The Netherlands is a famously flat country, more than a quarter of which is below sea level, and it’s not rich in natural resources, which meant the Dutch learned to trade early on. The resulting canal belt of Amsterdam is extraordinary. Make sure you look up when strolling the streets; the former merchants’ houses are very beautiful. You’ll see many a hijshaak (lifting hook/beam projecting from roof lines) used to winch goods to higher floors of narrow properties – they were originally taxed on the width of street frontage. True to Calvinist traditional, ground floor curtains are typically left open – a declaration of their owners having nothing to hide.
When I started visiting Amsterdam regularly a decade ago, I used to look for crime fiction novels set here and translated into English – but ended up writing my own! It involved doing research with the Dutch police force; I even went on an undercover operation with them in the Red Light District. Generally, it’s a safe city, but any port as big as Amsterdam’s attracts a good slice of criminality.
My fictional detective, Henk van der Pol, has his own houseboat in the docklands area of the city, which is his beat. Book one starts in the backstreets of the adjacent Red Light District.
The best way to get about is by bike, but wearing a cycle helmet here is considered uncool. Fortunately, given the number of cycle lanes and the status accorded bike riders, you should be safe enough. But remember that wobbling foreign cyclists can be as frustrating to locals going about their daily business as people standing on the left side of escalators in London tube stations. There’s a growing debate about the costs and benefits of tourism: a city of 835,000 received more than 17 million visitors last year.
For really good-value, authentic eating go to a haring stall such as Kras Haring, beside Oosterkerk on Wittenburgergracht. The fresh herring there is prepared and served like sushi, packed with proteins and vitamins, and costs just a couple of euros.
A fun and unusual food location is De Hallen, a former tram depot. Twenty or so stalls offer everything from Dutch bitterballen (deep-fried meaty snacks) to Vietnamese street food. It’s in Bellamyplein, to the west of the city centre. On the same site is the Filmhallen arthouse cinema, which includes the beautiful art deco Parisien Room, formerly belonging to one of the oldest film theatres in Amsterdam. You can even stay on site, at the boutique Hotel de Hallen.
Genever gin is very old, predating the British variant and giving rise to the expression Dutch courage. It is an acquired taste, but you can savour it in one of the scenic harbourside bars such as De Druif (Rapenburg 83), my favourite. You can also try it as a beer chaser, as my detective occasionally does. This is sometimes referred to as a kopstoot (headbutt).
To appreciate how refined genever can be, visit Van Wees distillery in the nearby Jordaan district, where they have been making it for centuries. Owner Fenny van Wees recently perfected a single, old grain version – Mirakel van Amsterdam (‘miracle from Amsterdam’), well worth experiencing.
One of my favourite museums is the Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic), a 17th-century house which hid an ornate Catholic church in its upper level in the time it was prohibited to celebrate mass. Another is the National Maritime Museum, which showcases Holland’s seafaring heritage – plus a glass ceiling to rival the British Museum’s. Like Britain, this is a country mulling its extraordinary past, current place in the world, and what the future may bring.
• Daniel Pembrey, author of Amsterdam detective novel The Harbour Master (No Exit Press, £7.99). To order a copy for £6.55 including UK p&p visit the guardian bookshop
