Small Boutique hotels in Amsterdam

Originally a small fishing village, Amsterdam flourished in the Dutch Golden Age to become a major port known for its innovations in trade, science and art. Renowned for its laid-back atmosphere, Amsterdam today is a city of canals and parks, cobbled streets and bicycles, cafes and summer parades.

Many of the boutique hotels in Amsterdam are found in the Grachtengordel, the picturesque residential area along the four main canals that fan out in con-centric semi-circles from the old city centre. Here small luxury hotels in elegant 17th century town-houses overlook leafy canals lined with cafes and restaurants.

Nearby is the Museumplein, an impressive square housing four major museums (the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, Stedelijk and Diamond museums), and Vondelpark, the largest of Amsterdam's 30 city parks and a popular place for festivals and concerts.

Anne Frank's House is the number one tourist attraction in Amsterdam: queues can be long and the emotional experience dampened by crowds. Never-theless, it is a powerful, if tragic, reminder of the consequences of prejudice. Alternatively, visit the less intense but equally informative Verzetsmuseum, Museum of Dutch Resistance, for an insight into Amsterdam's famously liberal attitudes.