09.00: This is a city whose centre is great for walking and absorbing the atmosphere. The morning rush-hour is a good time to see bicycle-borne Amsterdamers heading in all directions. The bike racks at the Centraal Station have to be seen to be believed; they are absolutely packed with commuters’ bikes.
09.30: Make your way to Our Lord in the Attic at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40. Dating back to the 17th century, the place speaks volumes both about how people once lived in the city and the prolonged religious upheaval of the time. In the attic is a tiny catholic church, built by the house’s one-time owner secretly to minister to the needs of a religious minority in an overwhelmingly protestant city. www.opsolder.nl
10.30: If you want to see the other side of the ecclesiastical coin, nip along the street to the Oude Kerk (www.oudekerk.nl). Airy, spacious, stark and originally built in the 14th century its floor consists of gravestones – the church was built on a cemetery. It is also in the heart of the city’s red light district so expect some rather more unholy sights as you head south towards…
11.00: Hermitage Amsterdam – the city’s newest attraction opened in June and features numerous works from the Hermitage in St Petersburg. The artworks are housed in a superbly converted 17th century building on the banks of the Binnenamstel. The current exhibition is focusing on the court life and ceremony of the tsars and is every bit as opulent as you might expect. www.hermitage.nl
13.00: There’s nothing like a large helping of culture to create an appetite. Brasserie Harkema is housed in a converted tobacco warehouse and provides modern European dishes with a Dutch twist. Dishes such as asparagus soup, goat’s cheese lasagne and steak and chips with Bearnaise sauce should hit the spot. www.brasserieharkema.nl
14.30: Suitably fortified, make your way over Amsterdam’s circling canals to the Rijksmuseum. The collection of Dutch Masters here is second to none. The main building is currently being refurbished, but there is still plenty on offer (www.rijksmuseum.nl). As an alternative there is the nearby Van Gogh museum – with its exceptional collection of works by the ear-slicing genius. www.vangoghmuseum.nl
16.30: Head west along the Keizersgracht canal to the Jordaan district. This is the Amsterdam of postcards and illustrations: a place of tall, step-gabled houses, houseboats with flowers on their roofs and bicycles chained to every conceivable free space. Originally, this was one of the more working-class districts of Amsterdam, but today it is a place of galleries, restaurants and bars. It’s interesting to see how narrow some of the houses are.
19.30: Dinner at De Belhamelat, at the junction of two of Amsterdam’s most beautiful canals, the Brouwersgracht (‘brewery canal’) and the Herengracht (‘gentlemen’s canal’). Suckling pig cooked in lime and marjoram, and duck breast with mashed potatoes are the sort of hearty dishes to be eaten here. www.belhamel.nl
22.00: You might want to finish off the evening at Brix Food ‘n’ Drinx at Wolvenstraat 16 – nearby and also in the Jordaan district. This trendy bar has weekly jazz nights and even open-mic sessions, should you be feeling artistically inspired. www.cafebrix.nl
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