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Nestling in the centre of the canal ring are these three parallel rows of cross-streets bordered by Singel and Prinsengracht to east and west, and Raadhuisstraat and Leidsegracht to north and south. Known collectively as the Nine Streets, these charming, largely car-free roads were once a centre for the leather trade. Today they are packed with amusing, imaginative and sometimes eccentric shops like De Witte Tandenwinkel, devoted to toothbrushes. In Gasthuismolensteeg, don’t miss the Brilmuseum at No. 7, an enchanting museum and shop devoted to spectacles old and new (open noon–5pm Wed–Sat).

Climb the broad outside stairs to the roof for a striking view across the Oosterdok to the city (see NEMO).

The most arresting feature of this interactive science and technology centre – the largest in the Netherlands – is the building itself. Designed by Renzo Piano, its harbour location (in the Eastern Islands) gave the impetus for a green copper structure resembling a vast ship. The great views from the top deck will certainly appeal, even if the hands-on games, experiments and demonstrations, designed to entertain and educate both children and adults, do not.

New Year’s Eve starts slowly and explodes into life at midnight with firework displays (there’s an organized one over the Amstel) and wild street-partying centred on Nieuwmarkt and Dam Square. As with all events of this sort, things can sometimes get out of hand.

Behind a dull façade, a row of 17th-century houses – 19 in all – have been knocked together to create a luxurious hotel.

This monumental hotel, with 468 rooms and 36 apartments, has come a long way from its beginnings as a humble coffee shop. The facilities are phenomenal. Of the four restaurants, the original cast-iron and glass Winter Garden is the most stunning.

The second parish church in Amsterdam was built after the congregation outgrew the Oude Kerk. Burnt down several times, its oldest part is the choir, dating from around 1400 (see Nieuwe Kerk, Nieuwe Kerk).