The city with everything

FLICKING through the cocktail menu after a hard day’s sight-seeing in a new city is, it has to be said, one of life’s pleasures.

The stunning panoramic view from the Skylounge of the newly-opened Mint Hotel in the centre of Amsterdam takes it to a new level.

The vista from the rooftop bar stretches from the oldest part of the city in the foreground to the museum quarters and many of the more exclusive bars and shops in the distance. It also reveals the compactness of Amsterdam where the majority of sights and attractions are within walking distance, so even our weekend visit was long enough to get a true feel for the city.

Amsterdam is many things to many people. To some, it is the Venice of the North, others view it as a city of museums. And then there are those who see it as either the party capital of Europe or just Sin City.

All are, in their own way, appropriate tags and they help go some way to explaining why 15.7m visitors head to the city every year. Amsterdam seemed to to have a little bit of everything.

The Mint is next to Centraal Station and easy to get to from Schipol Airport on the train that runs every 20 minutes or so. It also meant we were ideally located to explore on foot, which in a city famed for its canals is definitely the best way to go.

With around 60 miles of canals and 1,550 listed buildings, even a short stroll can reveal unexpected gems and sights that would not look out of place in a children’s pop-up picture book.

The major canals of Herengracht and Keizersgracht – both traditionally the home of the most wealthy Amsterdammers are perfect for a leisurely stroll, as is Prinsengracht where the city’s tallest church can be found along with the Anne Frank Museum.

The latter is one of Holland’s most popular attractions with queues forming even early in the morning. It is easy to see the appeal. The interior where the Frank family lived secretly for two years during the Second World War has been preserved and her story is beautifully told using not only Anne’s diary but also photographs, films and possessions.

On a similar theme – and definitely my favourite Amsterdam attraction – is The Dutch Resistance Museum. It explains how the Dutch underground fought the Nazis during the near five years that their country was occupied.

All manner of stories are told, including how the locals used everything from strikes, demonstrations and armed resistance through to forging documents to try and destabilise their occupiers.

Particularly fascinating was a small exhibition about how one banker, Wally van Hall, managed, through illegal loans and a fraud at the central bank, to distribute 50m guilders (in today’s money half a billion Euros) to victims of the occupation or the resistance groups.

Working with the approval of the Dutch Government exiled in London, van Hall’s work continued for five years until he was betrayed and executed in February, 1945. Knowing none of this before my visit, I couldn’t help but marvel at this selfless and brave man. His monument outside the Nederlandsche Bank became my next “must see” attraction.

Another attraction worth setting aside some time for is the Historical Museum just off one of the main pedestrian shopping streets, Kalverstraat. The story of how Amsterdam grew from a small settlement on the Amstel river to the city of today is told through paintings, audio, film and artefacts.

The most interesting part of Amsterdam’s story charts its emergence as a 17th Century centre of world trade and decline into 19th century squalor.

Germany’s occupation in the Second World War is also covered along with the protest movements of the 1960s and how Amsterdam become renowned as one of the world’s most liberal cities courtesy of its relaxed laws on prostitution and drugs.

Also worth a look is the exhibit that covers the history of Ajax football club, and in particular its 1970s heyday. While sitting in a mocked-up stadium with two rows of seats, football fans can learn via a video how the club grew from modest beginnings to the become the vanguard of Total Football.

That was enough for me. Those who want to know a bit more, the World of Ajax tour will provide it at the club’s Arena home in the south east of the city.

As with the Resistance and Historical Museums, the World of Ajax is free to anyone who has purchased an “I Amsterdam City Card” – highly recommended for anyone wishing to explore the city and available for either 24, 48 or 72 hours. A card gives you free use of the metro, tram and bus systems along with free entry to most museums and attractions.

Being a good Yorkshire couple, my wife Anne and I were determined to get value for money from the card – hence the host of museums ticked off during our weekend stay. Highlights for Anne included the Diamond Museum and the Museum of Bags and Purses. I couldn’t resist a visit to the Press Museum to see the history of Dutch newspapers.

The I Amsterdam card also meant we travelled free on a canal cruise on our final morning. Watching the world go by from a canal boat as points of interest were picked out in five different languages over the PA system would have been a fitting way to end our trip. We couldn’t, though, resist the chance to make one final visit to the Skylounge, to take in the amazing view of this wonderful city. As we looked out across Amsterdam while sipping one last drink on the terrace, the consensus was that we would be back very soon.

GETTING THERE

* Richard Sutcliffe flew with KLM from Leeds-Bradford Airport to Schipol, Amsterdam. KLM fly three flights a day to Schipol. For more information, * visit www.klm.com or call 0871 222 7474. He stayed at the Mint Hotel which has 553 guest rooms and suites, each with Apple iMac TV and computer, fresh air conditioning and floor-to-ceiling windows. www.minthotel.com

* To buy I Amsterdam cards online, visit: www.iamsterdam.com

Information on Leeds-Bradford Airport, visit: www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk