Exterior View - Droog, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Droog

Interiors at Frozen Fountain, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Frozen Fountain

Interior View - Hay Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hay Amsterdam

Interior View - Moooi Showroom, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Moooi Showroom

Interior View - X BANK, Amsterdam, Netherlands

X BANK

Amsterdam Center / Canal Belt

City

De Pijp

Jordaan

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The Franks, prominent German Jews who relocated to Amsterdam in 1933, spent almost two years, beginning in 1942, hiding in the attic rooms of this nondescript canal house to escape Nazi persecution. Anne’s diary, found after they were betrayed and deported to a German death camp, has been published in sixty languages and remains one of the most powerful personal testaments to the madness of the era.

The rooms of the attic, reached via a secret passageway behind a bookcase, are bare, save for some stickers and postcards decorating the walls, yet visiting them is a chilling and deeply moving experience, especially if you have read the journal. Eight people spent years here, in constant fear of being found: in her diary, Anne wrote, “Not being able to go outside upsets me more than I can say, and I’m terrified our hiding place will be discovered and that we’ll be shot.” The close quarters also led to daily quarrels, vividly captured by the young writer.

Anne Frank died in Bergen-Belsen a few weeks before it was liberated, in 1945. After the war, her father, Otto, the family’s sole survivor, was given her diary by his former employee Miep Gies, one of the courageous helpers who hid the family. Otto Frank later said: “When I returned and after I had the news that my children would not be coming back, Miep gave me the diary, which had been saved by, I should say, a miracle. It took me a very long time before I could read it. And I must say, I was very much surprised about the deep thoughts that Anne had, her seriousness, especially her self-criticism. It was quite a different Anne than I had known as my daughter. She never really showed this kind of inner feeling. She talked about many things, criticized many things, but what her real feelings were, that I could only see from the diary.”

The Anne Frank Huis is one of the most-visited attractions in Amsterdam, so get there early in the morning or right before it closes. Timed tickets that allow you to pass the line can also be purchased on the excellent Web site. The diary is worth rereading before you go, especially if you plan to take children. The original, a slender booklet with a plaid cover and filled with a child’s tiny neat handwriting, is on view in one of the rooms.


Anne Frank Huis at Amsterdam, Netherlands

Anne Frank Huis

Admittedly, the image of the Amsterdammer on a bicycle is as clichéd as that of the Gouda girl in a tulip field, but the capital’s citizen are serious about their two-wheel drives. Walking down an Amsterdam street at times, all you hear is the squeaking of pedals being pushed vigorously. Dutch even has numerous cycling-related idioms: Op een oude fiets moet je het leren (“You must learn it on an old bike”), for instance, means that someone older is the best instructor, while Oh, op die fiets! (“Ah, on that bike!”) indicates comprehension, and the simple Ga toch fietsen (“Go biking!”) conveys in rather strong language that the speaker wants to be left alone.

The city’s roads truly belong to two-wheelers, and if you’re game for a bit of an adventure, it’s the best and easiest way to navigate the city. If your sole purpose is to peddle through picturesque Vondelpark, MacBike (Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 114; 31-20-620-0985) is the closest to the park and will require the least riding with traffic. I preferred Mike’s Bike Shop (Kerkstraat 134 H; 31-20-622-7970), a slightly farther walk but offering “undercover bikes,” or bikes not branded with big signs for the shop, so you’ll blend in a bit and feel less like a tourist. One caveat: Mike’s does not offer any specialty bikes such as tandems or those equipped with child seats. During the summer months, a bike tour, offered by most shops, is a great way to get your bearings or explore the countryside beyond Amsterdam.

Exterior View-Bike Rentals ,Amsterdam, Netherlands-Courtesy I Amsterdam

Bike Rentals

For first-time visitors, a canal cruise is a must, since it’s easiest to understand the city’s fascinating layout from the deck of a boat. Some 200 vessels cruise the city’s intricate canal systems, and most of the large-boat tour operators begin near Central Station. A typical itinerary includes the Haarlemmersluis floodgates; the Golden Bend of the Herengracht, framed by glorious 17th-century canal houses; and numerous bridges, like the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge) over the Amstel. For more personalized tours, several operators own classic saloon boats (smaller wooden vessels) that can be rented by the hour. Indagare members can the bookings team for suggestions on private boats ranging from beautifully refurbished ships that can hold between twelve and twenty-eight people and saloon boats available for private dinners.


Aerial View-Indagare Tours: Canal Cruises ,Amsterdam, Netherlands-Courtesy I Amsterdam

Indagare Tours: Canal Cruises

Those interested in seeing what life was like in 19th-century Amsterdam should head to this double-sized canal house, formerly a private home, dating to 1672. An opulent marble staircase with a copper balustrade connects the handsomely restored period rooms, which contain a trove of antiques and display elegant craftsmanship in such details as ceiling paintings, stucco and marble and wood paneling. The Van Loons, a prominent Dutch family whose patriarch, Willem van Loon, was one of the founders of the Dutch East India Company, lived here from the late 1800s until 1945. Don’t miss the beautiful cellar kitchen or the perfectly kept gardens, which come complete with a Greek-inspired carriage house and are lovely during the warmer months.


Exterior View-Museum Van Loon ,Amsterdam, Netherlands

Museum Van Loon

Amsterdam’s most celebrated museum was under renovation for nearly a decade, reopening in Spring 2013 to much applause. Its greatest hits, including works by Franz Hals, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt, are on view in the Philips wing. The museum, which covers 800 years of Dutch art, is most well-known for its Gallery of Honour, where Rembrandt's The Night Watch hangs. The design of the church-like gallery was structured so that the piece, hanging at the end of the hall, is framed like an altar. Additional noteworthy pieces include Vermeer's The Milkmaid, and the museum's library, the largest art history library in the Netherlands, is not-to-be-missed.

Interior View-Rijksmuseum ,Amsterdam, Netherlands-Courtesy I Amsterdam

Rijksmuseum

See & Do

The historic Pulitzer Amsterdam spans 25 400-year-old canal houses, offering a modern representation of Amsterdam both past and present.

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Pulitzer Amsterdam

Set in a string of 17th century rowhouses on the iconic Herengracht canal, the Waldorf is Amsterdam’s most luxurious hotel. Read Indagare's review.

Lounge  at Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

A favorite of local trendsetters, the hipster-chic Hoxton boasts a beautiful canal-side location and is a great value option. Read Indagare's review.

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The Hoxton Amsterdam

Stay

Food at Winkel43, Amsterdam, Netherlands

First Time Musts

Dinning Area at De Kas, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Photo by Jet van Fastenhout

Classics

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Foodie Favorite

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Waterfront

Interiors at Reypenaer Proeflokaal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Local Treasures

Shop

Long a bastion of understated cool, the Danish capital is abuzz with ground-breaking restaurants, trendsetting design shops and a burgeoning arts scene. It is great for a shorter getaway as well as a longer trip combined with other Scandinavian cities, the Norwegian Fjords, Swedish Sápmi or the Faroe Islands. Easy to navigate by foot or bike, Copenhagen is home to sights and restaurants that are mostly located within its central district.

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Copenhagen

The ultimate East African safari destination attracts the best wilderness specialists in the world and offers lavish camps, including incredible options to sleep in uber-luxe safari tents. For adventurers, explorers, families and romantics, Tanzania simply cannot be beat.

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Tanzania

Formed during the Ice Age, the Norwegian fjords have a rare, raw, untouched beauty on par with Iceland, Patagonia and New Zealand. One of the world’s greatest off-the-beaten path adventure destinations, this region is defined by staggering peaks that are punctuated by waterfalls and old farmhouses, and that drop dramatically into blue fjords thousands of feet deep.

Amsterdam

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