There are 165 canals, 1,300 bridges, 10,334 shops, 141 galleries, 165 antique stores and 26 markets in the Venice of the North. The city also sells 19 million flowers to the world every day – and boasts more people than you can count who speak English. GARETH HUW DAVIES takes a look at Amsterdam… and finds three great ways to blow [pounds sterling] 100 there.
Be An Exhibitionist
Amsterdam knocks spots off most cities in Europe for museums and galleries.
Hottest display is the Neerlandia Building, an outpost of the Hermitage, the great St Petersburg culture palace. The first part opened last year.
From March 5 until September 3 the Neerlandia stages Venezia!, the pick the Hermitage’s collection of Venetian masters, including Canaletto, Guardi and Tiepolo. Another spring exhibition, The Art Treasures Of Morocco, at the Nieuwe Kerk until April 17.
And the show goes on while they rebuild the glorious Rijksmuseum, one of the world’s prime art collections.
See the best bits – including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer – in the Masterpieces exhibition in the new Philips Wing.
Try the Van Gogh museum (you can see a second feast from the tortured artist at the out-of-town Kroller-M’ller museum), the Museum of Modern Art (Stedelijk Museum), Anne Frank’s House (go early, or late, so as to miss the queues), the Heineken Brewery Museum and Artis Zoo.
Admission for all these plus a day pass for the Canal Bus (links all the main museums): [pounds sterling]87 for two from Canal Company (00 31 20 626 5574, www.canal.nl). Or the I Amsterdam Card (valid 72 hours) from tourist offices gives free admission to most museums and free travel on trams and buses: [pounds sterling]73 for two.
Smell the Flowers
Flowers in spring, the Dutch weapon of mass seduction.
Nobody does this seasonal riot of colour and scent better.
Start at A Houseful Of Flowers, paintings of past floral glories at the Willet Holthuysen Museum until March 13.
Move on to the floating flower market on the Singel canal for the pick of the Dutch crop and the blooms of many nations. Then pop over to the world’s biggest flower auction at Aalsmeer, 15 miles south-west of Amsterdam.
They sell 19 million flowers daily – by Dutch auction, naturally.
For maximum flower-power close to the city, go to the Keukenhof nurseries (00 31 25 246 5555, www.keukenhof.nl).
Coach trips to Keukenhof cost about [pounds sterling]41.36 for two. But if you have time, pedal from the city centre through a gale of aromas from fields of hyacinths, daffodils and tulips. Bike hire is typically [pounds sterling]9 a day, or [pounds sterling]38 for six days, for two (www.macbike.nl).
There’s also an 18-mile cycle tour for softies, all on safe, flat, cycle routes, leaving from the Tourist Office in the pretty town of Noordwijk.
Cycle tour: about [pounds sterling]75 for two, including train to Noordwijk, bike hire, conducted tour and meal for two (tickets from Noordwijk Tourist Office, 00 31 71 361 9321, www.vvvnoordwijk.nl).
Take Five to Eat Out
IF you want to sightsee as you eat, sample the many dinner cruises – they take about three hours. The Pizza Cruise (00 31 20 623 9886) is the simplest, with a choice of five Domino’s pizzas and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at [pounds sterling]44 for two.
Back on dry land, don’t judge a restaurant by its location, or its name.
There’s a gem in the red-light district.
It’s worth beating a path through the colourful nocturnal characters to Blauw aan de Wal (Blue on the Wall) at 99 Oudezijds Achterburgwal (00 31 20 330 2257) which stays calm in a courtyard that once belonged to a monastery.
Inside there are original wood floors and exposed brick walls.
Try the famous pea soup, then cod in a sauce of chorizo and fennel. Best to book. A meal here will set you back about [pounds sterling]80 for two.
My top tip is The Five Flies (d’Vijff Vlieghen) at 294-302 Spuistraat – five adjoining historic houses full of antiques and Rembrandt etchings – which has served Orson Welles and Walt Disney. Try spring onion soup with Dutch gin, and a main course of roasted duck on a layer of apples and broad beans drizzled with a vinaigrette of red and green peppers. They do organic vegetarian too.
Dinner for two at The Five Flies costs about [pounds sterling]85 (00 31 20 530 4060).
