Our alphabetical Amsterdam

is for Anne Frank’s house

You may think you know all about the girl whose astonishing diary recorded her two years spent here hiding from the Nazis in a cramped annexe. But there’s nothing like a visit to bring home what it must have been like. It can be a powerful emotional experience to see details such as the film star pictures that the teenager cut out of magazines and stuck to her wall. It’s well worth arriving early to avoid the crowds. (Anne Frank's house website)

is for bicycles

They are everywhere, and they play a huge part in making the city such a pleasant one to be in. Hire one and pedal aimlessly along the hundreds of cycle paths or buy a map and explore with a purpose.

is for canals

These 17th-century marvels define the city. Lined with beautiful houses and spanned by handsome bridges, they are best explored on a boat tour. You may feel that’s far too touristy, but just get over it and step on board. You’ll enjoy yourself.

is for Droog

Design can be cool, challenging and cutting edge. It can also be fun. And very rarely, it can be all those things, which is the case at this store selling highly individual lighting, furniture, clothing and accessories.

is for Eastern Docklands

Much of Amsterdam can seem small-scale and intimate, which is part of its appeal. But this district, the city’s seaport, has a different feel, with wide vistas over the waterfront, striking housing developments and weird structures such as the Python Bridge. Well worth exploring, with its lively restaurants and bars.

is for Floating Flower Market

Holland is renowned for its flowers – and there is nowhere better to revel in their sheer profusion than this daily market, which has thrived for 150 years on barges moored on the Singel canal.

is for Gassan Diamonds

Find out all about the city’s centuries-old gem trade on a free tour of this historic factory. Watch craftsmen as they turn rough diamonds into beautifully polished stones ready for you to buy – don’t worry, there’s no obligation. (Gassan diamonds website)

is for House of Bols

You’ll emerge in high spirits from a visit to this sparkling shrine to cocktails. Centred on Bols, which claims to be the world’s oldest distilled liquor brand, this attraction is a riot of scents, colours and tastes. (House of Bols website)

is for Indonesian

You can find any cooking style you want in Amsterdam, but the mix is subtly different to that of other European capitals. Indonesia, which the Dutch ruled for three centuries, is well represented, with more satay than you could shake a stick at, as well as less familiar spicy delights.

is for Jordaan

This historic district is full of intriguing shops, eating places and bars, often with live music. Look for bargains at the Noordermarkt or seek out fashion delectables in De 9 Straatjes (the Nine Streets).

is for Karos Citytours

If boats and bikes are not enough transport options for you, this company runs horse-drawn carriages complete with top-hatted driver. Not for the tourist who wants to blend in with the locals, but actually a flexible option, as they’ll take you on any route you like provided it starts and ends in Dam Square.

is for luxury

This city does ‘high end’ extremely well. Wallow in the 17th-century splendour of the Hotel Pulitzer, a block of canalside houses converted with aplomb and boasting a splendid garden. Eat at the delectable Ciel Bleu, which has two Michelin stars and looks over the city from the 23rd floor of the Hotel Okura. Shop on PC Hooftstraat, where Cartier, Chanel, Chopard, Gucci, Hermes and Tiffany all have their own stores alongside independent fashion boutiques such as Marccain, for women, Oger, for men, and Ikks, for children.

is for Maritime Museum

Just reopened amid much fanfare after a four-year renovation, this is a superb shrine to seafaring, which has played such a massive role in Netherlands history. Highlights include a replica of the Amsterdam, a Dutch East Indiaman moored alongside the museum. (Maritime Museum website)

is for narcotics

Or cannabis, to be more specific. Readily – and legally – available in licensed coffeeshops that vary hugely in atmosphere and décor. For some, these are all part of the Amsterdam experience. Others are happier enjoying a beer in a friendly “brown café”, or well-worn local bar.

is for Oude Kerk

The “old church” dates back to the 13th century and is noted for its tower and its vast, vaulted wooden roof. Often used for exhibitions and concerts.

is for Paradiso

A leading music venue and club in a former church. Faces fierce competition in a lively nightlife scene from establishments such as the megaclub Powerzone and the multi-faceted Panama, which has a restaurant and theatre as well as a club – and that’s just the Ps. (Paradiso website)

is for Queen’s Day

The Dutch let their hair down every year on 30 April, the anniversary of Queen Juliana’s coronation in 1949 (her daughter, Queen Beatrix, chose to keep the festival’s date unchanged). In Amsterdam, there are parties and concerts everywhere as the city and its people disappear beneath a tidal wave of orange.

is for Rijksmuseum

Comfortably one of the world’s top ten art galleries, this magnificent building is crammed with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Vermeer, whose 17th-century subjects often look uncannily like their present-day descendants. The museum also has a superb collection of Delftware. (Rijksmuseum website)

is for Spiegelkwartier

The “mirror quarter” is the place to go for antiques and curios as well as art from all periods up to the present. Whether you crave a Russian icon or a Warhol print, or just want to fantasise about buying either, head for this atmospheric district.

is for Tuschinski Theatre

A simply beautiful Twenties building that once welcomed the world’s biggest singing stars and now operates as a cinema. Be warned – with all that marble, stained glass and art to look at, you may struggle to keep your eyes on the screen.

is for Underground

If your visit to Anne Frank’s house has sparked an interest in the German occupation of the city, and the clandestine struggle against it, have a look at the Dutch Resistance Museum, with its huge photographs, posters and film clips.

is for Van Gogh Museum

Vincent Van Gogh has arguably captured the public imagination more than any other painter and this stunning collection is the city’s top attraction. Follow his progress from pictures of peasant life through his many portraits to tortured landscapes such as Wheatfield with Crows, painted shortly before his death in 1890. (Van Gogh Museum)

is for Westergasfabriek

A 19th-century industrial site now transformed into an attractive culture park with cinema, theatre, galleries and restaurants. Often hosts special events such as a fashion week and an affordable art fair. (Westergasfabriek website)

is for X-rated

The city’s raunchy reputation is well deserved. The red light district is big, central and very blatant, with its shop-window approach to prostitution. And then there are the sex museums (at least two of those), the clubs, the cinemas… Intriguing or grim? You decide.

is for Yoko

At the Amsterdam Hilton (the city centre one, not the airport one) you can stay in the room where the enigmatic Japanese artist and her other half, John Lennon, famously took to their bed for a week, regaling the assembled press with their thoughts on peace.

is for zoo

The Artis Royal Zoo prides itself on providing natural environments for its animals, which include giraffes, elephants and zebras along with smaller and less photogenic beasties. There’s also an impressive planetarium. (Artis Royal Zoo website)

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Visit www.flybe.com for flights from Inverness to Amsterdam

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