A Guide to Amsterdam from Parking Luton Airport

No trip to The Netherlands would be complete without an exploration of the nation’s largest city, Amsterdam. Long a center of Dutch art and culture, this vibrant capital city has much to offer visitors.

House of Bols, Cocktail and Genever Experience

This unique museum, operated by the Bols distillery, takes guests on a tour of the genever -- or Dutch gin -- distilling process throughout history. Lean how Lucas Bols, the world’s oldest distilled liquor brand, got its start in 1575. Visit the Hall of Taste, where your senses will be stimulated by the smells and tastes of all 36 types of Bols liquors and genvers. After the tour, you’ll enjoy a complimentary hand-mixed cocktail. You can even take a “flair bartending” class in the Mirror Bar. Tour participants must be 18 or older.

Van Gogh Museum

Art enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Van Gogh Museum. Originally constructed to hold the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh’s younger brother, Theo, today the museum holds more than 500 drawings and 200 paintings by the elder van Gogh brother and his contemporaries, including Bernard, Gauguin, Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. Van Gogh, a Dutch native, was born in 1853 and taught himself to paint and draw. Though his career lasted less than 10 years, he was very prolific, creating such famous works as The Yellow House in Arles and Wheatfields With Crows, as well as many self-portraits, landscapes and still-lifes. The museum also houses artifacts and educational materials.

Albert Cuyp Market

Spend an afternoon browsing the stalls and shops at the Albert Cuyp Market. This street market, set in the Oud-Zuid district, has been in operation since the 19th century. Today, the market operates six days per week and features a diverse range of items, from fresh produce and seafood to clothing, jewelry and electronics to that quintessential Dutch street food, syrup waffles. Don’t miss the collection of hole-in-the-wall ethic restaurants that line the streets around the market.

Begjinhof

For a glimpse into life in historic Amsterdam, explore the Begijnhof. First established as a convent in the 1300s, today this enclave houses several residences and churches, all surrounding a peaceful greenspace. The Begijnhof contains a lovely chapel -- full of stained glass, marble columns and art -- where Catholic Beguines worshipped clandestinely after the Calivinists took over, as well as the Engele Kerk -- English Reformed Church -- built in the late 1300s. The house at No. 34 is the oldest preserved house in the Netherlands and dates to 1465.

Anne Frank House

The “Diary of Anne Frank” still possess the power to enthrall and touch its readers. See the setting for this famous autobiography at the Anne Frank Museum Amsterdam. Set in the Frank’s home on the Western Canal belt, visitors can tour the Secret Annex where the eight-member Frank family lived in silent hiding. The museum features artifacts, photographs, film presentations and documents from Frank’s life, including her original diaries.