Cozy up in a bruin café

The ideal place to enjoy Dutch gezelligheid (conviviality, coziness) is in one of its bruin cafés, regardless of the weather (brown cafes). These classic pubs get their names from its dark wood and tobacco-stained walls. With almost a thousand scattered across the city, you'll never be far from one, especially in attractive areas like the Jordaan, where canalside treasures like Café Papeneiland, Café Pieper, and 't Smalle feature candle-topped tables.

Zaandam's Hembrugterrein, formerly the site of a munitions factory, is gradually becoming a sanctuary for Amsterdam's creative elite, with a number of restaurants, museums, and artistic institutions all situated on a prime location lining the North Sea Canal. From Central Station, a direct ferry travels to Het HEM, the cultural hub at the center of this bustling new neighborhood, from Thursday through Sunday.

In addition to a living room with a library, a café with a reading table and a lakeside terrace, a hi-fi record bar, and Restaurant Europa, which serves delectable North Sea fare, Het HEM features a number of exhibition spaces where the works of brilliant local artists are proudly displayed.