Busabout Adventures

Amsterdam’s old town is so compact you’ll be able to get to all the major sights on foot or by bike.

Centraal Station is the axis, from where the streets radiate outward across a network of grachten (concentric canals).

Dam Sq is the heart, a 10-minute walk from Centraal Station. Leidseplein is the centre of (mainstream)

Amsterdam nightlife, and Nieuwmarkt is a vast cobblestone square with open-air markets and popular pubs.

The Red Light District is bound by Zeedijk, Nieuwmarkt and Kloveniersburgwal in the east; Damstraat, Oude

Doelenstraat and Oude Hoogstraat in the south; and Warmoesstraat in the west.

The Jordaan is filled with quirky shops, bars and art galleries.

Museums
The wonderfully restored Museum Het Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House Museum; 520 04 00; www.rembrandthuis.nl; Jodenbreestraat 4; adult/student/child 6-15yr/under 6yr €7.50/6/1.50/free; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11-5pm Sun) is where Rembrandt van Rijn ran the Netherlands’ largest painting studio, only to lose the lot when bankruptcy came knocking. The museum has almost every etching he made and holds daily etching demonstrations.

The Rijksmuseum (674 70 47; www.rijksmuseum.nl; Stadhouderskade 42; adult/under 19yr €9/free; 10am-5pm) boasts a collection valued in the billions, but until renovations finish in 2009 there’ll only be 200 masterpieces displayed, including Rembrandt’s Nightwatch (1650), which will at any time be 20 deep with flashbulb popping, focus-beam-directing rubberneckers. There’s also a small, but very interesting – and free –Rijksmuseum display at Schiphol airport.

The Stedelijk Museum (57327 37; www.stedelijk.nl; Oosterdoksdijk 5; adult/child €7/3.50; 11am-5pm) is in a temporary home; the original building is undergoing renovation until 2009. The collection holds around 100,000 pieces, including impressionist works from Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso and Chagall; sculptures from Rodin, Renoir and Moore; De Stijl landmarks by Piet Mondriaan; abstract works by Appel and the CoBrA movement; and pop art from Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein.

The outstanding Van Gogh Museum (570 52 00; www.vangoghmuseum.nl; Paulus Potterstraat 7; adult/12-21yr/child €10/2.50/free; 10am-6pm Sun-Thu, 10am-10pm Fri) houses the world’s largest Van Gogh collection. Trace the artist’s life from his tentative start though to his Japanese phase, and on to depression and the black cloud that descended over the him and his work.

The Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House; 556 71 00; www.annefrank.org; Prinsengracht 267; adult/child/under 10yr €7.50/3.50/free; 9am-9pm Apr-Aug, 9am-7pm Sep-Mar), where Anne wrote her famous diary, lures almost a million visitors annually with its secret annexe, reconstruction of Anne’s melancholy bedroom and her actual diary, with its sunnily optimistic writing tempered by quiet despair. Consider going in the early morning or evening when crowds are lightest.

There are some mildly interesting artefacts at the Sexmuseum Amsterdam (622 83 76; Damrak 18; admission €2.50; 10am-11.30pm) – 14th-century Viennese erotica, for example. But with sensor-fitted plastic derrieres farting at passers-by and an animatronic flasher accosting all-comers, it’s more like a tribute to Benny Hill. A sign warns, ‘You could be shocked’. Pull the other one.

FOAM (Fotografie Museum Amsterdam; 551 65 00; www.foam.nl; Keizersgracht 609; adult/student & senior/child under 12yr €6/5/free; 10am-5pm Sat-Wed, 10am-9pm Thu & Fri) is an impressive museum devoted to painting with light. Two storeys of changing exhibitions feature world-renowned photographers, such as Sir Cecil Beaton, Annie Leibovitz and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

More options:
Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum (623 59 61; www.hashmuseum.com; Oudezijds Achterburgwal 130; admission €5.70; 11am-10pm) Queen Victoria used marijuana for menstrual cramps, it says here.
Heineken Experience (523 94 36; www.heinekenexperience.com; Stadhouderskade 78; admission €10; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) Peer inside malt silos and at Heinie memorabilia. Admission includes three glasses of the brew.

Other Attractions
You’re not fooling anyone; you know you’ll end up here. Everyone does at some stage, even if they think they’re too hip, too prudish, too old…the curiosity value is just too strong. But it’s not just rubberneckers and pleasure seekers who flock to the Red Light District. It retains the power to bewilder, even if near-naked prostitutes propositioning passers-by from black-lit windows is the oldest Amsterdam cliché. If you feel a prick of desire, it’s around €50 for 20 minutes.

The Prostitution Information Centre (420 73 28;  www.pic-amsterdam.com; Enge Kerksteeg 3; noon- 7pm Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat) organises evening Red Light walks and sells a handy map of the district.

Randy Roy’s Red Light Tours (www.randyroysredlighttours.com) does exactly what it says on the tin. Running for over 90 minutes, visit Quentin Tarantino and Iron Mike Tyson’s favourite Amsterdam haunts, and learn about the business of sex, Amsterdam style. Tours (€12.50, including one free drink) depart from the Victoria Hotel, across from Centraal Station at 8pm Sunday to Thursday, and 8pm and 10pm Friday and Saturday.

Vondelpark (www.vondelpark.nl, in Dutch) is an English-style park which has free concerts, ponds, lawns, thickets, winding footpaths and three outdoor cafés. It’s popular with joggers, skaters, buskers and lovers.

Winston International (www.winston.nl;  Warmoes­straat 125) This place has a promiscuous programming policy: electronica, spoken word, punk, graffiti art. On Sundays, it hosts Club Vegas, where the dress code is ‘jet set’ (sequins, suits, stilletos, bow ties, tiaras) and the music is lounge.

Paradiso(%626 45 21; www.paradiso.nl; Weteringschans 6) This converted church is legendary. Saturdays draw smart dressers for a line-up of international DJs, while the monthly Kindred Spirits is hip-hop to the max.

Arena (%694 74 44; www.hotelarena.nl; ‘s-Gravesandestraat 51) Everything from dance classics to salsa. It’s worth visiting for the interior – the chapel of this one-time orphanage has been given a lush redo.

Club Zyon (www.clubzyon.nl; Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 161) With silver walls and queasy pink lighting, the decor is ’70s sci fi. The music policy is accessible (Latin, R&B, commercial house) and Monday is Backpackers Night.

Bicycle
For bike hire you’ll need a passport/ID and a credit-card imprint or cash deposit.

Mike’s Bike Tours (622 79 70; www.mikesbiketours.com; Kerkstraat 134; per half/full/additional day €5/7/5)

Boat
FERRIES
There are free ferries from behind Centraal Station to destinations around the IJ, notably Amsterdam Noord. Ferries to the Eastern Docklands cost €1.

CANAL BOAT, BUS & BIKE
Canal Bus (623 98 86; www.canalbus.nl; day pass per adult/child under 13yr €17/11) Does several circuits between Centraal Station and the Rijksmuseum between 9.50am and 8pm. The day pass is valid until noon the next day. The same company hires canal bikes (pedal boats) for €9 per person per hour (€7 if more than two people per canal bike).

Lovers Museum Boat (622 21 81; www.lovers.nl; day pass from €8.50) Leaves every 30 or 45 minutes from the Lovers boat terminal in front of Centraal Station. Discounts apply after 1pm.

St Nicholaas Boat Club (423 01 01; www.petermoskos.com/boat; Boom Chicago, Leidseplein 12) This not-for-profit venture takes small, old barges out onto the canals. Patrons are allowed to smoke dope and drink beer on board, while the captains amuse with stories about alternative Amsterdam. Departure times are according to demand and payment is by donation.

Public Transport
The GVB (Amsterdam Transport Authority; 460 59 59; www.gvb.nl; Stationsplein; 7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8am-9pm Sat & Sun) runs the network, and there’s an information office in front of Centraal Station. The best ticketing deal is the strippenkaart (€6.70), a multifare ‘strip ticket’ valid on all buses, trams and metros. The GVB also sells a one-week pass valid in all zones for €17. If you board without a ticket, the driver sells one-/two-/three-zone tickets. Ticketing is based on zones.

Night buses take over shortly after midnight when the trams and regular buses stop running. Drivers sell single tickets for €3.20. Day passes are valid on night buses, but the surcharge still applies.

Taxi
Amsterdam taxis are ultraexpensive. Try Taxicentrale Amsterdam (677 77 77).

I amsterdam Card (per 24/36/72hr €33/43/53) Available at VVV offices and some hotels. Admission to most museums, canal boat trips, and discounts and freebies at shops, attractions and restaurants. Also includes a GVB (Amsterdam Transport Authority) transit pass.

Internet Access
Centrale Bibliotheek (Main Library; 523 09 00; Prinsengracht 587; 1-9pm Mon, 10am-9pm Tue-Thu, 10am-5pm Fri & Sat, 1-5pm Sun) Free internet.
Internet City (620 12 92; Nieuwendijk 76; per hr €3; 10am-midnight)

Medical Services
Centrale Doktersdienst (Central Doctors’ Service; 592 33 33; 24hr) Doctor, dentist or pharmacy referrals.
Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis (599 91 11; Oosterpark 9; 24hr) Public hospital.

Tourist Information
Tourist Office (VVV;0900-400 40 40; www.vvvamsterdam.nl); Stationsplein 10 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri); Centraal Track 2 (Centraal Station; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm Sun); Leidseplein 1 (9.15am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9.15am-7pm Fri & Sat)

Amsterdam has a sizzling culinary scene with hundreds of restaurants and eetcafés catering to all tastes and budgets. The Dutch colonial legacy has introduced Indo¬nesian and Surinamese cooking and the cuisines of many other nations are also well represented, notably Chinese, Japanese and Greek.

Restaurants
Mamouche (673 63 61; Quellijnstraat 104; mains €14.50-22; dinner Tue-Sun) ‘Sexy’ is a word that tends to get bandied about when people talk about Mamouche, with its seriously good modern Moroccan food (couscous, lamb, fish) and seriously minimalist décor, exposed flooring, mottled walls and beamed ceilings. Reservations are essential.

De Bolhoed (626 18 03; Prinsengracht 60-62; mains €6-14; lunch & dinner) Amsterdam’s best-known vegetarian restaurant, with a prime canalside location. The food is fresh, organic, and often Mexican- and Italian-inspired. Dip into pancakes, salads, bur¬ritos, homemade breads, biodynamic wines, organic beers and cakes.

Bazar Amsterdam (675 05 44; www.bazaramsterdam.nl; Albert Cuypstraat 182; mains €8-14; breakfast, lunch & dinner) Like its Rotterdam counterpart, Bazar Amsterdam is a genuine high flyer. In a glorious former Dutch Reformed church, the light-filled, Middle Eastern–style décor and tangy, tantalising North African cuisine – mixed grills, kebabs, falafels, pittas, tabouli, Turkish pizza – sees to that.

Also recommended:
Tempo Doeloe (625 67 18; Utrechtsestraat 75; mains €18-22; dinner) Quality Indonesian. Reservations are essential.

Nieuw Albina (379 02 23; Albert Cuypstraat 49; mains €4.50-11.50; lunch & dinner Wed-Mon) Bold and brassy Surinamese food.

Quick Eats
Eat Mode (330 08 06; www.eatmode.nl; Zeedijk 107; mains €4.50-12; lunch & dinner) Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese with casual ambience. Good vegetarian selection and wi-fi.

Puccini (626 54 74; www.puccini.nl, in Dutch; Staalstraat 21; mains €5.30-12.50; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Italian panini rolls and salads with sun-dried ingredients; its handmade chocolate and cake shop next door induces rapture.

Foodism (427 51 03; www.foodism.nl; Oude Leliestraat 8; mains €6-10; lunch & dinner) All-day breakfasts, healthy filled sandwiches and salads, wild and wicked pasta dishes.

Ralph’s Asian Wonderfood (670 90 07; Eerste van der Helststraat 37; dishes €6-7; lunch & dinner) Excellent, fresh Asian-fusion menu. Also at Haarlemmerstraat 32.

Bagels & Beans (www.bagelsbeans.nl; Ferdinand Bolstraat 70; bagels from €2.95) Tasty bagels, good coffee, wi-fi access. Also at Keizersgracht 504, Haarlemmerdijk 122, Van Baerlestraat 40, Kinkerstraat 110, Koningsplein 20, Waterlooplein 2, Raadhuisstraat 18 and Zeilstraat 64.

Maoz (420 74 35; www.maozveg.com; Muntplein 1; felafel €3.50) Falafel pitta-bread sandwiches with ‘bottomless’ salad toppings and sauces. It’s common for impecunious Dutch students to linger here for hours on end (possibly days, weeks, months), refilling their pitta bread with salad and hummus. Also at Centraal station, Leidsestraat 85, Ferdinand Bolstraat 67, 1e Van De Helststraat 43 and Aude Brug steeg.

Vlaams Friteshuis (Voetboogstraat 31; fries €2.50) Amsterdam’s best-loved fries joint. Remember the words of Vincent Vega, from Pulp Fiction: ‘You know what they put on French Fries in Holland? Mayonnaise. And I don’t mean a little bit on the side – they fucken drown ’em in it’.

Self-Catering
Albert Heijn (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 226) Supermarket chain, with branches at Koningsplein 6 and Museumplein.

Cinemas
Find out what’s on in Thursday’s newspapers or Wednesday’s Amsterdam Weekly.
Movies (638 60 16; www.themovies.nl; Haarlemmerdijk 161) Arty films and big studio releases in a beautiful Art Deco cinema.

Tuschinskitheater (623 15 00; www.pathe.nl/tuschinski; Reguliersbreestraat 26) Mainstream blockbusters in a sumptuous Art Deco/Amsterdam school interior.

Filmmuseum (589 14 00; www.filmmuseum.nl; Vondelpark 3) Cult flicks, shlock-horror, cutting-edge foreign films, docos, Bollywood.

Clubbing
Jimmy Woo (626 3150; www.jimmywoo.nl; Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18) With its überstylish, black-lacquered, Oriental décor, Jimmy Woo is as hip as the bony projection of a femur. Plus it has a big focus on hip-hop and extracting cash from hip pockets. It’s exclusive (no hippies allowed), so good luck getting in; try going with some Dutchies for best results.

Sinners In Heaven (620 1375; www.sinners.nl; Wagenstraat 3-7) Along with Jimmy Woo, jet-set, celebrity-riddled Sinners heads the A-list of Amsterdam clubs. It serves hip-hop, funk, beats and breaks, and it’s possibly harder than Jimmy Woo to get into: there’s always a ‘guest list’, and by all accounts the door bitch has quite the acid tongue. Try sleeping with a famous footballer for best results.

Also recommended:
Winston International (623 13 80; www.winston.nl; Warmoesstraat 125) Everything from electronica to spoken word to punk to graffiti art.

Arena (850 24 20; www.hotelarena.nl; Hotel Arena, ‘s-Gravesandestraat 51) Everything from ‘80s classics to salsa to funk.

Live Music
Paradiso (626 45 21; www.paradiso.nl; Weteringschans 6) The Paradiso has hosted the likes of Sonic Youth, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones.

Melkweg (Milky Way; 624 17 77; www.melkweg.nl; Lijnbaansgracht 234A) An all-in-one entertainment complex with an art gallery, nightclub, café, multimedia centre and top live music most nights.

Smoking
‘Café’ means ‘pub’ in the Netherlands; ‘coffee shops’ are where one procures cannabis. Smoking restrictions are being introduced in the Netherlands by the end of 2008 – yes, even in coffee shops. If the establishment has a bar or restaurant licence (which most do), they’ll have to create a non-smoking area. Go figure.

Siberië (623 59 09; Brouwersgracht 111) With its loungeroom feel, canal views and ultra¬casual atmosphere, this is an addictive place that draws smokers of all ages for the friendly staff, the wicked weed and the chance to play stoner chess with total strangers. ‘Queen takes Bish…that castle thing. Ah, forget it. I resign.’

Barney’s (625 97 61; www.barneys.biz; Haarlemmerstraat 98 & 102) The very popular Barney’s, with its trippy biomechancial décor, has beloved all-day breakfasts as well as quality 100% organic smoke.

Also recommended:
Grey Area (420 43 01; www.greyarea.nl; Oude Leliestraat 2) One of the originals.

Greenhouse (627 17 39; Oudezijds Voorburgwal 191) Psychedelic décor.

Sport
Four-times European champion Ajax plays in the Amsterdam ArenA (311 13 33; www.amsterdamarena.nl; Arena Blvd 11, Bijlmermeer), usually on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons from August to May. Stadium tours are available.

Theatre
Amsterdams Marionetten Theater (620 80 27; www.marionet.demon.nl; Nieuwe Jonkerstraat 8; adult/child from €12/6) In a former blacksmith’s shop, this charming, intimate theatre features marionettes performing elaborate productions such as The Magic Flute. Behold the skill of the puppeteers. Call or check the website for show times.

Nachttheater Sugar Factory (626 5006; www.sugarfactory.nl; Lijnbaansgracht 238) This ‘night theatre’ showcases theatre, spoken word, exhibitions, poetry readings and live music, after which the space clears and it becomes a bangin’ nightclub.

Also recommended:
Koninklijk Theater Carré (0900-252 52 55; www.theatercarre.nl, in Dutch; Amstel 115-125) Largest theatre in Amsterdam. Backstage tours available.

Boom Chicago (423 01 01; www.boomchicago.nl; Leidseplein 12) English-language stand-up and improv.

Drinkers rejoice. Amsterdam really is your magic centre: throw a stick in the air and chances are it’ll land on a drinking house of some repute. Bear in mind that when locals say café they mean a pub (also known as a kroeg) and that Amsterdam has more than its fair share of them.

Café Cuba (627 4919; Nieuwmarkt 3) This place maintains fidelity to Fidel, Che and ’50s Cuba, with low lighting, indoor palms, faux faded elegance, rum posters, and cane chairs and tables. Try Papa Hemingway’s favourite cocktail, La Caprinha, and the ubiquitous mojito. The outdoor seating is perched right on Nieuwmarkt.

Lime (639 30 20; Zeedjik 104) Cool and hip but friendly and laid-back; you won’t get the stink-eye in here. The décor comes on like a Stereolab album cover – all dots and loops and browns and oranges – and the cocktails are superb.

Absinthe (320 6780; www.absinthe.nl; Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 171) Devoted to the brain-lesioning liquor reputed to be the cause of Van Gogh’s self-mutilation. There’s multiethnic décor with rather awkward seating arrangements, and the staff can teach you all about their signature drink. You’ll leave with ears intact – it’s not as potent as the old days.

Proeflokaal Wijnand Fockinck (639 26 95; www.wynand-fockink.nl, in Dutch; Pijlsteeg 31) This fantastic little tasting house, dating from 1679, serves scores of jenevers (Dutch gin) and liqueurs made on site. There’s an appealing courtyard for lunch and snacks.
 
De Sluyswacht (625 76 11; Jodenbreestraat 1) Stoners beware: this tiny black building, one of Amsterdam’s prettiest drinking spots, is built on foundations that lean dramatically, with secluded tables overlooking a broad canal. It was once a lock-keeper’s house on the Oude Schans.

Also recommended:
Hoppe (420 44 20; Spuistraat 18) This gritty brown café is 300 years old.

Café De Kroon (625 20 11; www.dekroon.nl, in Dutch; Rembrandtplein 17) High ceilings, velvet chairs, Art Deco staircase.

Pilsener Club (623 17 77; Begijnensteeg 4) Also known as the ‘English Arse’, with tasty beers.