By Suzanne Carmel

Before you plan a long weekend getaway to London, Paris or Rome, consider booking a several-day trip to Amsterdam, a city chock full of museums and sights, with easily accessible excursions from the city. Whether you’re into culture or a foodie, searching for quirky attractions or great places to walk or bike, you can find it all here. Amsterdam can even be combined with a day or two in neighboring Belgium to make for a memorable vacation.

Here are some of the top things to see and do in and around this European metropolis:

1. Take to the Canals

The Dutch have a saying, “God created the Earth but the Dutch made the Netherlands,” and it’s true that the Netherlands was literally reclaimed from the North Sea through the construction of a system of dikes, canals and pumps. Much of the population lives within a third of the country that is below sea level and would otherwise be under water. Walk alongside the city’s three main canals, the Herengracht, Prisengracht and Keiserzgracht, or take one of the many tours that will give you an overview of the city while you float past canal houses, tourist sights and monuments. You can purchase tickets for these tours online or on the spot at one of the starting points. If you’d like a second helping or something a little different, consider a wine and cheese or a candlelit dinner tour – just two of many specialized experiences on the canals.

Photo credit: Roel Backaert, I amsterdam

2. Soak Up Some Artwork

If you have time for only two of the museums in Amsterdam, visit the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, just a four-minute walk apart. It’s possible to see both in one day, preferably with a break for lunch in between. Spend the morning in the smaller Van Gogh Museum, which tends to get more crowded and is a favorite with both locals and visitors. It’s home to more than 200 of the artist’s paintings, including Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Potato Eaters; self-portraits; more than 500 of Van Gogh’s drawings and 750 written documents, as well as work by other painters who were friends or contemporaries. In the afternoon, visit the Rijkmuseum, a Dutch National Museum, and home to Rembrandt’s most well known and largest painting, Night Watch. It’s a must-see, along with the rest of the Gallery of Honour; Cuypers Library – the biggest and oldest art history library in Holland; the Delft Blue pottery collection; and centuries-old dolls’ houses (the oldest dating back to 1676). There is enough here to warrant a day or two, but those with limited time can hit these highlights within a few hours.

Photo credit: Philipp Benedikt, I amsterdam - Anne Frank House

3. Visit the Anne Frank House

One of the most well known and impactful sites in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House features the secret annex where the Frank family hid from the Nazis for two years during World War II and where she wrote her diary, which has been translated into 70 languages and more than 30 million copies sold. You’ll learn about Anne Frank, her family and the others in hiding through original objects, videos, photos and excerpts from the diary itself. Buy tickets online, well in advance of your visit, as it’s often crowded here and tickets sell out quickly. It’s a very moving experience and should be included in any first-time visit to the city.

Photo credit: Flickr - The Pancake Bakery

4. Sample a Dutch Pancake

No visit to Amsterdam would be complete without sampling a sweet or savory Dutch pancake. They differ from American pancakes in that they are much larger and thinner, made with all manner of ingredients. Try some at The Pancake Bakery, located in a 17th-century Dutch East India Company canal house on the Prisengracht, not far from the Anne Frank House. This is the oldest pancake bakery in the city, opened in 1973 and owned by the same family since 1980. Though it’s often crowded, there are tables on the main floor and upstairs, so there is plenty of seating. It’s well worth the wait and you should save room to try more than one pancake, sharing them with your dining companions.

5. Say Cheese

The Amsterdam Cheese Museum is also located on the Prisengracht, a quirky attraction, packed with plenty of cheese to sample and for sale. Learn about the history of cheese-making and about Dutch cheese, which is vacuum packed here so it can be taken back home after your trip ends. Admission is free and it’s a welcome break after strolling around the city or for a bit of snacking between seeing the sights.

6. Sit in on a Symphony Concert

Amsterdam is home to The Royal Concertgebouw, widely considered one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world. The hall held its first concert in 1888 and has been entertaining concertgoers ever since. For ten months of the year (closed in July and August) you can sit in on a free lunchtime concert held on most Wednesdays. Expect to hear anything from the symphony’s public rehearsal to a chamber music performance by newer artists. Tickets are available from the entrance hall beginning at 11:30 a.m. for lunchtime concerts in the Recital Hall. Keep in mind that tickets are required in the Recital hall but not in the Main Hall. Doors open 20 minutes before the concert begins.

7. Dine on Rijsttafel

Reserve a table at an Indonesian restaurant for rijsttafel, which literally means rice table in Dutch. Dutch involvement in Indonesia lasted for more than 300 years, consequentially influencing cuisine back in the Netherlands. Rijsttafel is many small dishes of meats and vegetables all served with steaming white rice. Come hungry and pace yourselves during this veritable feast. Restaurant Blauw, located in both Amsterdam, and Utrecht, offers fish, vegetarian, meat and mixed rijsttafel, to meet various dietary preferences. You can make a reservation for up to six people on their website or can contact them directly by email or phone.

8. Toast with a Local Brew

Heineken was founded in Amsterdam in 1864 and you can learn all about the beer in a fun, interactive experience at the original Heineken brewery, now serving as the World of Heineken®. Self-guided tours last 90 minutes and finish with two beers. VIP tours include behind-the-scenes experiences led by a Heineken connoisseur, access to one of the hidden bars on site, a tasting of five beers paired with matching small bites, and a personalized Heineken beer bottle. You can book both tours online for a time that fits your itinerary.

Photo Credit: Flickr - Keukenhof gardens

9. Everything in Bloom

The Keukenhof gardens are open for less than two months, during the springtime when fields of tulips bloom across the Netherlands. Though tulips are considered a Dutch product, they originated in Turkey, as you will learn when you visit the gardens, which first opened to the public in 1950. You’ll see 7 million spring flowering bulbs, a variety of gardens, as well as sculpture and other works of art. You can rent bikes or book tickets for a boat trip to explore the flowering landscape near the Keukenhof, where there are several restaurants and snack shops on site. Get your tickets online or onsite, either for park entrance or in combination with bus or train tickets. The park is a 40-minute drive from Amsterdam and is easily accessible by public transportation.

10. Day Trip to Delft

Just a 45-minute drive from Amsterdam, the small, picturesque town of Delft is home to world-famous, hand painted, Delft Blue pottery. You can visit Royal Delft to learn how the pottery is made through an audio-visual presentation, followed by either a self-guided audio tour or an escorted trip through the museum and factory, followed by a painting demonstration and a visit to the showroom, where you can purchase both traditional and modern pottery. Buy your tickets online or onsite; they can even be combined with one of several tours of the city.

If you have two or three extra days, you can visit the fairytale town of Bruges, Belgium, a UNESCO World Heritage City and an easy train ride from Amsterdam. This storybook town, dubbed “The Venice of the North,” is full of canals and chocolate shops, beautiful parks and historic sights. Make Hotel Dukes’ Palace your home base. The five-star hotel is located steps from all of the sights and attractions. A former residence of Burgundian aristocracy, the hotel blends 15th century elegance with modern luxury. Take a canal boat tour or a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. Visit the Markt (Market Square) and climb the 366-steps to the top of the Belfry for a panoramic view of the city. Learn about the city’s roots at the Historium and then stroll through Minnewater Park. Be sure to stop in shops throughout the city for chocolate, lace and tapestries.

For more information on Amsterdam visit www.holland.com or www.iamsterdam.com. For more information on Bruges visit www.visitbruges.be.