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We've compiled the best of the best in Netherlands - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Even if you're not in the market for a new rock, the free, guided tour of (reportedly) the world's oldest diamond-polishing factory is certainly worthwhile. You'll learn all about the industry's "four Cs"—carat, color, clarity, and cut—and get to watch highly skilled diamond cutters plying their trade. There's also a replica of Coster's most famous cut: the Koh-I-Noor diamond, one of the prized gems of the British crown jewels.
On Saturday, Amsterdam’s finest organic and artisanal food producers descend on a small square behind the Concertgebouw. There's a fishmonger, a granola and muesli specialist, a pancake stall popular with local kids, and, of course, plenty of organic produce from local farms.
Stock up on local cheese from Erik's Delicatessen and dried fennel sausages from Brandt & Levie.
By the beginning of the 18th century, Amsterdam had a virtual monopoly in the diamond industry in Europe, so when diamonds were discovered in South Africa in 1869, there was a windfall for Amsterdam's Jewish communities, a third of whom worked in the diamond trade. Built in 1879, the headquarters of GASSAN was once home to the Boas diamond-polishing factory, the largest in the world, where 357 diamond-polishing machines processed around 8,000–10,000 carats of rough diamonds per week. Today, GASSAN offers polishing and grading demonstrations and free hour-long tours, in more than 27 languages, of the building and its glittering collection of diamonds and jewelry. After the tour, have a stone set to your taste by one of GASSAN's expert goldsmiths. There are other locations in Centrum, Museum District, and at Schiphol Airport.
This Sunday market (mid-March to late October) on the Rembrandtplein is a good opportunity to find paintings, lithographs, textiles, and other objets d'art by a collective of local artists.
This bustling neighborhood market (Monday through Saturday) has been a bargain hunter's paradise for more than a century. Fill up on fresh produce, cheese, hummus, and wine while browsing through the racks of clothing, flowers, fabrics, and plenty more.
