‘Skip the centre for traditional brown bars’ The European city with historic flea markets and direct trains

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in some of your favourite holiday hotspots – as well as some lesser-known gems. This week, our sights are set on Amsterdam, a city that has long been loved by Brits but changes every time we visit. Here’s why a trip to Amsterdam should be on the cards Credit: Alamy It is home to one of Europe’s most beautiful train stations Credit: Alamy As the Sun’s Assistant Travel Editor, and someone who goes to Amsterdam most years, Sophie Swietochowski said: “There’s so much more to Amsterdam than its winding canals (although they are a big selling point). “Amsterdam’s laidback cafe culture is the reason why this city holds such a special place in my heart – venture a little way from the busy hub outside of the main train station, you’ll find quiet cobbled streets lined with traditional brown bars where locals spill onto the pavements. Sign up for the Travel newsletter Thank you! “Here is where you can pick up a local pint (£3.50) and the well-known bar snack bitterballen (deep-fried balls of stewed meat) usually served with a tangy, mustard dipping sauce for around €6 (£5.16) . They’re delicious and addictive. Here are some of our other top recommendations for a trip to the Dutch city. MUST SEE / DO Amsterdam has more than 1,200 bridges, and most visitors spend the day walking over them. Go under them instead: hire a small private boat and tour the city from the water, mooring up for a bite to eat, or for an hour at whichever attraction you drift past. Back on land, start at Museumplein, the square behind the Rijksmuseum — the national museum of the Netherlands — then walk on to Vondelpark, at its best in late spring and summer when the park is in full bloom. Its open-air theatre stages free shows through the summer, though it is worth booking ahead. Most read in Travel HIDDEN GEM Waterlooplein, the city’s oldest flea market, has traded on the same square since 1893 and opens Monday to Saturday. Saturday brings the biggest spread of stalls — huge brass bells, turquoise jewellery, vintage cowboy boots — and the best odds of turning up a treasure for the wardrobe or the home. A walk along the canal is one of the popular tourist activities Credit: Alamy BEST VIEW A short walk from Amsterdam Centraal is OBA Oosterdok, the largest public library in the Netherlands. Browse the shelves by all means, but the real reason to stop is the seventh-floor terrace, where a small panoramic viewpoint looks south over the city. Entry is free, and the outdoor terrace opens roughly April to October. RATED RESTAURANT Cantine de Caron sits in the old machine building of the Westergasfabriek, on the edge of Westerpark, and the raw industrial shell does much of the work. This is French cooking from TV chef Alain Caron and his sons: bistro classics with a Mediterranean lean, served in a busy, unstuffy room with the chefs at work in an open kitchen at the back. Dishes are built to play flavours off each other — black garlic espuma, cured egg yolk, feta foam — and the wine list runs through the major French regions. In summer, ask for the terrace facing the park. BEST BAR Cafe Twee Prinsen, a few minutes from the Anne Frank House, is one of the best wine bars in the city. On a sunny day it is a brilliant spot to take a wooden stool outside by the canal and order a few small plates with a bottle or two. Inside, it is the massive wine collection in chilled glass cabinets that you notice first. The wine is the draw, but the small plates are the underdogs: cheese, sardines swimming in oil with a wedge of lemon, butter beans in red sauce. HOTEL PICK Leonardo Hotel Amsterdam Rembrandtpark sits on the edge of Rembrandtpark, a 15-minute tram ride from the centre. Its Floor17 terrace, 85m up, is billed as the tallest rooftop in Amsterdam — a stylish spot for a drink and a long look at the skyline. Rooms cost from £93 per night on a room-only basis. See leonardohotels.co.uk. Comment now