The house with the attic that held Ann Frank is a moving museum in the heart of Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House has been a museum since 1960. A visit should last about an hour. On June 12 2004, it will be 75 years ago that Anne Frank was born, and special exhibits are planned.

The first phase of the Hermitage Amsterdam opened 28 February 2004. Small temporary exhibitions drawn from the rich collection of The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg will be presented in six rooms. Each exhibition will be on view for around 5 months.

NEMO, the science and technology museum which opened in 1997, was built to resemble the a ship in the city of Amsterdam.

A history of the Dutch Resistance during World War II through artifacts, documents and interactive displays.

Holding almost one million objects, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum is the largest museum of art and history in the Netherlands. Best known for its collection of 17th-century Dutch masters, it also has art from the Middle Ages and from the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as sculputre and applied art.

The Netherlands Maritime Museum is housed in a 300 year old former Dutch Navy arsenal. Outside you can see a replica of the Dutch East India ship "Amsterdam."

Come up and see Rembrandts etchings, over 250, in his Amsterdam house, which became a museum in 1911.

The museum contains the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. The Van Gogh Museum is within easy reach of the Museumplein in Amsterdam, between the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum.

For those of you, who bristle at the thought of clubbing, don't rule out a visit to one of these Amsterdam clubs during your time here. Live music, unique location, unorthodox interior décor, Remember, these are still clubs, so dress accordingly.

If you're not interested in following the crowds of fellow visitors into the most touristy Amsterdam bars, have a look at my picks for Amsterdam bars off the beaten path.

You don't have to go to neighboring Belgium to find great beer; there's plenty in Amsterdam! Find a local brewery, tasting pubs and unique beer shops in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is a hotspot for live music, from classical to rock, world to jazz. And the venues for live music in Amsterdam are just as varied. These are my top picks.

The Mansion, an upscale yet funky club, boasts three cocktail bars, two restaurants and a basement space featuring DJs and other entertainment -- all housed in a beautiful, historic Amsterdam building near the chic Pieter Cornelisz (P.C.) Hooftstraat.

Amsterdam being an important theatre city has each evening a variety of spectacles to offer. You can also find quality, English-language theatre in Amsterdam. Most of the major theatres are centered around the Leidseplein, and at the Nes Street, within an easy stroll of each other.

Amsterdam has over 50 cinemas and art houses, where films are shown in their original language, with Dutch subtitles. Be careful not to choose the film in some rare exotic language. The Tuschinski Theater deserves a special mention. Constructed in 1921 as exotic mixture of Art Deco and Amsterdamse school style, it features a luxurious foyer, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cinemas in Europe

Amsterdam is a large city and a major tourist destination, so you can visit it all year round. However, in winter the days are short (8 hours daylight around Christmas), and the weather may be too cold to walk around the city comfortably.

The other thing that strikes most about Amsterdam is its public transport system. The transport system in Amsterdam includes rail, bus, and ferry. This provides visitors and residents multiple travel options. The taxi system is quite elaborate in the city but it operates in a slightly different manner as compared to other parts of the world. Not many countries have pick-up points and those which have don't take it seriously. But pickup points in Amsterdam are strictly identified and adhered to. A traintaxi is another convenient way to travel from one train station to another. The traintaxis are affordable as a tourist can save money by sharing these taxi rides.

A traveler to Amsterdam can also use trams, buses or subways. However, it is good idea to first know about the city zoning. The city is divided into different areas known as zones and the number of zones you'll be traveling through is important. 'Strippenkaart' or strip ticket is used for public transit system. The ticket is easily available at terminals and many stores. You can even purchase it from vending machines. Tickets are stamped for each trip either by a conductor on a tram or by the traveler in one of the machines available on trams or at train/metro stations. A traveler can also purchase a 24-hour ticket that allows unlimited traveling for any 24-hour period. Though, it is not very good deal for the daily traveler, but if you intend to travel a lot, it's useful. One can also purchase an eight-day ticket for occasional public travel needs. So, you don't have purchase a ticket every time you wish to travel in the city if you plan accordingly.

You won't find many private vehicles in the city as parking is very expensive. If you plan to drive a private car in Amsterdam, parking may be more of an issue than navigating the streets. Parking regulations are strictly enforced, especially in the inner city area.

If you like you can happily rent a bicycle. Bicycles are very popular in Amsterdam and you'll find that most city streets include an area for bike traffic. Many of the streets are narrow, making them more suited for bicycles than for cars. The city also has 'taxi-cycles,' which are small vehicles powered by pedals and a driver but with a seat for up to two passengers.

Amsterdam, as you may know is rinsed by two canals, which make ferries another popular mode of transport. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal provided direct access between the city and the Rhine. The North Sea Canal provides similar access to the ports of the North Sea. As a result some places in the city are simply easier to access by water than by land. Canal bus boats are one of the popular water travel options.

Typical weather in Amsterdam ranges from a little around freezing with in winter, though with little snow, to beautiful sunny days with temperature around 25 degrees Celsius in the summer. Amsterdamers will often carry an umbrella even on the hottest of July days, as summer rain in the morning sometimes precedes the arrival of bright sunshine later.