Things To Do

NEMO is hard to miss. It is the enormous green copper building rising out of the water near Centraal Station, shaped like a hull. Inside are five floors of interactive science exhibits aimed at kids and families, but honestly entertaining enough for adults too. The museum was designed by Renzo Piano (the same architect behind […]

The Stadsschouwburg — now officially called Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) — is the grand theatre building on Leidseplein that most people walk past without going inside. That’s a mistake if you have any interest in theatre, dance, or the building itself. The current building dates to 1894, designed by architect Jan Springer in neo-Renaissance style.

A canal cruise is the most Amsterdam thing you can do. The city has 165 canals covering over 100 kilometers, and seeing them from water level — passing under 1,500 bridges, gliding past 17th-century canal houses — gives you a perspective you can’t get on foot. There are dozens of companies offering canal tours and

Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s biggest and most popular park — 47 hectares of lawns, ponds, playgrounds, and winding paths right in the middle of the city. On a sunny day, half of Amsterdam seems to be here. People cycle through, jog the perimeter, have picnics on the grass, and generally do what the Dutch do best:

Leidseplein is Amsterdam’s entertainment square — a broad open space flanked by theatres, restaurants, bars, and some of the city’s most famous live music venues. It’s also ground zero for tourist nightlife, which means it’s either exactly what you want or everything you’re trying to avoid. The square was originally the spot where farmers from