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Witnessed from an elevated viewing gallery, the world’s largest flower auction is an astonishing sight. With flowers, speed is of the essence, and the atmosphere is frenetic. Bidding is highly automated, using the “backwards” Dutch clock system: the clock starts at 100, then counts down until the first bidder to press his button stops the auction and wins.

Children really love this action-packed zoo, where they can pat the animals in the children’s farm, brave the steamy reptile house, see the stars in the planetarium, and marvel at the fish in the vast aquarium (see Artis).

A joyful feature of Amsterdam’s streets – there are eight of them in all.

A haven of peace and tranquillity right in the centre of the city (see Begijnhof). For more delightfulhofjes in the Jordaan.

Locals and tourists alike love the Singel’s colourful floating market (see Bloemenmarkt).

Explore the canals at your own pace. Adults may well find these pedal boats energysapping, but children will love them. They seat either two or four people, and can be boarded at four different central locations (see Canal Bikes).

The carillons of the Westertoren, Zuidertoren and Munttoren unleash their glorious peals from noon–1pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays respectively.

The tallest, at 85 m (276 ft), is the tower of Westerkerk, where the reward is not just a great view, but the city’s heaviest bell and the gaily painted imperial crown of Maximilian of Austria, his gift to the city. The towers of Oude Kerkand Zuiderkerk can also be climbed.

Huge portraits of the Civic Guard at the Amsterdams Historisch Museum (see Civic Guards' Gallery).

Sleepy Delft was shaken by a gunpowder explosion in 1654, after which the town was rebuilt – as recorded inA View of Delft by Vermeer around 1660. Since then, little has changed. There are Delft tiles in the Museum Lambert van Meerten, and in the shops. In Het Prinsenhof you can see the bullet holes left by the murder of William of Orange; his mausoleum is in the Nieuwe Kerk.