Amsterdam is reknowned as one of Europe’s top party cities with a whole variety of nightlife that will appeal to all ages and tastes.

There are many bars dotted around Amsterdam and you can choose whether to spend a few quiet hours in a neighbourhood bar or one of the trendier venues in the centre of the city. For live music and dancing it’s worth heading for the Rembrantsplein-Leidseplein area.

Increasingly popular are the ‘grand cafes’, a mixture of a bar and café, where you can try out the excellent range of Dutch beers or just sit with a newspaper over a coffee.

Amsterdam’s clubs usually open at 10pm and, by law, must close promptly at 4am during the week and 5am at the weekend. Only those over 18 years are allowed to purchase alcohol in bars and clubs and ID will often be asked for.

‘Coffee shops’ in Holland are allowed to sell small amounts of cannabis and are strictly regulated and taxed. They must not sell to anyone under 18 and they must not sell more than 5g to any customer. Hard drugs are strictly prohibited.

For the more culturally minded, there is plenty on offer in the way of opera, theatre, classical music concerts, jazz, ballet etc.