Choose Amsterdam for a honeymoon with art, history, culture – and an irresistibly naughty edge.

With its network of canals, chic boutique hotels and reputation for celebrating our carnal desires, Amsterdam is emerging as one of Europe’s hippest honeymoon destinations. Just one hour’s flight from the UK, the Dutch capital offers a rich cultural experience, colourful history, thriving nightlife and a notoriously laidback approach to life, while being conveniently close for a loved up sojourn.



Do
Go on a canal cruise. A chilled way to see the city by day and a ravishingly romantic experience by night, canal boat is the laidback way to travel in Amsterdam. For a special treat, go on a dinner cruise and sup on fine wine, cocktails and sumptuous cuisine while twinkling bridges, historic houses, church spires and the flurry of city life pass you by.
Rederij Lovers Boat Company www.lovers.nl

Hit a coffee shop. Whether you want to indulge in a coffee or something a little stronger, a visit to one of Amsterdam’s infamous coffee shops is a must. Sit back and sup on the laidback charm the city is famed for.

Visit the Sex Museum. Not quite so much a manual of loving for you revved up newly weds as a smirk-stifling exhibition of sex through the ages, incorporating eye-popping photographs, a less-than-modest display of mannequins and phallic symbolism galore. Just don’t expect the gallery of early 20th century nudies to get you in the mood. At only three Euros entrance fee, it’s good for a laugh.
www.sexmuseumamsterdam.com

Hire bicycles. Whether you’re an enthusiast or not, bicycle is the transport mode of choice in Amsterdam and a quick, cheap and fun way to explore the city’s streets and parks. Expect a wide choice of organised cycling tours and designated routes around the labyrinthine city. Just watch out for the trams.
Mac Bike www.macbike.nl

Embrace art. Stand in the presence of a host of priceless masterpieces at The Van Gogh Museum and the nearby Rijksmuseum, which is home to paintings from a host of Dutch masters. If you want awe-inspiring raw culture, you got it.
www.vangoghmuseum.nl
www.rijksmuseum.nl  

Sleep
The Dylan. The terms ‘chic’ and ‘boutique’ have never been so aptly applied. The Dylan is located along a pretty canal; its sumptuous boudoirs are each uniquely and lavishly decorated, making them the ideal setting to toast the beginning of married life.
www.dylanamsterdam.com



Amsterdam for hens
With its laidback atmosphere, great shopping and thriving nightlife, Amsterdam is the ideal place for you chicks to let your hair down. Follow a shopping trip around the city’s array of boutiques with some pampering at The Sauna Deco Spa www.saunadeco.nl

Kick start the night time shenanigans with a cocktail cruise at twilight before hitting the multitude of bars and clubs in Leidseplein or Rembrandtplein. Amsterdam isn’t known as the liberal centre of the world for nothing – if you want to satisfy your naughtier side, there’s a choice of frivolous options including Learn to Strip and Pole Dancing workshops aplenty. For ideas, check out www.chillisauce.co.uk
                                        
Amsterdam for stags
The idea of an Amsterdam stag weekend might conjure up visions of sex shows, beer, sex shows, beer and more sex shows, but the city has more to offer eager stags than a rather intense twitching in the loin. Footie fans may want to precede the night time entertainment with a private training session at the Ajax Clinic, Indoor Snowboarding or even Blow Karting. Then it’s all aboard the ‘Bar on Wheels’; an 18-seater bar complete with unlimited free beer and a 2Unlimited soundtrack, you can combine soaking up the sights – and the local beer – with a bracing pedal around the city. Check out www.chillisauce.co.uk for more stag inspiration.

Words Rebecca Matthews

Copyright WED Magazine 2010