You've seen the Van Gogh Museum and the red-light district, maybe even smoked at a hash bar. But no trip to Amsterdam - less than an hour from London by plane - is complete without taking in the following mix of traditional and modern experiences. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which has regular affordable flights to the city, showed iVillage around.
1. Visit Anne Frank House
This museum on the Prinsengracht canal brings to life the story that so many of us read in our teens. You visit the annex where the Frank family hid with four others for more than two years, before they were betrayed and deported. As you walk through the hidden doorway, climb the steep stairs and walk through the small rooms, you get a real sense of the oppression and fear the families endured, as well as the strong spirit of hope that runs through the book itself. Powerful interviews, exhibits (including the original diary) and a well-stocked gift shop/bookstore bring the experience to life. Arrive early to avoid the queues that stretch down the block.
Anne Frank House
Adults: 7.50 euros; ages 10-17: 3.50 euros; under 10: free
Open daily from 9am to 7pm; from 1 April to 1 September 9am to 9pm
Prinsengracht 263
Tel. +31 (0)20-556-7100
www.annefrank.nl/ned/default2.html
2. Eat traditional Dutch pancakes
Students, families and, well, basically anybody interested in a hearty meal at a bargain price should sample Dutch pancakes. Pannekoeken, similar to French crepes, are thought to have been adopted here during the Napoleonic occupation and were a way to make the most of leftovers. To sample some of the best in the city, visit the Pancake Bakery, housed in a 17th century warehouse minutes from Anne Frank House. (Don't be waylaid into eating at the less popular pancake house with a similar appearance next door.) You won't want to miss savoury offerings like salami, cheese and green pepper pancakes, or sweet versions with sinful ingredients like apples, cinnamon ice cream, cinnamon liqueur and whipped cream. Kids versions come with a toy, and the family-run restaurant cultivates an easy-going atmosphere. Plus, with the most expensive pancakes costing 10 euros, you'll leave with a stuffed wallet as well as a full belly.
Pancake Bakery
Prinsengracht 191
Tel. +31 (0)20-625-1333
www.pancake.nl/
3. Stay in a converted canal house
The best way to sleep in Amsterdam is at a converted canal house. You'll be in the middle of town, situated on one of the city's famed waterways, in surroundings considerably more charming than some of Amsterdam's boxy, purpose-built hotels. We stayed at the Pulitzer Hotel, which is a series of 25 linked canal houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Prinsengracht canal side of the hotel has snug but luxurious rooms with wooden floors, and some exposed brick walls from when some of the buildings were used as warehouses. In the rooms overlooking the posh Keizersgracht canal, expect higher ceilings, wall-to-wall carpeting and roomier accommodations. On the ground floor, art lines the walls and, when the airy courtyard gardens aren't beckoning you outside for morning coffee or an afternoon drink, the clubby Pulitzer's Bar - packed with after-work drinkers - promises stronger stuff in a rarefied atmosphere.
Pulitzer Hotel
Prinsengracht 315-331
Tel: +31 (0)20-523-5235
www.starwood.com
4. Go on a canal boat ride
It sounds touristy, but taking a ride on the canal system is the perfect way to see the striking houses that line its edges. It also gives you a chance to peek into the moored houseboats. I took the Pulitzer Hotel boat for an after-dark cocktail cruise, when the lights of the city sparkled on the water and an evening hush hung over the canals. The Canal Bus cruises the waterways during the days and evenings in the summer, and a day pass allows you to jump on and off, as it stops at museums and attractions around town. The company also runs jazz and dinner cruises.
Canal Bus
Weteringschans 26 1 hg
Tel.: (+31) (0)20 623 98 86
www.canal.nl, info@canal.nl
5. Taste genever, the national liquor of the Nederlands
Apparently, nobody in Amsterdam sniggers at the name of the genever distillery Wynand Fockink. 'Fockink doesn't mean anything in Dutch,' said the guide who showed my group around. Or perhaps the city's inhabitants are simply enamoured with the flavoured spirits that this little shop turns out, and don't want to jeopardise their supply chain. Genever is a full-flavoured type of gin made from barley, rye and corn, and the facility (founded in 1693) uses traditional processes and gorgeous old stills to produce it. We tasted versions that ranged from wonderfully sweet to strongly aromatic. (I would recount the names, but after the first five or so samplings, they began escaping me.) In the end the Kraamanijs (pictured) proved irresistible. This genever is traditionally given upon the birth of a child - available in blue for a boy or pink for a girl, or clear if you don't know the sex.
Distilleerderij Janssens
Pijlsteeg 33 + 44
Tel: +33 (0)20-622-5334
www.distil-janssens.nl/, info@distil-janssens.nl
6. Rent a bicycle for a day
Cycles are a preferred method of transportation on Amsterdam's cobbled streets, and the city's system caters to for cyclists. Act like a native by renting some wheels and pedalling your way around town without having to worry about parking or taxi fares. You can pick up route maps from the Amsterdam Tourist Board or, for a more formal look round, book a tour with Yellow Bike. Just look sharp, whether you're on your own or with a group - traffic patterns can be mysterious, and you should always use a lock to ensure your bike is waiting for you where you left it.
Yellow Bike
Nieuwezijds Kolk 29
Tel: +31 (0)20-620-6940
Amsterdam Tourist Board
www.visitamsterdam.nl
7. See the hottest dance company in the Netherlands
Leave that quaint image of cobbled streets and Old Masters behind and take the train to the Netherlands' nearby capital, The Hague - a city marked by controversial architecture the locals love to debate. Here, the modern dance company Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT) performs innovative choreography and works critics have called 'fiercely visceral' and 'simultaneously daft and brilliant'. NDT actually has three companies: the main one, NDT2 for younger dancers aged 17 to 22, and one for age 40-plus dancers. Catch any of them to see challenging and provocative works.
Nederlands Dans Theater
Schedeldoekshaven 60
2511 EN
The Hague
Tel: +31 (0)70-880-0100
Getting there
iVillage flew to Amsterdam with KLM, which has up to nine flights daily from 14 UK airports, including London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow. Tickets can be booked via www.klm.com (save £5 by booking online), by phone at 08705 074074 or through your travel agent.
Prices and details are correct at time of publication.