Amsterdam is one of Europe’s coolest cities. Stunningly beautiful canals crisscross gorgeous, pristine cobblestone streets, everywhere you turn is an area of the city even more beautiful than the next. The people in Amsterdam all seem to be cut from the same perfect cloth. It’s an oddly utopian feeling place. There’s also quite a bit of culture and fun things to do.

Amsterdam is built mainly on the South shore of the IJ River which runs in a mostly East/West orientation. Along that river is a grand central train station called Centraal Station. Centraal Station forms the center of the city which extends out in half circle concentric rings to the West, South and East. The words for the cardinal directions in Dutch are Noord (N), Zuid (S), Oost (E) and West (W) and are used regularly to describe the areas of the city. The area at the center of the city, around the train station, is referred to as Centrum. At the heart of Centrum is the oldest part of Amsterdam called De Wallen, also known as the Red Light District. In a ring around the Red Light District are a bunch of gorgeous residential neighborhoods interspersed with boutique shopping and small restaurants and cafes. In the far west side of Centrum is the Jordaan neighborhood. To the South is the famous De Pijp neighborhood. And, to the East is the old Jewish neighborhood. The Dutch word for old is ‘oud.’ Outside of Centrum is Oud-West, Oud-Zuid and Oud-Oost. Behind the train station is the IJ waterfront and the Noord section of the city.

The best places to stay in Amsterdam are around the outer ring of the Centrum neighborhoods. Airbnbs can be hit or miss within the city, but hotels are often prohibitively expensive. Amsterdam is a fantastic walking and biking city, probably the best in the world, so don’t overthink the location too much. The Red Light District is probably a little too loud for most people. But, anything within a couple blocks of that canal ring is going to be fine and you’re going to enjoy walking around even if you’re further outside of the city center than you think you should be. There honestly is not a bad spot in the city. It’s truly astounding how far you can walk without hitting a crappy part of town. The entire city is just one gorgeous area after another filled with perfect people in every direction as far as the eye can see.

The Neighborhoods of Amsterdam

Below you’ll find a short write up of each area of the city to help you better orient yourself.

Centrum: Starting at Amsterdam’s Centraal Station the city expands outward in a sea of concentric semi-circles with streets coming out from the train station like spokes on a wheel. Within Centrum you will find De Wallen (The Red Light District), Canal Ring, Jordaan and Nieuwmarkt en Lastage

– De Wallen (Red Light District): At the very center of the city, immediately outside the train station there is a small strip of land, surrounded on all sides by canals. Here lies Amsterdam’s party haven directly in the heart of the city. Known world-wide for it’s window prostitutes and ample weed cafes, this section of town is so much more than a place for drugs and sex. As the oldest neighborhood in the city, De Wallen is steeped in history and, despite its reputation, is very clean and respectable. The Dutch have a way of normalizing sex and drugs in way that makes them a lot less seedy than you might expect. It’s not uncommon to see well off, perfectly dressed and well manicured families pushing strollers around the outskirts of the Red Light District.

– Canal Ring: When you think of Amsterdam and it’s gorgeous canals lined with tilted brick facade row homes, you are thinking about Canal ring. These concentric circles spread out with De Wallen at their center encompassing a huge area of the city and many of its most important destinations. Cafes, restaurants, bars and boutique stores are interspersed with the nicest residential homes you’ll find in any city in the world. The biggest attraction around canal ring, besides the insanely beautiful canals themselves are Dam Square, where you’ll find the Royal Palace, Nieuwe Kerk (second oldest church in Amsterdam) and De Bijenkorf (famous department store in Amsterdam), The 9 Streets (a famous shopping district in Amsterdam) and Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt Square), where you’ll find a delightful square with great restaurants, bars, dance clubs and live music.

– Jordaan: Just past the western-most canal ring is the small residential area of Jordaan. Jordaan is probably the Netherland’s most famous neighborhood. Here you’ll find The Anne Frank House, Cafe Chris (the Jordaan’s oldest bar), Noorderkerk a gorgeous protestant church and one of Amsterdam’s nicest event venues. Jordaan also borders “The 9 Streets.”

– Nieumarkt en Lastage: Moving southward from Centraal Station towards the River Amstel you will find Nieumarkt en Lastage. The Northern most side of the neighborhood features some stunningly creative architecture and many modern buildings like the NEMO Science museum. The southern section of Nieuwmarkt en Lastage is where you will find the Rembrandt House Museum and the city’s Jewish Quarter.

Oud-West is a lovely residential area of long continuous strings of row homes with some great cafes and bistros mixed in. It’s a great place to stay in an Airbnb while still being within walking distance of Centrum. The highlight of Oud-West is De Hallen, a giant hall of food vendors built inside an old train depot.

Oud-Zuid is one of the most desirable residential neighborhoods with fancy homes, streets of upscale shopping, world-famous museums and a beautiful city park. Oud-Zuid has the city’s most fashionable shopping streets: PC Hooftstraat, Van Baerlestraat and Beethovenstraat. Don’t miss Cornelis Schuytstraat and its trendy boutiques and home stores for a special Dutch outfit or gift. The main attraction in Oud-Zuid is the Museumplein where you’ll find Amsterdams most impressive and famous museums like the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Every Saturday at the intersection of Jacob Obrechtstraat and Johannes Verhulststraat there is a great pop-up market put on by the local residents.

De Pijp, known as Amsterdam’s Latin Quarter, is filled with hip boutique shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. It also sports a daily food market. This vibrant Bohemian quarter has a youthful energy. You won’t be at a loss to find things to do and places to stay in this upbeat, lively area of the city. Every day of the week except Sunday you can find Amsterdams most bustling street market, the Albert Cuypmarkt along Albert Cuypstraat, between Van Woustraat and Ferdinand Bolstraat. Besides the market you’ll also find the Heineken Experience here. No one knows what De Pijp actually means. Some surmise that it refers to its long narrow streets that resemble pipes, others believe it refers to the gas company, The Pipe, that used to service the area.

Oud-Oost is filled with some gorgeous parks and bike/walking paths, as well as some of the city’s most stunning residential homes. The main tourist attractions are the brewery built inside an old windmill, Brouwerij ’t IJ, and a daily street market named the Dappermarkt.

Noord: You’ll have to take the free ferry across the IJ River, but it is well worth your trip after you’ve fully explored Centrum and its surrounding neighborhoods. A center for artwork, creativity and trendy cuisine, you’ll grab the ferry from Centraal Station and spend an afternoon walking around this up and coming region of Amsterdam. Besides the open terraces, upstart cafes and unique restaurants built on the docks of Amsterdam overlooking the city, the main tourist attraction here is the EYE Film Institute, a museum for film enthusiasts where admission is free.