Amsterdam is a paradise for culturally-minded sightseers with its wealth of world-famous museums, galleries and historical monuments. But look beyond the main attractions and there are secrets and stories around every corner. Off the beaten path you'll find a different side of of the city that’s also worth exploring. Here’s your guide to some of the best of hidden gems, unusual things to do, and secret spots in Amsterdam you won’t want to miss!
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Hidden gems
An original Picasso in the Vondelpark
Picasso donated the sculpture to the city in honour of his friendship with former Stedelijk Museum director Willem Sandberg
It’s easy to walk right past this concrete sculpture at the southern end of the Vondelpark without realising that it is, in fact, by Picasso himself. Created in 1965 as part of an outdoor sculpture exhibition to mark the park’s 100th anniversary, the ‘Figure découpée l’Oiseau’ (‘The Bird’) was donated to Amsterdam by Picasso after the exhibition and has remained in the same spot ever since.
Vondelpark | Amsterdam Zuid
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Look out for the stone carvings depicting weaponry and olive branches – a reference to the Trip brothers’ work in the arms trade
Built at a time when people were taxed on the width of their house, meaning that the wider the house, the wealthier its owner, this grand house at Kloveniersburwal 29 is often referred to as the widest house in Amsterdam. In fact, the perfectly symmetrical façade conceals not one but two adjoining, symmetrical houses, built in the early 1600s for the wealthy Trip brothers, who had inherited their fortune from arms factories and forges. The famous story goes that when the Trip house was finished, the brothers’ coachman sighed and commented that he would be the happiest of men if he had a house even just as wide as their front door. The Trip brothers complied and had a little Trip house built for him across the canal. It can still be seen today.
Trippenhuis | Amsterdam Centrum
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The small barrels were made to measure for the shop in the 1700s and display the Latin names of the herbs and plants they contained
Step back in time in this 18th-century herbalists’ shop near Nieuwmarkt, opened in 1743 by a 21-year-old sailor’s son named Jacob Hooy. Harking back to the days when both tobacco and opium were considered remedies for illness, the shop still retains much of its original décor, including barrels, wooden drawers and a magnificent set of scales embellished with two entwined serpents.
Jacob Hooy & co | Kloveniersburgwal 12 | Amsterdam Centrum
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You’ll often hear that the city of Amsterdam lies below sea level, but it’s not until you see it demonstrated by giant water-filled tubes that the reality really hits home. At the NAP visitor centre (NAP stands for Normaal Amsterdams Peil – literally ‘normal Amsterdam water level’), you can see three glass tubes showing the sea level in different parts of the region – one of them reaching nearly five metres above ground.
NAP Visitor Centre | Amsterdam Centrum
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The Beth Haim cemetery at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is filled with hauntingly ornate gravestones carved in marble and featuring beautiful symbolism and inscriptions in Dutch, Portuguese and Hebrew. The graves belong to Spanish and Portuguese Jews who fled to the Netherlands in the 17th century, along with their descendants. Among other public figures buried here, Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel was a colleague and collaborator of Rembrandt.
Beth Haim cemetery | Ouderkerk aan de Amstel
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The location of the tower that stood on the bridge is marked in the cobbles on the ground. It had to be demolished in 1829 due to excessive leaning
Completed in the mid-17th century and measuring around 40 metres in width, the Torensluis (tower lock) is the city’s widest bridge – and one of its oldest. Its size and name are down to the tower that originally stood on the site until its demolition in the mid-19th century, the foundations of which are still visible both in the paving of the bridge itself and in the dungeon below. Look out for the barred windows and arched entrance to the prison cells nestled under the bridge, now open to the public and used to host events and exhibitions.
Torensluis | Amsterdam Centrum
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This lighthouse perched on a former island in the Markermeer has been guiding ships into the peninsula since the early 17th century. It was named Het Paard van Marken (the horse of Marken) because of its unusual shape. A national monument since 1970, it’s a popular photo spot during a day trip to Amsterdam’s historic harbour villages.
Het Paard van Marken | Marken
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If you can’t work out which house is which, look above the doors – the country names are displayed there
Reflective of the 19th-century fascination with travelling and discovering other countries, this row of seven houses was commissioned in the 1890s by wealthy banker and politician Samuel van Eeghen. Inspired by the various building styles of European countries, he had architect Tjeerd Cuipers design him a row of houses representative of seven different countries. The result was a fascinating and eclectic architectural tour of 19th-century Europe on one short stretch of Amsterdam street – from the Moorish influences of the Spanish house to England’s cottage charm and the Loire Valley romanticism of the French house. Russia, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands are also included in the tour.
Zevenlandenhuizen | Amsterdam Zuid
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Head to the Overtoom side of the building to see around 50 horses and ponies waiting in their stables
About halfway along the busy Overtoom (near the Vondelpark), you might notice a strange whiff of horses, more to be expected in the countryside than in such a built-up residential area. But follow your nose in the direction of the pastoral smell and you’ll be rewarded by one of the city’s most beautiful and special spaces: an ornate arena dedicated to all things equestrian. Hidden behind a rather standard-looking façade on Vondelstraat (the Overtoom entrance is actually the back of the building), the interior of this 18th-century riding school abounds with decorative Baroque features. There’s even a beautiful café with a balcony overlooking the arena, where visitors can sip tea or coffee while watching the finest horses trot around with their trainers. The entrance is at Vondelstraat 140.
Hollandsche Manege | Amsterdam Oud-Zuid
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The roof tiles and ornamentation that adorns the building’s exterior were flown in especially from China
Flanked by traditional Dutch buildings in the historical heart of the city, this magnificent Buddhist temple appears even more magical due to its incongruous surroundings. Tucked back slightly from the road behind a grand arched gateway, the golden-tiled temple is like a slice of Shanghai in the heart of Amsterdam. The interior is just as impressive and is open to the public on Saturdays when guided tours are available, some including a meditation session.
Buddhist temple Fo Guang Shan | Amsterdam Centrum
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This photogenic street in Amsterdam Noord is rich with Dutch history. Nieuwendam (new dam) was built on the relatively unused north bank of the IJ River. Fishermen, ship builders and traders built their homes here as the area became more populated, with one of earliest of the iconic wooden houses built in 1565. Designed in the same style as the gabled facades of traditional canal houses, these were built from wood to make them lighter on the newly drained land.
Nieuwendammerdijk | Amsterdam Noord
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