Where to stay Because of the city’s canals and narrow streets
there is a constant shortage of hotel beds in Amsterdam, so it’s advisable to book at least a few months in advance to ensure your pick of the best accommodation. For a touch of luxury stay at the Sofi tel the Grand, although close to the Red Light District this hotel couldn’t feel further away, with its luxurious and spacious rooms, blissful spa and fabulous modern dining in the form of the Bridges restaurant, (double bedrooms from £192, www. sofi
tel.com). For a room with a view, the Seven Bridges Hotel overlooks the city’s prettiest and most photographed canal, the Reguliersgracht with its row of seven little bridges, and the uniquely designed bedrooms are packed with antiques (double bedrooms from £80,
www.sevenbridgeshotel.nl). If you’re on a tighter budget, the CitizenM hotel is a chic and purse-friendly option. Ideally situated in the centre of Amsterdam, the hotel was awarded the accolade of the Trendiest Hotel in the World earlier this year in the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice awards. The hotel has hi-tech rooms with touchscreen MoodPads allowing you to control everything in your room from the temperature to television, and LED lights to save energy, (double bedroom prices start from £65, www.
citizenmamsterdamcity.com).
Splash out with an elegant, spacious room at the Sofi tel the Grand (above) or stay at the Seven Bridges Hotel (left) with its quirky interiors
Take in masterpieces at the Rijksmuseum (top left), see inside Anne Frank’s house (top right), visit the beautiful Vondelpark
(bottom left) and hire a bike to explore the city (bottom right)
What to do For a spot of culture, spend
an afternoon visiting Amsterdam’s museums. A visit to Anne Frank’s house is a must, where you can tour the annex that Anne Frank and her family hid for two years during World War II whilst she penned her diary. The house has around a million visitors a year, so to avoid the long queues, arrive at the beginning or end of the day, (
www.annefrank.org). If you want
to know more about the history of Judaism in the Netherlands, visit the Joods Historisch Museum (www.jhm ) in the Old Jewish Quarter. Housed in four former synagogues, the museum is packed with artifacts and there is a great children’s wing with interactive
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exhibits that will keep them amused for hours. Art buffs will adore the Rijksmuseum (www.
rijksmuseum.nl) and Van Gogh Museum (www.
vangoghmuseum.nl). Despite the former currently undergoing a €227m refurbishment, there are still 400 masterpieces on display, including pieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals. Cycling is the most popular way of getting around Amsterdam and bike rentals are everywhere, so hire a bike and head to Vondelpark, the largest green space in Amsterdam, or cycle along one of the prettiest waterways in the city, the Prinsengracht canals. If you fancy exploring at a slower pace, stroll around the canals and explore the arty areas of the Museum Quarter, the Jordaan and the Pijp. Churches are a signifi cant part of Dutch life. Visit the city’s oldest church, the Oude Kerk built in the mid-1500s or for a more Zen approach, visit the Chinese Fo Guang Shan He Hua Buddhist Temple at Zeedijk. If you love to shop, Amsterdam has an eclectic mix of stores. Head to De Negen Straatjes for designer boutiques and vintage shops or Pieter Cornelisz Hoofstraat in the Museum Quarter where you’ll fi nd the likes of Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. If you prefer market shopping, visit one of Amsterdam’s fl ea markets. Albert Cuypmarkt is one of the biggest and best, selling everything from smoked eel (a speciality in Amsterdam) to clothes and cosmetics.
TODAY’S BUSINESS WOMAN 87
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