This is the kind of charming print shop that could appear in a movie; it is so picturesque, set by the canal and crammed with lovely of old maps and prints, botanicals and landscapes. Bins are usually set up outside so passersby can flip through matted prints that sell for 14 euros and up. A flight of stairs leads down into the shop where many more rare fine art prints from the 16th to the 20th century are kept and can be framed on the spot while you wait.

The city’s most famous market—often billed as the world’s only floating flower market—takes place on moored barges near Muntplein, where some fifteen stalls offer vibrantly hued plants, flowers and bulbs. The displays are particularly glorious during tulip season, but the attraction is a bit touristy.

Ground zero for design aficionados, this Dutch design collective opened in 1993 and is still on the leading edge. Located in a beautiful old canal house near Café de Jaren and the Rembrandt House, Droog (which means “dry” in Dutch) has an ever-changing collection of fashion and design items from hundreds of brands. A recent visit turned up elaborate paper parasols and innovative lamps as well as smaller items, like trendy glasses, frames and kitchenware. Don't miss the second-floor café.

This design Mecca, in a multilevel canal house near the 717 hotel, is well worth a visit. It specializes in contemporary furniture, especially from Scandinavian and Dutch designers, as well as cool housewares, bike accessories, jewelry, stationary and chocolate.

A Danish contemporary ready-to-wear woman’s fashion brand known for its scandi-cool style and bold, expressive and colorful designs.

Fans of modern Danish modern furniture (or really all design), will fall in love with Hay Amsterdam. This concept store located in the trendy Nine Streets boutique district features a diverse collection of home goods. In addition to furniture, the store offers high-quality office accessories and Koffie Salon, giving the space a cool and casual vibe.

This gallery-like space sells avant-garde men’s shoes and man purses in hand-made leather.

Whether in need of new beauty products or a last-minute mani-pedi or massage, Soap Treatment is a haven for the beauty- and health-obsessed. Sip some tea and browse through the top-quality items for sale, including Dermalogica products, as you await your treatment.

This beloved antiques shop is run by a passionate collector, Stephan Meulendijks, who travels extensively in search of special clocks, barometers, nautical instruments, globes and other beautifully crafted objects. You may see antique toy planes, pieces of armor and collections of butterflies, which is why a visit here will entrance those of all ages.

One of the most attractive vintage shops I’ve ever discovered is on a street best known for art galleries and antiques dealers. Tamago, which means egg in Japanese is in a two-storey, loft-like store, where the owner Christine Van Lindt mixes new young European designers such as the Netherlands’ Marcha Huskes and France’s Charlotte Bialas, who transforms antique silks and textiles into great new fashions. Among the stellar vintage clothes and accessories, which have been lovingly coordinated by color and style so that the store feels more like a trendy boutique than flea market, are pieces from Chanel, Missoni, Dries van Noten, Hermès and Dolce and Gabbana.