Amsterdam with a Local

• Our Lord in the Attic Museum - Hidden in the heart of the city center, this museum showcases a secret historical church, commissioned in an attic of a 17th-century canal house during a time when it was forbidden to practice the Catholic faith

• Wereldmuseum - Formerly known as Tropen Museum, Wereldmuseum focuses on how people live worldwide. Colonialism and its impact are important themes in the museum and exhibits, along with topics such as global trade, migration, climate change and urbanization

• Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam - One of the world’s oldest botanical gardens

• Foam Photography Museum - Contemporary photography museum

• Nieuwe Spiegelstraat - Five blocks packed with art galleries, antique dealers and vintage goods

• The Nine Streets - Picturesque streets connecting the canals, filled with unique boutiques, cafes and galleries. Food options: de Kaaskamer (cheese shop); Cafe de Doffer (old Dutch cafe) and my favorite candy store (see below)

• Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje - Charming old candy store with an entire wall of black licorice varieties — for my fellow black licorice lovers, it is a must visit. There are dozens of candy jars with options upon options. The owner will help you choose a variety based on your likes.

• Zaanse Schans - Rent a bike and ride along the canals on the outskirts of town; it will take about an hour to pedal out to Zaanse Schans, a village that is an open-air museum where people also live, with working windmills and museums

• Take a walk along the canals in the early morning and enjoy the serenity before the action of the day starts

• Visit a canal house museum (or two). Some options: Rembrandt House (where he lived and worked), Museum Van Loon (17th-century patrician family home and garden) and Huis Willet- Holthuysen (17th-century patrician mansion)

• Canal cruise is a must — preferably one of the small private boat options

Day trips

• Keukenhof, home to one of the world’s largest flower gardens

• Delft, city of Vermeer

• Antwerp, city of Belgian avant-garde fashion and diamonds

• Bakkerji Mater - Good bakery/coffee

• Cafe Krom - Historical Dutch cafe with 1920s interior — stop for a coffee and apple pastry

• Cafe de Klepel - No menu, just one selection per night along with a great wine selection

• De Kas - Vegetable-focused, farm-to-table restaurant inside a greenhouse

• Cafe Schiller - Art Deco/Art Nouveau cafe restaurant with classic bistro fare

• D & A Hummus Bistro - For a lunchtime hummus feast

• Cafe Kadjik - Some of the best Indonesian food in town — Indonesia used to be a colony of the Netherlands, hence the many Indonesian restaurants in town

• Cafe Parlotte - Dutch/French bistro with seasonal set menu that changes daily, paired with oysters, charcuterie and wine