Well what a disappointment our included tour was....barely saw anything of Amsterdam and was taken down the most ordinary canals...thank goodness we have time to re-explore this city that we have not seen for years. The tour description was a "crock of s**t" and most passengers I spoke with had the same experience so all in all we see this as a fail for Viking Ocean Cruises.

We had 2 days here to pound the pavements to see the sights and this is what we did.....

The number of canals has led Amsterdam to become known as "The Venice of the North". There are 165 canals, with a combined length of 100 KM. The city has 1,753 so-called 'numbered' bridges, 80 of which are within the belt of canals (grachtengordel). There are an additional 2250+ less significant bridges. Many of the numbered bridges are named as well.

Anne Frank House

For more than two years Anne Frank and her family lived in the annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne's father, Otto Frank, also had his business. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer hid there with them for a total of 761 days. The doorway to the annex was concealed behind a moveable bookcase constructed especially for this purpose. The office personnel knew of the hiding place and helped the eight people by supplying them with food and news of the outside world. On August 4th, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed by an anonymous informant. The hidden people were deported to various concentration camps with only Otto Frank surviving the war. After the war various investigations were undertaken but the identity of the informant has never been proven.

Nowadays, the rooms at the Anne Frank House (though empty at Otto Franks request), still breathe the atmosphere of that period of time. Quotations from the diary, historical documents, photographs, film images, and original objects that belonged to those in hiding and the helpers illustrate the events that took place here. Anne's bedroom still contains the pictures and postcards that she pasted on the walls. Anne's original diary and other notebooks are currently not available whilst restoration of the house is underway.

Visits to this house are strictly regulated. You need to book ahead online and get a preordained entrance timeslot. Once inside you can take as long as you want to see and feel the life of Anne. It is emotional, it is moving but most of all if you have never read her diary then now is the time to do so. Having read the diary gives you a greater appreciation for what you are seeing.

Dam Square was created in the thirteenth century when a dam was built around the river Amstel to prevent the Zuiderzee Sea from flooding the city, causing damage and endangering the citizens of Amsterdam. Through the centuries, a number of buildings sprung up around the Square. In the 1960s, Dam Square was famous for the "hippie" population that hung out at the location. The most prominent is the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace). Built as a city hall for the magistrates of Amsterdam, it was the largest secular building in Europe in the 17th century. The Dutch royal family no longer lives here, but many special events are still held at the palace.

The Mint Tower (Munttoren) Originally a gate called the Regulierspoort that was part of Amsterdam's fortified city wall, it was destroyed during a fire in 1618, but rebuilt two years later in Amsterdam Renaissance style by the eminent Dutch Golden Age architect Hendrick de Keyser. It was built with an eight-sided top half and elegant open spire featuring a clockwork with four clock faces and a carillon of bells. It gained its name in the 17th century when the French occupied parts of the Netherlands forcing the Dutch to move their coin minting operations to this location. The adjoining building, which now houses a Delft ceramics shop, was erected in the 19th century and replaced the original guardhouse.

Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) is an old Dutch design known as a double-swipe balanced bridge. It's one of just a few in Amsterdam that were constructed in this manner. It has two sides that can be opened - which usually do so simultaneously - and counterweights are placed in the bridge to balance the weight and make it easier to open. Most of the other bridges in Amsterdam are single-swipe, with only one side able to open to let water traffic pass through.

Stradsschouwburg A theatre which during the German occupation served as the concentration place for the Amsterdam Jews before their deportation to the Nazi concentration camps, is today the main Holocaust monument in the city along with Anne Frank's House.

Waterlooplein(Waterloo square) The square near the Amstel river is named after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The daily flea market offers a variety of goods from second hand through to bicycle parts to cannabis lollipops!!

Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt Square) originally known as the Botermarkt (Butter Market), was established in 1668 and built from the remnants of the old city port. As the name suggests, the first use for this central square was as a dairy market. The area remained the same for nearly two centuries, but as the turn of the twentieth century approached, hotels, restaurants, and shops sprung up around this square, named after the famous Dutch painter. In homage to the artist that the Dutch embraced as their own, a statue of Rembrandt was eventually placed in the middle of the square. Fashioned from cast iron, it portrays the famous early nineteenth century artist in a rather casual pose, overlooking the many visitors who head to the square for fun or relaxation.

Westerkerk - the biggest church in Amsterdam, built 1619 - 1631, English: The Western Church, is the most important Protestant church in the city, while its bell tower remains until today the pride of Amsterdam, regarded by many, as the city symbol.

OudeKerkThe 800-year-old Oude Kerk ("old church") is Amsterdam's oldest building and oldest parish church, founded in 1213 and consecrated in 1306 by the bishop of Utrecht with Saint Nicolas as its patron saint.

The Amsterdam Museum perhaps less well known than the famous Rikjsmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum is housed in an original orphanage that dates back to 1580. Of particular interest were the exhibits relating to the orphans who were housed at this site until 1960.

The Begijnhof is an enclosed courtyard dating from the early 14th century. Nothing survived of the earliest dwellings, but the Begijnhof, which is cut off from Amsterdam's traffic noise, still retains a sanctified atmosphere. The Begijnhof was originally built as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes, a Catholic sisterhood who lived like nuns, although they took no monastic vows.

The beautiful houses overlook its well-kept green garden; include the Amsterdam's oldest surviving house Het Houten Huis dating from around 1420. On the adjoining walls, there is a fascinating collection of wall plaques with biblical theme. The square is dominated by the English Reformed Church which dates from the 15 century and possesses its original medieval tower.

There is much to see and do in Amsterdam and we have but sampled a small slice. From the notorious red light district to the many museums which contain classic art and history. Personally it is not my favourite European city but I still make the most of every opportunity....