Amsterdam

A city break in Amsterdam offers the best of all worlds: days spent mooching around world-class museums and strolling along pretty canals; nights spent sweating it out in an intimate bar or a warehouse club in one of Europe’s best cities for nightlife. You’ll find masterpieces from the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, while the Stedelijk serves up the cream of the modern art crop. But it was the city’s music scene that got the most love from locals in our survey, with Paradiso – a live music venue in a former church – named the Dutch capital’s greatest cultural venue. See you on the dance floor!

‘Doe normaal is a Dutch phrase that literally translates to ‘act normal.’ This idea of blending in is a key part of the national psyche — but it’s those bucking against this trend that makes Amsterdam a cultural force,’ says writer and Amsterdam local Callum Booth. ‘Underground collectives and venues are the lifeblood of the Dutch capital, whether it’s comedy and eclectic DJ sets at De Nieuwe Anita, chess clubs and punk bands at Vondelbunker, or the people’s kitchen and collective public space De Sering, Amsterdam overflows with people and groups unafraid to stand out.’