Amsterdam: Cultural Highlights & UNESCO Canals Walking Tour

Visit the famous sights of Amsterdam's city centre and gain an overview of the city on this walking tour, with a focus on its culture and history. The historic canal belt surrounding the centre is even listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover local highlights such as Dam Square with important sights as the Royal Palace and Madame Tussauds Amsterdam, the Torensluis Bridge, see the Anne Frank House from the outside, and explore the Begijnhof.

Start your tour in the heart of the city at Dam Square, where Amsterdam was founded. Stroll past the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the New Church Nieuwe Kerk, the former main post office, and the Torensluis Bridge.

Hear stories about how merchants, salesmen, and the poor used to live in the Middle Ages, why the world of art blossomed in the Golden Era, how World War II changed the people of the city, and what it feels like to live in the tolerant, multicultural city today.

Learn how the city's golden age of trade helped art and creativity flourish in Amsterdam. Artists such as Rembrandt, whose works now hang in the Rijksmuseum, and Van Gogh, who has his own museum, the Van Gogh Museum, benefited greatly from the wealth generated by trade, even if not necessarily during their lifetimes. The famous Heineken brewery also grew during the city's heyday. Today, the Heineken Experience has become an integral part of Amsterdam.

See one of the smallest houses in the city and learn more about the colonial era at the statue of Multatuli on Torensluis Bridge. Stroll past romantic canal-side houses along the historic canal belt, part of Amsterdam's UNESCO-listed Canal Ring. Pass the Anne Frank House and cross Spui Square before reaching the hidden gem of Amsterdam – the Begijnhof.

Find out which foods you must try and which districts can be discovered independently by bike. Learn about architectural designs that were popular in the past and gain an insight into the local way of life.

On the way back to Dam Square see the river that the city owes its name to, the Amstel. Finish at the national monument that was originally built to remember the victims of World War II but is now a memorial to all victims who lost their lives in any war worldwide.