How to spend your short stay in Amsterdam knowing that you’ve made the most of it? First rule – don’t be afraid to go off the beaten track. While all the major museums will surely be impressive, there are actually some equally amazing places that you won’t find in ordinary guidebooks. And here’s our list of a couple of them.

Museum Weekend 2014 will enable you to visit around twenty Amsterdam museums for free or at heavily discounted rates during April 5 and 6. With at least one special event at each museum this weekend makes for an interesting and fun addition to a short stay in Amsterdam.

Regarded as the home of Holland’s famous blue and white pottery, Delft is bursting with character and charm and offers activities and entertainment to everyone who visits. Situated in the south of the Netherlands and within easy reach, via public transport, from many of our Amsterdam holiday apartments, Delft is a traditional Dutch city which is definitely worthy of a visit.

Escape the bustle of the city and discover a forgotten world at this picturesque village, renowned for its traditional Dutch architecture, authentic atmosphere and of course, its iconic series of working windmills.

Don Quixote would be on cloud nine if he could stay in Amsterdam during the National Windmill Day. After all, this is the only period of the year when it is possible visit over 600 different windmills across the whole Netherlands free of charge! Moreover, many of them are found directly in and around Amsterdam, so use this opportunity to learn more about the bladed Dutch trademark.

If you’ve been to Amsterdam before, you already know that it’s got its fair share of weird buildings. Ranging from masterpieces of the avant-garde to houses whose very existence seem to contradict the laws of gravity, there’s no shortage of eye-catching architecture in the Dutch capital. When you’re in town, be sure to keep an eye out for these especially strange specimens.

Affectionately regarded as a “miniature Amsterdam,” the city of Haarlem makes a rewarding destination for a break from the Netherlands’ capital, combining a friendly village vibe with beautiful architecture and exemplary cultural, dining and retail opportunities.

Are you planning on a busy short stay in Amsterdam filled with days full of excursions and travelling, or even only visiting three main attractions? The I Amsterdam City Card is the ideal way to enjoy all the things you want to do during your leisure or business stay in Amsterdam but for less and with three validity periods: 24, 48 or 72 hours.

As with any modern city Amsterdam has art galleries and plenty of them! Maybe it’s because of the Dutch fondness for the painted medium or their many prolific artistic sons, but it can be said that Amsterdam has art for all.

Amsterdam is packed full of activities that are popular at any time of the year but this small and active city really shines once the sun is out. During a short stay in the summertime is when you can have first-hand experience at some of the great activities that are essentially Amsterdam.