THE charm of Amsterdam lies in its network of tree-lined canals, which run through the city like veins, sparkling with brightly painted houseboats, writes Sylvia Kingsley.

With more canals than Venice, this is a city you really can explore on water: there are boats to take you everywhere, day and night, even a museum boat which drops you off with a guide at major museums.

In winter, when the canals freeze and crowds of ice-skaters appear, it looks like a Jan Breughel painting, with stalls selling hot chestnuts, chips and pea soup.

As the leaves re-appear in spring, and the sun shines from a cool blue sky, people swarm to the canalside cafes for hot chocolate while enjoying the entertainment provided by street performers. Summer brings its own joys, such as strolling along the banks on a voyage of discovery, past picnickers and tumbling clowns.

Compact and cosmopolitan, with more bikes than people, Amsterdam has a defined centre, with all the important sites within walking distance. A strange mix, with a sleazy red-light district in an historic neighbourhood, high culture, and marvellous architecture, Amsterdam ranks as one of the world's friendliest cities, with the world's best museums. Red trams run from early morning until midnight, but sturdy shoes are a must to cope with the cobbled streets. As you walk along, remember to look up every so often at the old gabled buildings, no two of which are alike. The style was a pictorial language of the owner, denoting his name, origins and religion.

If you're there just for the weekend, the one museum you must visit is the Rijksmuseum, the vast home to the works of many Dutch painters, including the genius Rembrandt, whose masterpiece The Nightwatch hangs here alongside paintings by Frans Hals and Vermeer. The European section has treasures by Goya and Rubens. The Van Gogh Museum has about 800 works, the largest collection in the world. A special exhibition combining Van Gogh's works with some by his friend, Gaugin, iruns until June.

The Anne Frank Museum on the Prinsengracht was the hiding place of the young Jewish girl and her family during the Nazi occupation, and where she wrote her diaries before being betrayed and sent to her death in a concentration camp.

Don't miss the floating market on the Singel canal, a glorious display of colour, but every area has its own quirky daily market to explore.

On a planned city tour, you can see the Royal Palace; the largest market, the Albert Cuyp; a windmill on the River Amstel, and a diamond workshop, where you will see the cutters at work. Or buy a city guide book and wander at will, then take a trip to the nearby town of Edam to watch the cheese being made, and buy some to bring home. You can also reach the Delft potteries to buy the famous blue and white china, and Volendam, a fishing village with wooden houses where people wear traditional costume.

Since 70 per cent of the world's commercial flowers are grown in Holland, visit the bulbfields, and the Keukenhof gardens. In spring, the colours of the tulips, crocuses and hyacinths will bowl you over. At the Aalsmeer flower auction, nine million flowers are sold every day. From April until October, the Floriade, the greatest horticultural show of the decade, will take place in Haarlemmermeet.

Back in Amsterdam, spend a few leisurely hours in one of the main squares, such as the Leidseplein, a city focal point bursting with life and crammed with shops, restaurants and bars. It's an ideal place to watch the world go by, and you'll feel like one of the locals after half an hour, especially if you have the Dutch national snack of soused herring with onions in a roll. To wind down, go to the Vondelpark for walks through the woodlands and around the lakes, which attract city swimmers and sunbathers.

Eating is more multi-ethnic than Dutch, unless you go to a "brown cafe", lined with brown tiles and a cross between pub and cafe. Here you will find good home cooking such as traditional stews and soups. Try the Indonesian restaurants, which proliferate, a hangover from Holland's days as a colonial power, for a rijstafel (rice table) of up to 20 spicy dishes.

Wherever you go in Holland you'll find a big welcome. It is one of the world's most tolerant countries, and almost everyone speaks English.

Fact File

Sylvia travelled with Travelscene, 11 St Ann's Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1LQ (020 8427 4445). Dutch Tourist Board: PO Box 30783, London, WC2B 6DH (0906 871 7777).

Reading: Berlitz, Amsterdam; Rough Guide, Holland; Lonely Planet, Amsterdam.

Reproduced from Limited Edition magazine, exclusive guides to living in Hertfordshire, Middlesex and the London Borough of Barnet (01923 216295).

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