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Most of Amsterdam’s state-run museums participate in this scheme, run by SMK (Stichting Museumkaart), to offer free or reduced-price entry for one weekend. Details are published through the Tourist Board in mid-March.

On the Queen’s birthday, the whole city becomes a gigantic street party. The locals sell bric-a-brac from stalls outside their houses, there’s a fair in Dam Square, and people dressed in monarchist orange throng the streets. Music blares, fireworks fill the night sky, and the party goes on till dawn.

The day afterHerdenkingsdag (Remembrance Day), Liberation Day celebrates the end of the Nazi occupation with impromptu speeches, concerts and open-air markets in the Vondelpark, Leidseplein, Museumplein and Rokin.

An exciting programme of theatre, music, opera, ballet and art staged at various venues in and beyond the city, the Holland Festival has earned itself a prestigious reputation, attracting top-flight performers from the Netherlands and abroad.

An exciting opportunity to see what lies behind the gabled façades and medieval doorways of some of the city’s most historic buildings, which are open to the public for free over this weekend.

In a spectacular procession, floats proceed from Aarlsmeer, home of the flower industry (see Aarlsmeer Bloemenveilingen), to Dam Square, weighed down by countless varieties of flowers – but not tulips, which are out of season. Watch from Vijzelstraat rather than join the crush in the Dam. The illuminated floats make a magical return journey.

National and international stars perform classical music concerts at 20 historic locations around the three canals of the Grachtengordel. The highlight is a free piano recital given on a barge on Prinsengracht opposite the Pulitzer Hotel.

This picturesque district (see Jordaan)makes an ideal setting for a low-key early-autumn festival. The local talent comes out of the woodwork for contests on Westermarkt, and there are concerts, street parties and fairs – like the one devoted to food in Noordermarkt (see Jordaan Festival).

The Christmas festivities start here. St Nicholas – the Dutch Santa Claus – arrives near St Nicholaas Kerk by boat with his mischievous elves,Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters). Together, they distribute sweets and gifts to the children of Amsterdam.

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.