Derek Robertson

Amsterdam is one of the most popular city destinations in the world, and it's no surprise. From distinct districts each with their own unique offering to the cool and hip coffee shops, the Dutch capital truly has something for everyone. The ‘small but perfectly formed’ cosmopolitan city packs a vibrant punch of fine neighbourhoods to explore – and we’re here to show you the best places to stay while you're here. The city has every vibe you might want. From the bustling tourist centre to the more laidback and trendy Jordaan, there's a neighbourhood for any type of explorer. Amsterdam has it all, so learn about the various neighbourhoods and their best eating, drinking and sightseeing before booking that all-important bed at one of Amsterdam’s best hotels or best Airbnbs. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Ah, Amsterdam. Our love affair with this city never ends, from its innovative food scene to its most well-known attractions. Perhaps most famous for its art galleries and museums, from the Van Gogh Museum to the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam stands proudly as one of the most culturally significant cities in Europe, but, of course, it’s got a poppin’ nightlife scene too.  In fact, the capital’s ‘fun’ side has historically lent itself to swathes of tourist stag dos, desperate to try out Amsterdam’s notorious coffee shops and canal cruises – something its government is trying to crack down on. But as it stands, there’s no escaping its reputation as a Seriously Fun Place To Be. Whatever you’re in Amsterdam for, there are some things you simply have to do. With the help of our experts and contributors on the ground in ‘Dam, we’ve rounded up 24 of the most essential things to tick off. Happy travels! RECOMMENDED: 🥨 The best restaurants in Amsterdam🕺 Check out Amsterdam’s best clubs⛵ The best day trips from Amsterdam 🏠 The best Airbnbs in Amsterdam📍 An Amsterdam weekend itinerary

Whether you’re headed to Amsterdam to tour its galleries, pop out on a canal cruise or sample one of its notorious coffee shops, there is one thing you absolutely should not miss – and that’s the food. From stroopwafels on the side of the street to Michelin-star dining, Amsterdam’s restaurant offerings have got better and better.  And now might be the best time to pay the city a visit, as there’s cuisines for every taste (and budget). Classic, family-run Dutch food. Trendy wine bars serving up small plates. The freshest of fish and seafood. Whatever tickles your fancy, there’s a restaurant in Amsterdam for you, guaranteed. Read on for our top picks right now.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍳 The absolute best brunches in Amsterdam☕ The best cafés in Amsterdam🍷 The best bars in Amsterdam🪩 The best clubs in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

Up there with Berlin, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s party capitals. What that means is that this city knows how to party, be it all-night clubs or an ace cocktail bar. But Amsterdam also has one of the best queer scenes around, so the two go hand in hand, and the LGBTQ+ party scene is second to none. In fact, the whole of the Dutch capital is one big gay scene, with fantastic gay bars and clubs stretching across the city. Of course, many of them reside on Reguliersdwarsstraat, Amsterdam’s most famous gay street, but there’s a ton more to be found, from the city’s legendary first gay club Cafe ‘t Mandje to tiny drag bars with karaoke. Just don’t be surprised to see some open-minded straight people frequent these joints – these are some of the best clubs in a city famous for its nightlife, after all. Read on for the best gay bars and clubs in Amsterdam right now.  RECOMMENDED:🍹 The best bars in Amsterdam🪩 The best clubs in Amsterdam🌿 The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🥑 The best places for brunch in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

You know it and we know it, Amsterdam is a seriously cool place. And as effortless as it may seem, quite a lot goes into keeping this city so trendy. One of the things holding it down? That’s the never-ending rotation of incredible markets on offer, selling clothes, furniture, bric-a-brac and more, all over the city.  With a coffee in hand, Amsterdam’s markets are the place to fill out your weekend city break dreams. Discover tiny trinkets and hidden gems, spend your Sundays switching up your style at a vintage market, or grab some of the best cheese around on a floating barge. Amsterdam has it all. Here are the best markets in Amsterdam, for all your achingly trendy needs.  RECOMMENDED: 🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam☕ The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍸 The best bars in Amsterdam🏨 The best hotels in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

For food, culture and some serious partying, there is nowhere quite like Amsterdam. This city will take you by surprise, and in no time, you’ll be hopping on a bicycle, soaring through the streets, soaking up the art and spending hours upon hours in Amsterdam coffee shops. Chances are, you’ll have a pretty wild night out at some point too.  But when the latter strikes, there’s only one thing for it, really. And yes, that’s brunch. Brunch will save you when you wake up bleary-eyed from a nice on the town in Dam. Brunch will fill your Instagram feed with colour and fun. Brunch will have you ready for another long day of simply enjoying yourself. The best part? Amsterdam does brunch very, very well. From Bloody Marys and buttermilk waffles to cafés selling only fancy omelettes, here is the best brunch in the Dutch capital.  RECOMMENDED:🌿 The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam☕ The best cafés in Amsterdam🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

Amsterdam is well-loved for its great food, scenic cycles and poppin’ nightlife, but often, its USP is its uber-cool, uber-chill and completely unique coffeeshops. And for those who aren’t yet familiar, we’re not talking about trendy croissants and latté art in the shape of little seahorses. Sure, they’ve got coffee in Amsterdam. But when we talk about coffee shops, we mean licenced cannabis cafés, where you can choose from extensive marijuana menus. And they’re more than that, too – these joints are social hubs, creative spaces, and they often have great food menus for your munchies too. Whether you’re a seasoned frequenter or its your very first time, here are the best coffeeshops in Amsterdam right now.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍷 The best bars in Amsterdam🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam☕ The best cafés in Amsterdam🥞 The best brunch in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

Though Amsterdam is trying to move away from being a tourist party destination, it’s still known for being very, very fun. From hen dos and party boats to the red light district and those infamous coffee shops, Amsterdam is a seriously good time, and one you’ve likely had on your bucket list for a while.  So if you’re ready for a night out that never has to end, you’ve come to the right place. Dam has a diverse nightlife scene to suit all tastes, from DJ sets at 24-hour thumping clubs to live music at a trendy 1940s bunker. Like Berlin? You’ll find the influence of its gritty nightlife scene right here. Budapest? Find ruin bar equivalents a-plenty. Read on for the best clubs in Amsterdam right now.  RECOMMENDED:🍷 The best bars in Amsterdam🌿 The best coffeeshops in Amsterdam📍 The best things to do in Amsterdam🍴 The best restaurants in Amsterdam🥑 The best places for brunch in Amsterdam Planning your next trip? Check out our latest travel guides, written by local experts.

It’s been a rough few years for the world at large – but in many ways, a fantastic one for neighbourhoods. Although we haven’t been able to travel the world as freely as we once did, billions of us have been spending more time than ever closer to home. And in many of the world’s greatest cities, the result has been a full-blown neighbourhood renaissance. It’s true that much-loved local shops, restaurants, bars and creative spaces have, sadly, shuttered for good. But there’s also been a whole wave of new businesses opening, driven not just by increased footfall outside city centres, but also by the ‘great resignation’. City-dwellers have quit their corporate jobs to finally follow their joy, whether it’s opening that corner café or much-needed local LGBTQ+ bar, or just spending more time living slowly and spending more time (and money) in their local area. At the same time, local officials the world over have been re-establishing their neighbourhoods as places for people. In some cases that’s meant overhauling street space: less driving, more walking, cycling and hanging out. In others, it’s meant tackling problems like overtourism, inequality and air pollution. All of this has led to districts looking very different than they did just a few years ago – and becoming better places for locals and travellers alike. RECOMMENDED: The 33 coolest streets in the world Every year, we canvas thousands of city-dwellers around the world in our Time Out Index survey. As always, this year

There are so many incredible things to do in Sweden that it can be difficult to know where to start. From the gorgeous streets of Stockholm to the icy serenity of the Arctic, Sweden is the sort of place that ticks plenty of boxes in an unmistakably stylish manner. You can sauna in a golden egg, eat fermented herring, sing with ABBA and more. Sweden isn’t like other places, that is for sure. Stockholm gets most of the attention but ignoring the rest is a fool’s game. Sweden is pristine wilderness, cosmopolitan cities, rich food, incredible history, and more adventure than even the most adventurous could need. This is the best of the best when in Sweden.

No matter your preferred museum genre, you’ll find something in Stockholm. Do you want to immerse yourself in the grand history of a fascinating museum? Sure, history can be heavy now and then, so maybe some incredible art is on the schedule? Okay, fine, we’ll meet you at the ABBA Museum to celebrate the magic of harmony and melody. The best museums in Stockholm come in all shapes, sizes and styles.But what else would you expect from the Swedish capital? Stockholm is one of the most impressive cities in Europe, after all, a buzzing hive of activity with brilliant restaurants and exciting bars around every corner. The museums are right up there with the best.  

Small but perfectly formed. There, we said it. That old cliche does fit the Netherlands to a tee, and Amsterdam is a tremendous base for exploring the best that this beautiful place offers. Amsterdam itself is one of the great European cities, a destination filled with fascinating things to do (and just as much to do at night), so why not bring the two together and explore the capital before venturing into the country? With that in mind, these are the best day trips from Amsterdam. That’s right, the best. There is a little something for everyone included, and the excellent Dutch public transport network means all are pretty accessible. This country knows what it is doing, that’s for sure.  

アムステルダムを「罪の街」と呼ぶのは簡単だ。この街は観光客にとってはもちろん、一部の地元の人たちにとっても、（毎晩ではないにせよ）酒色にふけり楽しい時間を過ごせる場所だろう。しかし、きらびやかな運河と絵のように美しい切妻屋根の家々が並ぶアムステルダムは最近、持続可能性とグリーンイノベーションの砦（とりで）としての地位を確立しつつある。それを裏付けるように、今年タイムアウトが実施した都市調査でも、この街は世界で3番目に「環境に優しい都市」「サスティナブルな都市」に選ばれた。 同市がそうした状況にあるのは、循環型経済への全面的な取り組みとして、いわゆる「ドーナツモデル」を採用している結果といえる。これはオックスフォード大学の経済学者であるケイト・ラワースが、2012年に発表した現代的な持続可能性を実現するためのビジョンで、「廃棄物と汚染を可能な限りの排除すること」「製品や素材を使い続けること」「自然のシステムを再生させること」の3つの要素が指針とされる。アムステルダムではこのように、再生可能なエネルギーと素材の利用に重きを置きながら、さらに「デジタル・イノベーション」にも焦点を当てている。 これらの取り組みのゴールは、人類のニーズを満たしつつ、地球のために実行可能な未来を創造すること。そういう意味では、このスイートスポット（つまり「ドーナツ」）は、あらゆる政府が目指してもいいのかしれない。 ドーナツモデルの採用 アムステルダムは2015年、世界で初めて都市レベルでドーナツモデルの可能性について検討するため、調査を実施。その後は報告書に基づいて、再生可能エネルギーや緑地、持続可能なフードシステムの構築、消費の削減など、数多くの野心的な政策や目標を採択してきた。 市は2030年までの目標として、「二酸化炭素排出量の55％削減」「電力の80％を再生可能エネルギーで賄うこと」「個人消費の50％削減」を設定。さらに公園の数を増やしたり、あらゆる製品を修理して再利用するためのインフラを整備するといった、市が長期的な視点を感じ取れる具体的な目標も掲げている。 アムステルダム版ドーナツモデル『Amsterdam City Doughnut』の影響範囲は幅広く、市の『Circular Strategy（循環戦略）2020-2025』の中心的構成要素としても位置づけられている。この戦略は「地球の限界を尊重しながら、全ての市民に繁栄をもたらす、リジェネラティブでインクルーシブな都市」の実現するために策定されたものだ。 コロナ禍のドーナツモデル 「変革のためのツール」と銘打たれたこの戦略は、ラワース本人も協力した開発フェーズを経て、2020年4月に発表された。しかし、その頃ちょうど世界中でロックダウンが発生。ところが、パンデミックはこの戦略の障害になるどころか、多くの都市住民が根本的な「変化」を待ち望んでいたことを気付かせてくれるきっかけとなった。 「タイミングには疑問も感じていましたが、結果的には人々は危機後の経済を立て直すためのアイデアを求めていることが分かりました」と語るのは、アムステルダムのサステナビリティ担当副市長のマリーケ・ファン・ドーニンクだ。 彼女は同市の循環戦略について、「単に 『それまでのビジネス』に戻るのではなく、経済を異なる形にする方法を模索するためのツール。経済回復のための計画としても注目されています」と教えてくれた。さらにそのメリットは誰の目にも明らかであるべきだと、次のように強調した。「循環型経済は生産、消費、再処理が地域で行われるため、より

It’d be all too easy to dismiss Amsterdam as a City of Sin, with hordes of tourists – and a fair few locals – pursuing debauchery and late-night revelry seven days a week. But recently this city of glittering canals and picturesque gabled houses has also positioned itself as a bastion of sustainability and green innovation. So much so that earlier this year, Time Out readers voted it the third ‘greenest’ – and third most ‘sustainable’ – city in the world. This is largely thanks to the Dutch capital’s wholehearted embrace of a circular economy, the so-called ‘doughnut model’: a vision of modern sustainability first set out by University of Oxford economist Kate Raworth in 2012. This is driven by three guiding principles: eliminate waste and pollution as far as possible, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate ‘natural systems’. Renewable energy and materials should be prioritised, and there should also be a focus on ‘digital innovation’. The main goal is to create a viable future for the planet, while also meeting the needs of the human population: this sweet spot, the doughnut, is what all governments should be aiming for. Back in 2015, Amsterdam was the first city in the world to commission a study into the model’s potential at the city level. That report led to the adoption of a raft of ambitious policies and targets, ranging from renewable energy and green spaces to building sustainable food systems and reducing consumption. The city aims to cut carbon emissions