What's in store?
It's not traditionally thought of as a shopping destination, but Amsterdam's myriad spending opportunities are up there with Paris or New York. Whether you're after Viktor & Rolf or seriously good vintage, flea-market finds or tomorrow's design classics, there's a store with your name on it. The best place to start is the Nine Streets, a photogenic grid of boutique-lined lanes and sleepy canals, right by the Royal Palace. Here, you can ponder prospective purchases over a glass of wine at up-and-coming fashion house Ready To Fish, order personalised soaps from sweet-smelling La Savonnerie, and browse just about every brand of perfume and makeup at Skin Cosmetics. Hungry for more? Rummage for antiques and bric-a-brac at Monday's Noordermarkt in immaculate, cobbled Jordaan, or pick up homewares at super-cool concept store Droog (above) on Staalstraat.
Cafe society
You can't go to Amsterdam without devoting some time to lounging over a good coffee or beer, whether in the city's old pubs – "brown cafes" – or altogether more upmarket designer affairs. Café de Wetering on Weteringstraat has polished wood floors, a roaring fire, and the beer is as cheap as the coffee. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, Stork, in a converted factory on the banks of the IJ lake (above), comes with polished concrete floors, model-like staff and great people-watching from its huge terrace.
Stylish stay
John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous "bed-in for peace" in 1969 in Hilton Amsterdam (above) and you can stay there too, re-enactment optional. In a peaceful canalside location at the heart of the city, the hotel – now in its 50th year – comes with chic furnishings and leafy views across town. Watch the boats from the bar terrace of the Half Moon Lounge, or dine on award-winning Italian food at romantic Roberto's.
Tour de force
With more than 50 museums and an easily walkable (or bikeable) city centre, Amsterdam is the perfect place for a cultural break. They're hardly secret, but the three big-hitters on Museumplein are the best place to start. The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of his works in the world, alongside some fascinating correspondence between the artist and his brother.
Meanwhile, the Stedelijk (right) is a must for modern-art lovers and the labyrinthine Rijksmuseum has a spectacular array of Old Masters. It reopened in April after an extensive and impressive transformation. Kids
in tow? They'll adore the eccentric, interactive exhibits at NEMO, Amsterdam's science museum.
Get out!
With all those cycles and canals, it's no wonder Amsterdam comes alive in summer. The suburbs make great day trips from the centre of town. Hire a bike and pedal for a short 3km to the eccentrically regenerated Eastern Docklands, and the affluent, arty KNSM and Java islands. Here, modern takes on the old-fashioned terraced canal houses come daubed in bright colours.
Another bikeable suburb that sizzles in summer is IJburg, a new area made up of manmade islands built over a lake. In hot weather, its clutch of bars and restaurants fill with hipsters. Best is Blijburg, a bar, restaurant and music venue on a beach replete with Buddha statues, cabanas and sarong sellers. Ideal for a weekend lunch and swim.
Extend your stay
Turn your city break into two, by combining it with a couple of nights at Hilton Rotterdam. Just 40 minutes by train from Amsterdam, this portside city is renowned for its buzzy nightlife, arts scene and eclectic architecture. The hotel, like Hilton Amsterdam, is now in its 50th year and it has just gone through a major renovation. Its rooms now have a cool, chic design aesthetic, while the restaurant serves modern gourmet food to well-informed locals.
