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Amsterdam’s main square is named after the dam on the River Amstel, around which the city grew. By the 17th century, it had become the focus of the Dutch trading empire (see Dam Square).

Supported by a staggering 13,659 wooden piles, Jacob van Campen’s Classical building occupies one side of Dam Square. Designed as theStadhuis (town hall), it was transformed into a Royal Palace in 1808 by King Louis Bonaparte. Although it is still used for official functions, such as the wedding reception of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander in February 2002), the present royal family live elsewhere. The interior is breathtaking (see Koninklijk Paleis).

Wealthy merchant banker Willem Eggert donated his orchard as a site for this Gothic church, as well as a large sum of money for its construction. It was consecrated to Our Lady and St Catherine, but has only ever been called the Nieuwe Kerk – to distinguish it from the Oude Kerk. When the town hall became the royal palace in the early 19th century, it was given the new, elevated title of national church of the Netherlands, and has been the setting for the coronation of every Dutch monarch since then.

An excellent place to start a visit to Amsterdam, this museum chronicles how a tiny fishing village on the Amstel river grew into one of the wealthiest and most beautiful cities in the world (see Amsterdams Historisch Museum).

A charming and secluded courtyard of houses surrounding a tranquil garden in the centre of the city, the Begijnhof was established in the 14th century as a sanctuary for a lay Catholic sisterhood (see Begijnhof).

This canal house turned museum, with its sober decoration and delightful secret Catholic church, plunges the visitor back into the Golden Age (see Museum Amstelkring).

For many visitors, their experience of Amsterdam begins at Centraal Station, the transport hub of the city, where some 1,400 trains arrive and leave every day. It was built in the 1880s in Neo-Renaissance style by P J H Cuypers, who was also responsible for the startlingly similar Rijksmuseum, and A L van Gendt, designer of the Concertgebouw. Before work on the building could start, three artificial islands had to be constructed and 8,600 wooden piles sunk to support them. The fact that the building blocked Amsterdammers’ view of the sea caused much controversy at the time. The ornate red-brick façade depicts themes of travel, trade and city history, picked out in gold and other colours. If you have time to while away, the station restaurant Eerste Klas serves full and light meals in a splendid Art Nouveau setting.

The innovative Stock Exchange building was derided when it was unveiled in 1903, but is now considered a key work of the period and almost universally admired. Designed by the pioneer of Dutch modern architecture, H P Berlage, its functional lines are softened by ornamental ironwork and tiled mosaics. The Stock Exchange has now moved next door, and Beurs van Berlage is home to the Nederlands Philharmonic Orchestra. It is used for concerts and exhibitions, and contains a permanent display on the history of the Stock Exchange. Try to get a look at the amazingly light and spacious interior.

Located in a stately Neo-Classical house built in the 1860s as a bank, this delightful small museum was named after the University of Amsterdam’s first Professor of Classical Archaeology, and contains its archaeological collection. Fascinating exhibits conjure up vivid pictures of life in ancient civilizations; they include Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi, Coptic clothes, Cypriot jewellery, Greek geometric and red-figured pottery, Etruscan metalwork and Roman glassware and statuary. One of the museum’s attractions is its size: even with an extra wing opened in 1994, it is possible to see everything in one visit.

One of the most genial places in the city, this small square lined with cafés, bars and bookshops is generally quiet during the winter, but in summer, it bursts into life at lunchtime and again in the evening, when people spill out onto the pavement from bars. Cheek by jowl with university buildings, Spui has traditionally been a place where intellectuals gather to drink and debate. There is also a Friday book market. During the Provo riots of the 1960s, the square was the scene of political protests and demonstrations, during which Carol Kneulman’s twee statue of an urchin,Het Lieverdje (Little Darling) was frequently daubed with slogans. At No. 18, Café Hoppeis a landmark brown café, in business for more than 300 years.