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A chance to see inside a private canal house, whose grand yet approachable 18thcentury interior recreates a bygone age (see Museum Van Loon).

Though it lacks the lived-in feel of the Museum Van Loon, this 17th-century canal house has its own special atmosphere. An air of stiff formality tinged with melancholy pervades its stately rooms: the Ballroom; the Blue Room, reserved for the men of the house, with painted ceiling by Jacob de Wit; the glittering Dining Room; and the delicate Garden Room, with views over the formal garden. The collections of its last owners, Sandrina Holthuysen and her husband, Abraham Willet, are displayed throughout – paintings, glass, ceramics, silver. The top floors are used for temporary exhibitions. It was the widowed Sandrina who left the house and its contents to the city. She died a lonely death in 1885.

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a walk along the banks of the Amstel, the river whose mouth spawned a fishing settlement in the 12th century (see c. 1125: First Settlers). In 1222 the river was dammed, and Amsterdam turned from fishing to trade – the beginning of its expansion. Commercial barges still ply the river, passing Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge), inspired by thebelle époque Pont Alexandre III in Paris, the much-loved Magere Brug, and the Amstelsluizen (sluice gates), which help to pump millions of gallons of fresh water into the canals to keep them from stagnating.

This former butter market has what you might call a split personality. In its centre is a 19th-century statue of Rembrandt set in a tranquil garden, but around its sides are neon-lit, low-brow and – at night – high-octane bars and cafés, packed with Amsterdammers and visitors alike. This is a great place for an early evening drink; you might choose grand cafés Schiller and De Kroon, as popular at the turn of the 20th century as they are now.

Amsterdam’s – perhaps the world’s – most elaborate cinema was the extraordinary creation of a driven, self-made Jewish tailor from Poland. Obsessed by film and the belief that it could change lives, he masterminded a vast team of craftsmen and conjured the cinema, in 1921, in a slum known as Devil’s Corner. He was later to perish in Auschwitz, but his wonderful creation – loosely Art Nouveau, but termed Tuschinski Style for its unique mixture of influences – lives on. In 2002 it reopened, after a multi-million dollar renovation. In the process, hitherto unknown paintings of Vogue-style ladies were uncovered, and the theatre has been returned to its former breathtaking glory. Buy a ticket for Screen One to admire the main theatre before the lights go down.

Take a close look at the Mint Tower (it was briefly used as the city mint in 1673). Its bottom half is the remnant of a gate in the medieval city wall. When the gate burned down in 1618, Hendrick de Keyser slapped one of his clock towers (see Noorderkerk) on top of the remains. The carillon of 1699 rings every 15 minutes. Today, there is a gift shop on the ground floor.

Undoubtedly one of Amsterdam’s most picturesque sights, the flower market is a magnet for tourists. There are local shoppers too, buying armfuls for their houses, while visitors arrange for bulbs to be mailed home. Vendors once sailed up the Amstel from their nurseries to this spot on the Singel, selling their wares directly from their boats. Nowadays the stalls are still floating, though you wouldn’t know it as they feel firmly fixed.

In the late 19th century, specialist antique dealers with an eye for an opportunity began to set up shop on Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, leading to the newly opened Rijksmuseum. There are more than 80 of them in the area now, making it a sparkling, elegant place in which to stroll. Content yourself with looking longingly at the gleaming displays of antique furniture, porcelain and glass, or treat yourself to a faded old Delft tile for just a few euros from Kramer.

The biggest draw to Heineken’s former brewery, which ceased production here in 1988, must be the free beer at the end of the tour (if you are over 18). On the way, you will learn the story of Holland’s most famous brewery, walk through the brewhouse with its huge copper stills, and visit the stables. The dray horses here are still to be seen carting beer, but only for publicity purposes.

Shabby but vibrant, De Pijp is a district where a wide mix of immigrants, artists, students and young couples create a heady atmosphere. Albert Cuypmarkt, which has been trading since 1904, is its bustling hub. The street it occupies, once a canal, was named after Dutch landscape painter Albert Cuyp. With around 350 stalls, backed by all manner of shops and ethnic restaurants, it’s an unmissable experience. Typically Dutch food stalls – cheese, fish, waffles – jostle merrily with clothes, fabrics, shoes and bags, all selling at rock-bottom prices.