Destination Articles

Amsterdam - more than just bikes and dykes!

Famous for its Red Light District and hash cookies, Amsterdam has much, much more to offer the tourist.

Here are eight things you might like to include in your Amsterdam itinerary:

Heineken Museum

Take and tour and watch how one of Europe's most popular beers is brewed.

Diamond factories

Many of Amsterdam's diamond shops offer tours, giving visitors a chance to watch experts polishing the facets of diamonds followed by a visit to a private sales room, with the opportunity to purchase one of these beautiful stones.

Canal cruises & hire

Tourist cruises leave from a number of docks around Amsterdam, taking visitors on an hour-long city introduction cruise.  Boat hire is also available for those who'd rather do it themselves.

Van Gogh Museum

Features 200 of the oft-troubled artist's paintings.

Rijksmuseum

Built especially to house the country's great art collection, it contains several thousand paintings by the Dutch masters Rembrandt,  Hals, Vermeer and Steen.

Rembrandt's House

A reconstructed house of the Dutch artist, featuring some of his etchings.

Anne Frank's House

Visit the hideaway of a young Anne Frank during the Nazi occupation.

Bicycle hire

Bikes are everywhere in Amsterdam and tourists can easily join in the riding trend.  Bike hire is available throughout the city and a number of companies offer guided bicycle tours which are a great way to get your bearings and see some sights.


If you have some extra time and fancy seeing the Dutch countryside, Edam (home of the cheese), Delft (birthplace of Vermeer and home of the Royal Dutch Delftware factory), The Hague (The Netherlands' seat of government) and Keukenhof Gardens (the world's largest bulb garden) are all within close proximity.

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Fore more information visit www.holland.com

Photos by Rod Davis.