AMSTERDAM SUN 5 JUL

Be a (gay) tourist

Amsterdam offers so much more than gay bars and darkrooms. But of course you knew that, and that's why all the cultural riches of the city are high on your To Do list..... right? Amsterdam is - of course - famous for its canals and museums. And yes, some of the clichés are true: the canal houses look picturesque, bikes everywhere, tulips on the flower market and it's possible to get stoned simply off the clouds of smoke emanating from some of the coffee shops. But Amsterdam has many faces.

Do the obvious

If you’re visiting Amsterdam for the first time, you might want to see a bit more than the bars and clubs. For first-timers, the canal boat tour is compulsory: in an hour or so you'll get an excellent view of the 17th century canal houses from the water.

There are several tours which all take you through the canals, show you the hundreds of bridges and take you into the old harbour.

Also be sure you drop by the flower market by the Singel. This is where you'll find all your tulips bulbs and wooden shoes. It's souvenir time!

Ok, they are all women and the guys strolling around are mainly heterosexual, but if you haven't been to the Red Light District near Central Station, you haven't been to Amsterdam! Fortunately, most of the gay leather bars are nearby.

Homomonument and Anne Frank

Be sure you also pay a visit to the only gay monument in the world. You can find the Homomonument next to the Westerkerk in the Jordaan area.

The monument consists of three pink, granite triangles, together forming one larger triangle. The triangle in the water of the canal is often used to commemorate the victims of AIDS.

Next to the Homomonument you'll find Pink Point: a gay and lesbian information booth run by volunteers. Pink Point offers information and flyers from local organisations. It also offers an assortment of gay guides, souvenirs and gifts.

The Anne Frank House is just around the corner from the Homomonument and another spot not be missed.

You’ll probably need to queue for an hour or so, but once inside you get an impressive tour through the Achterhuis, where Anne wrote her diary, and a holocaust exhibition.

Museums

Amsterdam has many museums. The most famous ones are the Rijksmuseum, where you'll be able to see the world famous Nightwatch by Rembrandt and the Van Gogh Museum, with the world's largest collection of works by the Dutch 19th century painter. At the Amstel river you'll find the new Hermitage, which will be extended in Spring 2009.

For more contemporary art you can visit the Stedelijk Museum which is temporarily located near Amsterdam Central Station, as the main building is being renovated.

Are you into wax? The Amsterdam branch of Madame Tussauds on the Dam square gives you the opportunity to meet the wax versions of famous people from around the world and Holland in person.

Amsterdam also has a variety of other museums to explore, like the Heineken Experience or the recently opened Handbag Museum (Tassenmuseum), which is very popular with the gay tourists.

Other cultural things to do

The Concertgebouw presents the best classical orchestras in the world. Are you into ballet or opera, check out the schedule of the Muziektheater, located near City Hall on the Amstel River.

The brand new and spectacular Muziekgebouw Aan 'T IJ offers more contemporary music and jazz. Just pop by to see the building and enjoy the terrace on a sunny day. It will offer you one of the most spectacular views in the city.

More info

For more info about Amsterdam tourism, you can check out these official Amsterdam tourist websites:

I Amsterdam or AmsterdamTourist.nl

Museums

Sight seeing