Housing works by masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, the Netherlands’ most important art collection has finally re-emerged after a decade of renovation work.

The canalside house where the teenage diarist and her family hid for two years during the Nazi occupation is a popular draw. Buy tickets online to avoid the long queues.

This museum houses the world’s largest collection of works by the globally celebrated artist. Around 200 paintings and 500 drawings trace the development of his remarkable but tragically short career.

Built in the 17th century as part of a major city expansion during the Netherlands’ Golden Age, the iconic tree-lined canals and step-gabled mansions are now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed sight. To see them from water level, a dozen boat operators offer canal tours from various departure points across the city.

Amsterdam’s green lungs are its largest park, built in 1859. It’s a picturesque place simply to hang out, and is best enjoyed on a summer weekend when it becomes a popular retreat for picnicking locals.

Amsterdam’s most famous artistic son lived in this house from 1639 to 1656, and the interior has been lovingly restored and furnished to show how it would have looked during his time there.

Housed in a maze of 17th-century buildings on the site of an old convent, this museum will tell you everything you need to know about the city’s rich history.

On the site of a former brewery, this multi-media exhibition recounts the history of beer in general and of the world’s most famous brewer in particular.

In the shadow of the Royal Palace and the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), the city’s main hub is a meeting point for locals and visitors alike, and usually home to half a dozen or more street entertainers.

Half an hour to the south of Amsterdam, Europe’s largest flower gardens burst into life every spring, with around 7 million tulips and other colourful blooms.

One of Amsterdam’s most characterful old bars stocks almost 300 of the world’s best craft beers.

For an aperitif or digestive, this wonderful sandy-floored tasting room stocks the widest range of jenevers and liqueurs in town.

Popular dance club and music venue hosting DJ nights and live acts.

Amsterdam’s premier concert venue regularly welcomes big-name live shows and DJs.

Running the Paradiso a close second, Melkweg also attracts the star performers.

Innovative fusion creations combine with phenomenal views at this two-Michelin-starred place on the 23rd floor of the Hotel Okura.

Michelin-starred restaurant showcasing the finest Dutch seasonal ingredients.

Elegant restaurant in the Jordaan district serving fine modern cuisine.

Popular spot in a canalside townhouse, serving lobster and/or steak.

This must for hungry egg lovers serves omelettes cooked 25 different ways.

“The Hotel IX is the only hotel in the 9 Straatjes” – that’s how Merel and Susan advertise their excellent boutique hotel. The claim is likely directed chiefly at two nearby establishments – the distinguished Dylan on Keizersgracht and the nostalgic Ambassade on Herengrach. And yet the old building, newly renovated in bold urban hipster style, has no need of such barbs because a cooler combination of bold creativity and the visible traces of the 17th century – which is when the building on Hartenstraat was built –  would be hard to envision.

For some years now, Exota, which opened in 1985 purely as a vintage shop with a predilection for unusual styles and colors, has applied a quirky categorization to its merchandise that requires a decision from female customers: Articles for “women & kids” are displayed on the left, those for “Ladies & Gentlemen” on the right. In both departments, joie de vivre blossoms in crazy color combos, giving rise to the notion that the designers may have called in at the nearby coffee shops on their way into work.

In Lonely Planet, this place was once described as a “design bar” but remained unnamed. Amsterdam’s insiders were highly amused, and even the owner, Anna Mol, would not insist that the decor of her tiny bar, eclectically cobbled together, necessarily lives up to genuine design standards. Even so, there is something about this smart bar: On the right, there are some low, leather-covered vaulting boxes to sit on; on the left, bistro tables beside a leather wall for patrons to loll against.

Modstrom, Zoe Karssen, Colourful Rebel, SisterS Point, 24Colours, A Question Of, Vagabond, Circle of Trust, Donchoo, Ydence, Kiss And Tell, Minnetonka, Repeat Cashmere… Do we have to add to this? Yes, we probably do… Muze The Store (like its big sister, Noa Lifestyle, also at Herengracht 367) is a new and excellently stocked boutique that’s way off mainstream and presents precisely those hip fashion labels that have only just appeared on Instagram or Pinterest. If you want to be ahead on the fashion front, you’re in the right place at this trendily styled showroom. But it’s a bit of a shame it only has women’s fashions.

Black walls, stage lighting, books embellished as though for all eternity – drop by Amsterdam’s most elegant bookstore (although the expression “bookstore” is hardly apt because the place has a distinct museum feel to it) and you will immediately be cocooned its aura of exquisite aestheticism and love of the printed word.

André Grundmann must be a happy man because he understands women – and they love him for it. Until 2010, he managed a thriving fashion store in Amsterdam; then he began designing handbags. At his SMAAK store, Berenstraat 39, he now presents a selection of exquisite bags in all classic shapes and bold colors that are affordable but nevertheless look luxurious. SMAAK is a treasure trove for IT girls and sterling businesswomen alike.

A Dutch café just like the ones you recall from your first visit to Amsterdam way back, when you came for a smoke that would make the world a little funnier. Cozy, a little down-at-heel, never quite sure what it wants to be –  a café, a restaurant or a bar – and therefore has elements of each but really doesn’t succeed in being any one of them. It is simply unbeatable, though, as a sociocultural microcosm.

A visit to Amsterdam wouldn’t be a visit to Amsterdam if it didn’t involve cheese. After all, the Dutch – often affectionately referred to by the Germans as “cheeseheads” – practically invented cheesemaking. The New York Times hailed De Kaaskamer as the best cheese store in the city. Rich in olfactory experiences, this shop on pretty Runstraat stocks at least 200 different kinds of cheese, some the size and shape of a wagon wheel.

All manner of things that certainly did not originally belong together come together in this quaint little shop on Reestraat. On the one hand, there are candles of every size, color and variation to be had in this invitingly chaotic space, alongside oils and even incense – all of which smell (we hope, good).

After spending a few hours fighting your way through the narrow streets of downtown Amsterdam, burning up lots of calories in the process, you can drop in here with a good conscience. The Pompadour Amsterdam is not a mere sweetshop; it’s a chocolaterie of international class, in which every single delicious treat is made by hand from the finest ingredients.