operativetravel.co.uk) and My Amsterdam (www.myamsterdam.co.uk) offer short breaks by air. You can book train travel plus accommodation with Eurostar (www.eurostar.com).

GETTING AROUND

The best way to see Amsterdam is on foot. A good way to admire the architecture is from a canal boat; I like Holland International (www.hir.nl). Make like the locals and hire a bike – but keep your wits about you. Trams, buses and the metro will take you across town – a two-day travel card costs €11.50.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Amsterdam Tourism: www.iamsterdam.com
Netherlands Tourism: www.holland.com