1. CULTURE FIX - For art lovers, the real centre of Amsterdam is the Museum quarter, situated to the southwest of the canal circle’s Golden bend, in an area known as Oud Zuid (Old South). The Museumplein links three major museums and the century old Concertgebouw concert hall. A large pond behind the Rijksmuseum is good for winter skating and various events take place on site, including the Uitmarket cultural festival every August. The museums can be reached with Tram 2 or 5 from the Spui or by the Museumboat. Firstly, there is The Van Gogh Museum, which holds over 200 paintings and prints of Van Gogh’s greatest works, and also works from various other acclaimed artists. Next to the Van Gogh is the Stedelijk Museum. This houses a collection of modern art and has numerous exhibitions throughout the year. But the Rijksmuseum (Stadhouderskade 42 www.rijksmuseum.nl) is a vast building where you could easily spend a whole day, housing Dutch Masters, such as Vermeer’s The Kitchen Maid and Rembrandt’s Night Watch, plus a superb collection of other 17^th century Dutch masters.

3. A DAY IN HET TWISKE - Het Twiske is a recreational parkland north of Amsterdam and lies between Zaanstad and Purmerend. This vast park has something for everyone, be it fisherman, sailor, diver, swimmer, cyclist or ornithologist. The landscape came into being as a result of centuries of turfcutting and more recently sand quarrying, which left a lake with many islands. Eventually it was converted into a multiple use recreational area. With so much water, it is a logical location for a sailing school where sailing craft, canoes and rowing boats can be hired. To perserve its natural charms motorised craft are banned. The most pleasant way to get there from Amsterdam is by bicycle from the back of Central Station, with a ferry crossing to Amsterdam North, around 12km (7.½ miles) round trip. The route is well-marked. For further information: tel: 075-684 4338.

5. EXPERIENCE THE CAFE’S - In this city, an intimate cafe/bar can take precedence over a sophisticated night at the opera or ballet. Brown cafes are a typically Dutch phenomenon, so named because of their nicotine stained ceilings and wooden interiors. An evening often begins with a ‘borreltje’ (small glass) of spirits in somewhere cosy like De Drie Fleschjes (18 Gravenstraat) or Papaneiland (2 Prinsengracht). They are both one of the many ‘proeflokalen’, (tasting houses), an old custom of sampling a drink before making a purchase. Customers must be prepared to follow custom by leaning over the bar, hands clasped behind their backs, to slurp down the first glass of spirits. The most famous ‘bruine kroeg’ is Hoppe (20 Spui), this popular brown cafe has an interior decorated with old paintings and threadbare Persian rugs. For a different experience try the infamous ‘coffee shops’, where you can buy up to five grams of cannabis per visit or sample a space cake – a good alternative to joints. Kadinsky (Rosmarijnsteeg 9) sells tasty space cakes (chocolate and vanilla) and has a fairly good menu, but if you want real quality – locals say the best in town – head to Katsu (Eerste Van Der Helststraat 70) in the Pijp. De Dampkring (Handboogstraat 29) is a cool hangout with a varied menu, serving beer, herbal tea and good coffee. And don’t forget, you can go into any coffee shop for just coffee!

8. DISCOVER KNSM EILAND
Modern, hip and in stark contrast to the quaint canal houses the city is famed for, carry on past Centraal Station and NEMO until you get to the Brouwerij ‘t IJ (Funenkade 7). Stop off here for a beer, brewed on the premises of one of Amsterdam’s few remaining windmills, before continuing your journey. Take a left, keep going and you’ll eventually find yourself on KNSM island (after passing some nasty looking squats). Cafés and restaurants line the water’s edge, and there are some painfully cool – and expensive – shops to browse on KNSM-laan, including Pol’s Potten, Pilat & Pilat and Keet in Huis. Alternatively, thrash it out at AMP, a rehearsal and recording studio, also host to up-and-coming bands.

9. TAKE A TRIP OUT OF TOWN - Within a radius of 30 kilometres you’ll find the ancient fishing villages of Marken and Volendam, the windmills of Zaanse Schans, pictuesque old towns such as Edam and Alkmaar. Contact Keytours (020-305 53 33) for bus excursions to these and other regions. Otherwise take a train to the IJsselmeer port of Hoorn and continue your journey by steam engine to Medemblik, home of the ancient Radboud castle dating from the 13^th century. You can then stroll past the harbour and down the shopping street to the saloon boat which will transport you to Enkhuizen. Sailing past the beautiful waterfront of Enkhuizen you will be able to admire the ‘Dromedaris’, a surviving roundel that used to form part of the town’s fortifications. The Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen tells the rich seafaring history of the region and how the Afsluitdam cut off the former Zuiderzee from marine influence and transformed it into a freshwater lake of the IJsselmeer.

10. GO TO VONDELPARK - Walk five minutes away from Leidseplein and you’ll find yourself in Vondelpark – Amsterdam’s most popular green space. Opened in 1865 and designed by playwright Joost van den Vondel, the park was modelled on a 19th-century romantic English garden. Hippies used to hang out here in the 70s, and today it’s still home to a few stragglers who mix with locals, in-line skaters, families, poseurs, couples, fitness freaks, visitors, just about anyone. Hire some in-line skates from Rent A Skate at the top end of the park and go on a Friday Night Skate, where the city takes on a different perspective. The summer months include an open-air theatre, exhibitions, events and concerts that appeal to all ages and are free of charge. There’s an open-air cinema outside the Filmmuseum throughout the summer and Café Vertigo complements this with a beautiful outdoor terrace serving food all day. Het Blauwe Theehuis also has a popular terrace and is the place to be if you want to treat yourself to some alfresco tapas and a cold beer.