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In the 18th century, the Eastern docklands were packed with shipyards. Today this recently restored working yard is one of the few remaining. It has survived by moving with the times – concentrating on restoration when shipbuilding declined, producing the diesel engine that powered most inland waterways craft, and doubling as a museum. Its displays include tools, machinery, steam engines, photographs and an exhibition on 300 years of shipbuilding in the area.

An exacting climb to the top of the soaring tower of Westerkerk, a landmark close to the heart of every Amsterdammer, rewards you with a thrilling view (see Westerkerk Tower). Designed by Hendrick de Keyser and completed in 1631, its austere interior is unadorned, except for the ornate organ and its lively painted shutters. A memorial to Rembrandt reminds us that he was buried here, although the precise burial site is unknown. Outside the church, notice the poignant, diminutive statue of Anne Frank and Homomonument, the pink granite triangle which commemorates persecuted homosexuals.

Despite being very much part of the city, the man-made Western Islands have a remote, bracing quality. Comprising Bickerseiland, Prinseneiland and Realeneiland, they were created in the early 17th century to accommmodate shipyards and warehouses. In recent years, large-scale development has taken place, and modern housing now co-exists in harmony with white wooden drawbridges. Don’t miss Zandhoek on Realeneiland, with its row of charming 17th-century houses, or atmospheric Prinseneiland with its boatyard and old shuttered warehouses.

The splendid spire, with its columns, clocks, pinnacles and onion dome, was much admired by Sir Christopher Wren, and is still a prominent city landmark, even though the Zuiderkerk ceased to function as a church in 1929. Today it is an information centre for urban development.