Must-see in Amsterdam: a first-timer's guide

A brief history Amsterdam grew from a 13th-century dam on the Amstel into the richest port in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, when the canal ring was dug and the East India Company financed its merchant houses. Tolerance drew Protestant, Jewish and Huguenot refugees; the Nazi occupation destroyed most of that Jewish community. Postwar squatting, cycling and liberal social policy shaped the compact, water-laced city of today. 10 must-see attractions 1. Rijksmuseum — Rembrandt's Night Watch, Vermeer and 800 years of Dutch art. 2. Van Gogh Museum — the largest collection of his paintings and letters, hung chronologically. 3. Anne Frank House — the secret annexe where the diary was written; tickets online only. 4. Canal ring cruise — the UNESCO-listed 17th-century canals seen from the water. 5. Jordaan — narrow streets of galleries, brown cafés and the Noordermarkt market. 6. Vondelpark — the city's green living room, full of cyclists, joggers and picnics. 7. Royal Palace on Dam Square — a Golden Age town hall turned palace, opulent inside. 8. Rembrandt House Museum — the artist's restored home and printmaking studio. 9. NDSM and Amsterdam Noord — a free ferry to former shipyards full of street art and food halls. 10. Keukenhof or the flower market — tulips in season, bulbs the rest of the year. Tip: stay out of the bike lanes; they are traffic, not pavement.