Amsterdam

Amsterdam and its world-class art museums – among them the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk museum of modern art and the Van Gogh Museum – shuttered for ambitious renovations that temporarily shifted the focus away from the city's rich artistic heritage towards its sleazy, hedonistic side.
Although Amsterdam's clubs, bars and nightlife, and the notorious Red Light District, are as vibrant as ever, now that the bandages are off it can revel once more in its unique status as one of Europe's most diverse and boundary-pushing destinations - a place that should feature on every discerning weekend-breaker's hit-list.
Whether you're looking to sample Amsterdam's best restaurants, chill out in one of its weed-touting coffeeshops, pound the cobbled streets for one-off shopping finds, or bed down in one of our recommended hotels, this guide should equip you with everything you need to immerse yourself in a city that revels in high and low culture.

the Red Light District.

Prostitution is legal in Holland, and in Amsterdam most of it is concentrated in the Red Light District where it has enjoyed a long tradition of tolerance.
Since October 2000, window prostitutes have been allowed to legally ply their trade.
Today, prostitutes in the Netherlands are also taxpayers.
Unfortunately, discrimination is still very much part and parcel in this trade as many prostitutes report that some banks even refuse to grant mortgages for example.
However, now as a legal profession, the government ensures that all prostitutes are able to access medical care and work in better conditions by regulating and monitoring working practices and standards.
Help is also at hand in the district itself thanks to the Prostitution Information Center.
Also, contrary to popular belief, the RLD is actually the safest area in Amsterdam as clusters of policemen, and private bodyguards employed by the girls themselves are always on duty.

The Museum

thanks to the high-profile re-openings of the famous Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk museum of modern art and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam is once again a grade-A destination for international art and architecture connoisseurs.

Vondelpark

The Vondelpark is Amsterdam's most popular park, attracting tourists, residents, and everyone in between.

The park is home to a selection of restaurants and cafés, including the Blauwe Theehuis, Café Vertigo, and Groot Melkhuis.

You’ll also find a skate rental shop, an open-air theatre and a rose garden with more than 70 types of roses in the park. The Vondelpark was designed by landscape architect L.D. Zocher and has been awarded national heritage status.

What else to see?

Museumplein itself is actually not really an authentic Amsterdam square, but it does have plenty of grass, a wading pool that adjoins a skating ramp and several pleasant cafés.
Of course, Amsterdam continues to look good on a postcard (or Instagram), largely thanks to its 400-year-old waterways, which are criss-crossed with a host of bridges that outnumber those in Venice.
A word on those famous canals: Singel was the medieval city moat; other canals such as Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, which follow its line outwards, were part of a Golden Age renewal scheme for the rich. 
The connecting canals and streets, originally home to workers and artisans, have a number of cafés and shops.
Smaller canals worth seeking out for the purposes of pottering include Leliegracht, Bloemgracht, Egelantiersgracht, Spiegelgracht and Brouwersgracht.  
Less explored but up-and-coming suburbs include Oost, currently undergoing something of a foodie renaissance, Noord, on the far bank of the IJ where the EYE Film Institute has recently relocated, and even the Bijlmermeer, a concrete '60s experiment that houses immigrant factories, which comes alive with summer's Kwakoe festival and is now getting some groovy galleries exploring the area's unique heritage.
Whichever way the wind happens to be blowing on your visit, one thing's for certain: Amsterdam will continue to grow, as it has done since 1200, whether literally or metaphorically. 

Wat is the best day ever in Amsterdam?

This is held every year on 27 April, King's Day (previously known as Queen's Day) is renowned for being one of the biggest and most colourful festivities in the Netherlands, and especially so in Amsterdam.

Family fun

Aside from children being able to try their hand at trading on King’s Day, there are also plenty more activities taking place across the city for the young and young at heart including face-painting, games and sports events.

King's Night & Day parties

King's Day is a public holiday but certainly not a day of rest. The Dutch, expats and tourists alike flock to Amsterdam for a day of celebration. The fun traditionally begins on the eve of the big day (King’s Night) with the carnival atmosphere continuing throughout the city on King’s Day. DJs play parties on public squares, brightly decorated boats fill canals and live music spills onto streets from cafe patios.

King's Day on the canals

Never has gridlock traffic been so much fun! On King’s Day, thousands of brightly decorated boats pack the narrow Amsterdam canals. The next best thing to being on one of the boats is watching - and dancing - from one of the many bridges.

Museums on King’s Day

While the majority of Amsterdam's major museums and attractions are closed on King’s Day, several notable visitor hotspots traditionally stay open.