Fodor's Amsterdam

The year 2013 will be a banner one for Amsterdam, as two top museums will unveil massive renovations: the Rijksmuseum (home of Rembrandt's Nightwatch) and the Stedelijk (a modern-art collection). New write-ups showcase the city's hip "outlier" neighbourhoods: North Amsterdam, the Eastern Drydocks, and the gentrifying De Wallen "Red Light" district. The dining chapter dishes on the burgeoning school of Amsterdam cuisine (turbot on a bed of beetroot and sea nettles, anyone?), and a "Netherlands Today" section focuses on high-profile topics such as the changes for "vice visitors" (laws concerning sex and drugs), contemporary design, and immigration. Amsterdam's greatest charm may also be its greatest enigma: how can such a gracious, historical treasure house also multitask as the most offbeat metropolis in the world? From Rembrandts to rock and roll, the city has always been a mesmerizing mix of old and new. Now, as this new edition reveals, Amsterdam and the entire Netherlands is being dramatically revamped for the 21st century by artisanal trend makers, designers, star chefs, and future-forward architects. Fodor's curated coverage includes the best of the country beyond Amsterdam, including Haarlem, the Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam.