Amsterdam, often referred to as the ‘Venice of the North’, is an exciting and romantic holiday destination. The capital of Netherlands offers innumerable attractions, and spending a few days (or weeks) here will certainly invigorate and beguile the most discerning of travelers. Unlike its southern Italian counterpart, however, Amsterdam is also a city where your taste-buds can embark on a world-wide culinary trip. Home to a vast array of ethnic eateries, Amsterdam is a European capital like no other. So rent an Amsterdam vacation apartment in the Centre Dam and hop on our epicurean-express. Come taste for yourself just how far you can go! La Pampa, 21 Paleisstraat Want to taste the best Argentinian steak in the world? Then head to Amsterdam! It’s not difficult to spot this steak-house in Dam Square; just look for the long line of salivating carnivores vying for a table. This very affordable eatery brings you the very best of Argy produce; the steaks are enormous, juicy and cooked to perfection. Dishes are served with a generous serve of chimichurri, (a spicy and tasty topping sauce) and a healthy portion of chunky chips. La Pampa also has a wide selection of seafood platters and there’s the odd vegetarian ...

It’s amazing to discover that one the most famous and prestigious addresses in Europe was once just a soggy swamp. Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter (museumkwarter) is synonymous with culture, art, haute-couture and superlative dining; and if that’s not enough, it also boasts the city’s largest park and, of course, some of the world’s most prestigious museums. Spending a day (or several) exploring the Museum Quarter is by far the number one activity whilst holidaying in Amsterdam. Renting an Amsterdam vacation apartment in the Museum Quarter will also ensure you experience Amsterdam in all its authentic glory. For just a taste of what this fabulous quarter has to offer, follow our guide to a ‘day out in the Museum Quarter’ and take home some unforgettable memories! After a hearty breakfast, head to the Van Gogh Museum and spend your morning overdosing on the works of the world’s most tortured artist. Showcasing the largest Van Gogh collection in the world, this wonderful complex is also home to many other works by Vincent’s contemporaries, friends, muses and various artists who claim to have been inspired by Van Gogh. Should you be travelling with children (and over a week-end) don’t forget to book them a spot ...

The upmarket area of Jordaan in Amsterdam is home to many of the city’s best art galleries and great area to stay in while on holiday in Amsterdam. Below are some worth checking-out during your stay in Amsterdam: Rock Archive Gallery Amsterdam Web: Rock Archive Art Gallery This is a gallery of international pedigree as it has galleries in many of the major cities around the world. The building itself has a light and contemporary feel to it, whilst the art is a collection of classic rock and jazz images which will appeal to the art lover who enjoys how a photographer and artist can capture the charisma and character of a person or people. The photos are not just of artists in action, they are also limited edition prints staged specifically for the shoot. Dolf D. van Omme Gallery Address: Eerste Bloemdwarsstraat 19, Jordaan, Amsterdam In an area of Amsterdam where many of the galleries are focussed on modern concepts, this gallery offers you the opportunity to enjoy fine art from around Europe created in the 19th and 20th century. Amongst the best attractions of this gallery are the fantastic paintings of the city of Amsterdam over the years which really capture how it has ...

The view from my bedroom window said it all; ducks swimming lazily past on one of the vast maze of canals that make up this unique city. I watched them in the morning, and then joined them later, using a canal boat pass instead of a bus pass, to go and experience the first day’s sights and sounds of Amsterdam. First day in any great city is always shopping day, and what girl wouldn’t love a city jam-packed with streets dedicated to diamonds, flower stalls, and chocolate? All in all it is a little bit of a romantic paradise, even if you are, as I was, only romantically dreaming. In the end I picked out some tulip bulbs for the garden back home (which came out a beautiful rich red in the spring). So I didn’t quite buy the ultra rare yellow diamond ring that weekend, but who knows, it might still be there when I go back. Day two was dedicated to a fine cultural experience. The Vincent Van Gogh Museum was in fact my main excuse for a visit, as I just 'had' to see Van Gogh's paintings for a research project. My theory was that Mr V. V. Gogh ...

Sir Walter Raleigh once said that 'romance is a love affair in other than domestic surroundings'. But as I passed winding canals and leafy streets with my lover, through a city that varied from fun and seedy; to cool and quirky with each turn, all I wanted was a life here, together in Amsterdam. To be part of the constant buzz created by the Dutch who cycle and eat and flirt on these streets. Now if you have visions of Amsterdam being all elegant tall houses leaning into each other, then first impressions will disappoint. The only things falling over on the main street Damrak, are the drug dealers and stags swarming outside saunas and souvenir shops. So head for the Jordaan. The Notting Hill of Amsterdam, this district has it all. The myriad canals meander around handsome houses, drawing you past windows displaying Mexican kitsch (Kitsch Kitchen, Rozengracht 8-12) and Dutch designer (SPRMRKT, Rozengracht 191-193); via antique shops where impossibly smooth owners languor over a Gauloises. And there are flowers everywhere: on rooftop gardens, hidden courtyards, covering designer houseboats.   The houseboats that sprinkle this area's waterways are a voyeur's dream. Many should be in Wallpaper* magazine, all floor to ceiling windows ...

I woke up dressed, four walls encasing me. There were three young girls looking at me questioningly and talking in their mother tongue, clearly this room wasn’t my own but I had a roof above me, a carpet directly beneath me and the throbbing rattle inside my head was enough to make me appreciate my surroundings. At this primitive stage of the morning I was labeling the shelter as a successful end to last night. It was late January and I had begun a brief winter soiree with the liberal hub of Europe, improvised at late notice due to some unexpected time off work. My experiences in the Dutch capital had begun the day before with a tender innocence that felt unfamiliar as I indolently crawled my way out of the hostel.If there was one thing that set Amsterdam apart from other cities it would be, for me, the fact it manages to intertwine a metropolis of such euphoric intensity with a city steeped in such an astounding antiquity. It seemed to be a city of two poles, the serenity of a swan preening itself in the still tranquility of a canal sitting effortlessly against the streets of rapture, and the endless ...

Often, during musings with like-minded compatriots, conversations turn to the question, ‘Where, if you could choose anywhere in the world, would you want to be right now? ’I will always answer Amsterdam, unequivocally by far my favourite city to date. I first discovered the little gem in the pages of the poignant Anne Frank memoir, which I read at the age of 12. The tragic ordeal of Anne Frank absorbed me at that tender age and inspired my imagination to explore the possibilities of what lay beyond the confines of the achterhuis. I waited many years to experience Amsterdam in person and travel the streets on foot, and of course by bike. It was with some trepidation that I agreed with a close acquaintance to visit Amsterdam as part of a short stint round Europe. Said acquaintance had visited before and told tales of raucous behaviour where morals were haphazardly strewn in the wake of young men tasting the darker side of the city. It seemed too hardcore for me. Yet within moments of stepping out of the train station and into the throng of bikes, moving expertly through the traffic, watching a slightly decrepit tram rattle by I knew that I ...

The reasons I would return to Amsterdam in The Netherlands are varied. To sum it up, it was a matter of love at first sight the first time I visited the city with my wife, and she feels exactly the same way. We made our first trip from our home country, the U.S.A, during Christmas week in 2004. It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment trip-planning thing, since we had not even thought about anything like that until about two months prior. We happened to watch a travel show on television about Amsterdam, and were both struck by how beautiful the city seemed to be, and that as far as European locations in general go, The Netherlands was a country friendly to Americans and with most of the native population speaking some if not fluent English. That was no small consideration for us due to the political climate in the U.S. at the time and how a lot of the rest of the world viewed our country, in addition to my wife never having travelled outside the U.S. and with me having done so only once on a business trip to Germany. To say we both had concerns about getting on a plane ...

When the winter is too warm for skating on the canals, Amsterdam has a number of outside ice rinks including the delightful Museumplein rink which is adjacent to the magnificent Rijksmuseum. Museumplein, or Museum Square, is home to a total of four museums and the other three are the Stedelijk Museum, the Diamond Museum and the Van Gogh Museum. Also located in the square is the United States Consulate. The Museumplein was reconstructed ten years ago to a design by a Swedish architect. There is now parking and a supermarket underground and, above, is an artificial lake which is converted into an ice skating rink for the four months of winter. In the old days, before bicycles, children couldn’t wait for the cold weather to freeze the canals so that they could strap on wooden ice skates and get to school much faster than walking. At the weekends, families would skate to friends and relatives and enjoy biscuits and hot drinks served from barrows. Pea soup was also a popular way to get nutrition and warmth when out skating. From December until March, the ice skating rink at the Museumplein is open everyday between ten o’clock in the morning until eight at ...

Part of the Twenty-first Century Village network in Amsterdam, The Nine Streets / De Negen Straatjes lie in the central canal ring and are one of the city’s most charming and popular areas. Located a few minutes’ walk from Dam Square and the Royal Palace, The Nine Streets straddle four seventeenth century canals: the Singel, Herengracht, Keisersgracht, and Prinsengracht, and are lined with designer boutiques, gift shops, jewellers, art galleries and wonderful cafés, bars and restaurants. Below is a list of typical shops that have helped to establish the retail reputation of the Nine Streets district: ANTONIA BY YVETTE Starting with the feet, Antonia by Yvette is situated behind the Royal Palace and she sells wonderfully stylish boots and dress shoes, and designer handbags. Some of the collection has been designed by Yvette though most of the boots, shoes and bags have been designed and manufactured by leading fashion labels. BEAUREGARD Beauregard is accessory heaven although the shop also sells certain styles of dresses, jeans and jackets to complement the belts, jewellery, wallets, bags and handbags. DE MAAGD & DE LEEUW De Maagd and De Leeuw is a sophisticated store that offers Parisian elegance, and both casual wear and more formal evening attire. There is a ...