Centrum

Established in 1841, this Dutch department store chain offers affordable fashion for the whole family, ranging from 100% organic cotton baby clothes to plus-size skinny jeans and recycled swimwear. There are always sales racks, and if you have the patience to paw through them, you may be rewarded with some discounted gems. The Damrak store is one of five in Amsterdam alone; for other locations, visit the website.

Trendy boys and girls flock here for fashionable street wear from labels such as StillaDinnasLäb, Billionaire Boys Club, Rick Owens, and Walter van Beirendonck, as well as the latest sneakers and shoes from adidas, Grenson, and Both. Do check out the work of local and international artists in the adjacent gallery.

Besides exhibiting highlights of its collection, this design collective also sells a number of its irreverent, often artfully industrial, furniture, and home accessories. What began as a decidedly Dutch group now comprises designers from all over the globe who have together cultivated an international reputation for groundbreaking conceptual design.

One of the Netherlands' most popular stores offers original and affordable own-brand household items, clothing, stationery, gardening tools, and bicycle equipment. Shelves are also stocked with other goodies cherished by the Dutch, such as smoked sausages, traditional candy (think cinnamon candy canes and salty licorice), and pink cream custard cakes. You could call it the Dutch equivalent of Target in that you walk in to buy one thing and leave with a lot more. See the website for other locations.

This shop started out in 1935 as a specialist in English hats and caps. Later, they added pullovers, tweed jackets, tartan scarves, and many other trappings of the English gentleman to their inventory. The cozy shop may be small, but there's plenty to choose from—and they still sell hats, too. There are also locations in Oud-Zuid, Nieuwmarktbuurt, and Amstelveen.

This Grand Café is a storied place to wait for your train. Architect Pierre Cuypers' original 1889 Fin-de-Siècle interior, no longer restricted to first-class passengers, is the perfect backdrop against which to linger over coffee, a snack, or a full-blown meal accompanied by fine wine. There's a pub with the same name and the same atmosphere next door.

One of the city's best-known grand cafés, Luxembourg has a stately interior and a view of a bustling square, both of which are excellent for people-watching. Lunch, when the restaurant fills with locals and tourists, is the best time to come. The classic café menu includes terrific soups and salads and excellent Holtkamp kroketten (croquettes, here with a cheese, shrimp, or veal filling). Those with less interest in urban sociology can entertain themselves at the communal table, which is democratically packed with an assortment of Dutch and international newspapers and magazines.

The "Five Flies" is a rambling dining institution that takes up five adjoining Golden Age houses filled with densely evocative decor—complete with bona fide Rembrandt etchings, jenever barrels, crystal and armor collections, and an endless array of old-school bric-a-brac. The menu of Dutch-international cuisine emphasizes fresh (and often organic) ingredients in dishes from Dutch gray shrimp salad to slow-cooked pork cheeks; there are also four- or five-course menus, which change quarterly based on what's in season. The wine list and the selection of flavored jenevers are—like the decor—epic in proportion.

Since its 2019 renovation, this Dutch brasserie has become a beacon on an otherwise uninspiring road; it's one of the few non–fast food restaurants around packed Dam Square. The fare is poshed-up Dutch food, like risotto of Alkmaar pearl barley with roast beetroot, preserved lemon and sour cream, or Dutch Bouillabaisse with fresh North Sea fish. It gets busy with passing tourists, but this restaurant is worth a stop if you're shopping at the nearby de Bijenkorf department store and need a pick-me-up.

Despite appearances, this precariously crooked building near the solid Round Lutheran Church is here to stay: it's managed to remain standing since 1614, and it should certainly last through your dinner of contemporary Dutch cuisine prepared by talented young chef Yves van der Hoff, whose father owns the place. Inside "The Silver Mirror," wood beams, Delft tiles, and candlelit tables create a romantic mood in which to enjoy local ingredients like Zeeland mussels and Dutch trout, and expertly prepared meat plates like dry-aged Dutch rib-eye steak with potatoes, onion compote, and "grandma's gravy." To sample a little of everything, opt for one of the three- to seven-course tasting menus.

This snug breakfast, lunch, and high-tea favorite is strewn with flea-market finds (such as a gorgeous Portuguese chandelier and charmingly mismatched tableware), but there are only 10 tables, so be sure to make a reservation (even for breakfast). It's worth planning in advance for comforting French toast or pancakes, lovely lunchtime soups, salads, and toast spreads with veggies picked fresh from the owners' kitchen garden, or for homemade cakes, tarts, and quiches.

In a 1520 monument groaning with pewter tankards, stained glass, rich gold leather paneling, original Delftware and other curiosa, this restaurant's "Old Holland" vibe and matching menu attract lots of tourists. Expect simple, hearty old-fashioned Dutch fare such as pea soup and a selection of stamppotten (potatoes mashed with veggies and often meat). On cold winter nights, opt for the hutspot, a stamppot of mashed potato and carrot supplemented with steamed beef, sausage, and bacon.

Although you can order à la carte at this spacious and airy Indonesian restaurant, most diners opt for one of the four rijsttafels, each with at least 12 different dishes and flavors that range from sweet and coconutty to intensely spicy (the light local witbier is an excellent accompaniment); one version is vegetarian. There is a takeout counter around the corner (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 342), which serves inexpensive noodle and rice dishes.

Down a small alley, just a stone's throw from the Dam, you'll come upon what would seem to be the multilevel home of a family of hip hobbits. You'll know better once you spot the suitably slumped travelers smoking joints or nibbling on blueberry "space muffins." At No. 6 is the souvenir shop, where you'll find branded organic cotton hoodies, T-shirts, and weed-themed memorabilia.

What began in the early '70s as an erotic magazine outlet has grown into reputedly the largest brick-and-mortar English-language book emporium on the continent. True to its name, the shop is American-owned, but the selection is broad and eclectic, running the gamut from crime fiction to New Age and Manga. Students, teachers, and senior citizens (on Monday only) receive a 10% discount with a valid ID.

The main train station of the Dutch capital–-there are 10 others–-was designed as an architectural statement by P.J.H. Cuypers, who was also famously associated with Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. Although it has many Gothic motifs (including a unique weather vane disguised as a clock in its left tower), it's now considered a landmark of Dutch Neo-Renaissance style. Its construction required the creation of three artificial islands and over 8,600 wooden piles to support it. Completed in 1889, it represented a psychological break with the city's seafaring past, as its erection slowly blocked the view to the IJ River. Another controversy arose from its Gothic detailing, which was considered by uptight Protestants as a tad too Catholic—like Cuypers himself—and earned it the nickname "the French Convent." (Similarly, the Rijksmuseum became "the Bishop's Castle.") If you're visiting the 1e Klas restaurant on Platform 2b, wander down to look at the magnificent golden gate of the Royal Waiting Room. You can't go in unless it's Open Monuments Day (second weekend in September), but if you scan the QR code at the entrance with your smart phone you can get a 360-degree virtual tour. Amsterdam's main bus station, as well as a host of shops and restaurants, are on the IJ side, in an extension completed in 2017.

Any city that began as a boggy swamp in the 13th century and went on to become a worldwide mercantile powerhouse by the 17th is going to have a fascinating story to tell, and this museum showcases it superbly. It's housed in a rambling amalgamation of buildings, once a convent, which was used as Amsterdam's Civic Orphanage. Before visiting the actual museum, walk past the entrance and check out the glassed Schuttersgalerij (Civil Guards Gallery) lined with huge portraits of city militias—if you've seen Rembrandt's The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum, you can compare. Some 21st-century renditions of civil guard paintings have been added to the Amsterdam Museum collection, notably one featuring the "Maid of Amsterdam," with a joint in one hand and Rembrandt's face tattooed on her chest.

For the city's best selection of international newspapers, creative magazines, and highbrow periodicals, as well as the freshest local offerings, find your way to the unmissable red-and-white awning on the Spui.

This tree-filled courtyard is a residential hideaway where women of the Beguine order lived a chaste, spiritual life from the 14th century onward. Number 34 is the oldest house in Amsterdam—one of two remaining wooden houses in the city following 15th-century fires that consumed three-quarters of the city. The small Engelse Hervormde Kerk (English Reformed Church) dates to the 14th century, when it was a place of worship for the Begijnen. After the Alteration of 1578 the church was relinquished to Protestants. When senior Begijn Cornelia Arents died in 1654, she said she'd rather be buried in the gutter than in the (now Protestant) church. Her wish was granted; look for the granite slab and plaque on the wall between the church and lawn.

The old stock-exchange building is revered as Amsterdam's first modern building and the country's most important piece of 20th-century architecture. Built between 1898 and 1903 by H. P. Berlage, its design became a template for the style of a new century. The new Beurs, with its simple lines and the influence it had on the Amsterdam School architects who followed Berlage, earned him the reputation of being the "Father of Modern Dutch Architecture."

A staunch socialist, Berlage designed the building as a "public palace," a function it truly fulfills today with room for conferences, collaborative workspaces, exhibitions, and events. Or just stop by Bistro Berlage for coffee, lunch, or dinner. There was a major redesign of this former Grand Café in 2017, but you can still admire the stunning symbolist mosaics by Jan Toorop inside. Weather permitting, the new Beursplein terrace is a pleasant place to watch the world go by. Do also take the time to check out the colorful Tony's Chocolonely Super Store and Chocolate Bar on the north side of the building.

An adventurous and diverse program of entertainment includes DJs, live bands, and even theater. When it comes to music, hip-hop, funk, rock, ska, and soul share the spotlight.

Quite popular with students and locals, this well-known brown café near Dam Square has far too many beers to try in one go. In fact, there are more than 250 bottled beers and 14 on tap, mostly from the Netherlands and Belgium. One of six Gollem cafes in Amsterdam, there is also a bar and restaurant, Proeflokaal Gollem (Overtoom 160-162), with beer tastings and, on some nights, pub quizzes or disco bingo. The latest addition, Biercafé Gollem aan het Water (Entrepotdok 64), offers waterside views of the elephant enclosure at the ARTIS zoo.

As the name suggests, this welcoming little café right behind Nieuwe Kerk offers over 50 Belgian beers, including eight on tap.

On the edge of the Red Light District sits this neighborhood institution, which dates back to the 1940s. For better or worse, cracks have started to appear in its jazzy foundation, as the programming has become diluted by DJ sets and karaoke.

This light and airy multilevel café offers reasonably priced food and a lovely terrace overlooking the Amstel. It is popular with a big cross section of the population, from students and pensioners to artists and businesspeople.

Beware: the slant of this oldie-but-goodie may leave you a little unsteady on your feet after one too many beers on the patio. A quintessential Amsterdam view of the Oudeschans, however, has been bringing relief since 1695.

Occupying a 17th-century canalside warehouse, this beam-ceilinged bar with a large terrace serves beers, cocktails, and meals from morning until the wee hours 365 days a year.

Back in 1984, this bar was so leather-lined it put San Francisco's Folsom Street to shame. Today it attracts a more diverse crowd, many of whom find their way to what's rumored to be one of the biggest dark rooms in Europe.

Home to Het Koninklijk Paleis and De Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square (or just "Dam") is Amsterdam's main square. It traces its roots to the 13th century and the dam built over the Amstel River (hence the city's name, a bastardization of the earlier Amstelredam). The waters of the Damrak (the continuation of the Amstel) once reached right up to the Dam, with ships and barges sailing to the weigh house. Folks came here to trade, talk, protest–-and be executed. In the 17th century, the square was hemmed in by houses and packed with markets. For a taste of that atmosphere, head into the warren of alleys behind the Nieuwe Kerk, with a 1650 proeflokaal (jenever [Dutch gin] tasting house) called De Drie Fleschjes (The Three Small Bottles) on Gravenstraat. In the 19th century, the Damrak was filled in to form the street leading to Centraal Station, and King Louis, Napoléon's brother, demolished the old weigh house in 1808 because it spoiled the view from his bedroom window in the Royal Palace. Today, the Dam is a teeming magnet for celebrations, fairs, street performers, and protests.

This unavoidable street leading up to Centraal Station is still lined with a tawdry assortment of shops, hotels, and tourist traps, but it's slowly improving as part of the city's clean-up efforts. Behind the neon signs some examples of lovely Dutch architecture have emerged after decades of hiding. Damrak and its extension, Rokin, were once the Amstel River, bustling with activity, the piers loaded with fish and other cargo en route to the weigh house at the Dam. They were filled in 1845 and 1883, respectively, and now the only open water that remains is a patch in front of the station that provides mooring for tour boats. After the 2017 upgrade, Damrak now boasts several renovated buildings, and an underground parking lot for bikes has created space on Beursplein for trees and terraces. The new Beurspassage–-a passageway linking Nieuwendijk and Damrak–-is a particular highlight thanks to a 4,843-square-foot artwork (the largest in the city) called "Amsterdam Oersoep" or Amsterdam primordial soup. It is a homage to Amsterdam’s canals, featuring glass mosaic, tile, terrazzo, and gold chandeliers composed of bicycle parts.

The city has a number of book markets, although its most famous takes place every Friday on leafy Spui Square. Under the little white tents, it's an antiquarian- and used-book browsing paradise.

A discreet, well-informed staff promote healthful sexual practices at this condom emporium (with an equally handy online store). You'll find a colorful collection of rubbers and novelty condoms as well as allergy-free and made-to-measure options.

Wine and whiskey are just what patrons of De Dokter (The Doctor) have been ordering for centuries. Founded by a surgeon in 1798 to serve the doctors and medical students from the nearby university, the city's smallest pub is still run by the Beems family six generations later.

Also referred to as "the Pilsner Club," this unmistakably brown venue, which celebrated its quasquicentennial in 2018, seems to belong to some lost age when beer was the safest alternative to drinking water. Reinforcing the impression that time has stood still here, the bar has been run consecutively by a Teun van Veen (I, II, III and IV) since opening.

De Nieuwe Kerk (The New Church), which celebrated its 600th birthday in 2010, is a soaring late-Gothic structure whose tower was never completed because the authorities blew all their money on the city hall (now the Royal Palace) next door. Check out the magnificently sculpted oak pulpit by Albert Vinckenbrinck, constructed after the Great Fire of 1645. It took him 15 years to complete, although there is now a bit missing: the scales from a Lady of Justice were an impulsively generous gift to the Canadians, who helped to liberate Amsterdam. Other features include the unmarked grave of the poet and playwright Van den Vondel (the "Dutch Shakespeare") and Rombout Verhulst's extravagantly sculpted eulogy to naval hero Admiral Michiel de Ruyter (you can peer through a glass to see his actual coffin in the crypt).

Founded in 1974, this must be the oldest fetish bar in Amsterdam. Today, this self-proclaimed "sleaze pit" offers a darkroom on two floors, cabins, slings, a golden shower bathtub, and free condoms, among other features.

Much-lauded Dutch footwear designer Fred de la Bretoniere has been selling men's and women's leather footwear since 1970. It's no surprise that his handiwork—combining simplicity, style, sustainability, craftsmanship, and quality—has been entered into the permanent collections of several Dutch design museums. This is the shop to find a classic style that still lets you walk with your own unique verve. There is another location on Utrechtsestraat 77 in the Eastern Canal Belt and at Van Baerlestraat 44V in Oud-Zuid.

Founded in 1996, this truly mellow place welcomes everyone: gay, lesbian, bi, queer, or straight. They have an appetizing cocktail menu and offer food at reasonable prices. Inspired by well-known Dutch drag queens, the "diva burgers" are a hit, as is the Monday all-night happy hour with cocktails from €6.50.

Another Cannabis Cup darling—and a not uncommon docking station for celebrities like Rihanna and Snoop Dogg—this chain is renowned for quality weeds and seeds. Artful mosaics provide a trippy background, and storefront tables let patrons take in a breath of fresh air. There are two other locations in Centrum and one in De Pijp.

If you're looking for timeless simplicity by one of the international leaders in contemporary jewelry design, a visit to this store, situated on a tiny street near the University of Amsterdam, is a must.

From the outside, it's a bit hard to believe that these ponderous premises were declaimed by poet and diplomat Constantijn Huygens as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The palace was built between 1648 and 1665 and was the largest secular building in the world when it was completed. From the inside, the magnificent interior inspires another level of disbelief—that it was actually built as a mere city hall. Golden Age giants like Ferdinand Bol, Govert Flinck, and Jan Lievens were called in to decorate (Rembrandt's sketches were rejected). In the building's Burgerzaal, or public entrance hall, there are two maps inlaid in the marble floor: one with Amsterdam as the center of the world, the other as the center of the universe.

Dutch schoolchildren once had to learn the number of piles (13,659) on which the Royal Palace was built, by using a nifty trick: the days of the year (365) with a 1 before and a 9 after. This number has since changed, because two piles were removed during recent renovations.

The building has remained the Royal Palace ever since King Louis Napoléon (Napoléon's brother) resided here from 1808 to 1810, and it's one of three palaces at which today's Dutch monarch hosts official receptions and state visits. The Palace also hosts exhibitions and displays on the history of the building itself. Official occasions mean opening times can vary.

This beautiful and seemingly tranquil tree-lined square hides a lively and radical past–-in the 1960s, the Provo counterculture movement held weekly gatherings around the statue in the center of the square. Journalists and bookworms have long favored its many cafés, and the Atheneum News Center (No. 14–16) and its adjoining bookstore are the city's best places to peruse an international array of literature, magazines, and newspapers. More cultural browsing can be enjoyed at the Spui's book market on Friday and at its art market on Sunday.

A wide selection of beers and ales from around the globe amid jolly surroundings in a former distillery attract all types and ages. There are 250 bottled brews to chose from, 18 beers on tap, a featured beer of the month, and regular beer-themed events.

This chain serves mellow jazz alongside scrumptious chocolate-chip cookies in airy historical locales, providing a refreshingly understated approach to getting high. Take your purchase to Café Zoutsteeg across the street at No. 11, if you like to enjoy your smoke with a drink.

Nestled on an easy-to-miss alley is this atmospheric bar and restaurant named after a Flemish TV hero from the 1960s. The food, the furniture, and the French chansons playing transfer you to Paris in the 1950s. A glass of wine or a simple meal here can be memorable, especially when accompanied by live music upstairs on the first Sunday of the month.

This unpretentious, minimalist bar sandwiched between the Red Light District and Chinatown is best known for its karaoke and mojitos at very reasonable prices, especially during happy hour (before 9 pm).

The National Monument, a towering white travertine obelisk, was erected in 1956 as a memorial to those who died in World War II. Designed by architect J.J.P. Oud, who thought that De Stijl minimalism was in keeping with the monument's message, it's the focal point for Remembrance Day (May 4), when Dutch losses in wars and peacekeeping missions around the world are commemorated. The monument contains 12 urns: 11 are filled with earth from all the Dutch provinces, and the 12th contains earth from the former colonies (Indonesia, Suriname, and the Antilles). Oud designed the steps to be used as seating, and today it's still a favored rest spot and a great place to watch the world go by.

Known as one of the best coffeeshops in town, with plenty of Cannabis Cup awards to prove it, Dampkring became even more popular after its use as a set for Ocean's Twelve. The weed menu is exceptional, and the smoothie and milk shake selections remarkable. Other coffeeshops have opened under the same name, but this is the one-and-only real Dampkring.

This tiny, venerable book market is snuggled in the heart of the University of Amsterdam's meandering edifices. Booksellers in this 17th-century alleyway have been hawking used and antiquarian books, prints, and sheet music daily since 1879.

This reputable purveyor of fine antique silver and jewelry has been in business since 1823. A miniature silver windmill with moving sweep makes an elegant souvenir, or treat yourself to an exquisite set of pre-worn pearl-and-diamond earrings or gold cufflinks.

This highly popular pink bar is situated rather off-the-beaten-path (for the gay scene, that is)—which was exactly the intention of its founding gay couple, as they aim to be as all-inclusive as possible. Whatever their intentions, they keep winning "best gay bar" awards. The staff and clientele are as cheerful as the venue's name—prik means "bubbles" in Dutch and refers to the prosecco on tap (among other things). They serve great cocktails and finger food, too.

You won't find Her Majesty the Queen here, but a mainstream crowd, fun-loving princes enjoying DJ beats, theme nights, drag bingo, and parties that pour out onto the sidewalk.

Redolent of a bygone era in a rural New England town, this browse-worthy shop sells used English-language books on all subjects and many a secondhand paperback.

This labyrinth of an Irish pub is large enough to host live music and large-screen football matches, yet there are still plenty of cozy nooks for a quiet meal, checking your socials, or cuddling with ye olde sweetheart.

Leather, piercings, and tattoos predominate, but meeting one's soul mate at this cruise bar is not out of the question. There's a downstairs bar and dance floor and upstairs darkroom.

Entering UN feels more like walking into an art gallery than a shoe shop. And it's no wonder: the creative mind behind this brand's flagship store—and the various models of the signature floating-heeled pump contained therein—is Rem D. Koolhaas, nephew of the famous Pritzker Prize–winning architect Rem Koolhaas. In addition to architectural footwear for him and her, there's also a selection of striking watches, backpacks, and sunglasses.

This is Amsterdam's most famous—and miraculously its least hyped—proeflokaal (tasting room). Opened in 1679, this dimly lighted, blithely cramped little bar just behind the Hotel Krasnapolsky has a menu of more than 60 Dutch liqueurs and genevers that reads like poetry: Bruidstranen (Bride's Tears) and Boswandeling (A Walk in the Woods) are two favorites. Call ahead for a guided tour of the distillery.