Mrs Lunge is approaching a significant birthday and I want to book a couple of nights away with her. One option which appeals is Amsterdam so I wondered if anyone could offer advice on what is worth seeing and doing there? I’m also interested in which areas are best to stay in.

We’ll likely be there for 2 days and are more keen on cultural stuff rather than night clubs!

Thanks in advance, and apologies in advance as there is a similar thread about Barcelona as well.

How about going to Leiden instead?
it’s like a miniature Amsterdam, without the sleaze. It’s got the canals, the museums, the pretty houses, some more culture.
Instead of getting the train to Amsterdam from Schiphol, you just get one going in the opposite direction for 20 minutes.

Yes, I agree with Moses.
Leiden is lovely.
Also, Haarlem is well worth a visit – lovely architecture and shopping/eating, and they have the Frans Hals gallery, and St. Bavo church.
They can both be done easily in 2 days, with none of the sleaze of central Amsterdam.

Leiden is lovely.

can’t disagree with that (as an ex-resident) 😉 🙂
or delft
rarely went up to hamsterjam (think the Rijksmuseum had closed the the last time I went, and it re-opened a decade later)

Amsterdam this april, nice city, good architecture, stayed in a BB off wolvenstratt so easy to get to quieter side of town, from Anne Frank house onwards, easy city to walk around, canal boats good,

De dam pretty much expected tours and coffe house some great streets and the hidden church, for a look at the other side of tourism go look and contemplate

Van Gogh museum I enjoyed but expensive, overall and expensive city, good for two days

one modern art museum we went to was excellent found by chance and I can not think of its name

great fries

pretty but slightly underwhelming for me, SO rated it more than me