Do: Amsterdam Fringe Festival, 4-14 September
Like Edinburgh, but with more canals. Amsterdam takes its edginess very seriously, and the annual Amsterdam Fringe Festival is testament to that. Over ten days at the end of the summer, the city puts on a dizzying array of theatre productions, performances, art installations and dance shows over 33 locations, to showcase the city's artistic diversity. Thankfully, around half of the shows are in English, if your Dutch humour isn't up to scratch.
amsterdamfringefestival.nl/fringe
Stay: Marina Boat House, central Amsterdam
Amsterdam is famous for its canals, and where better to stay than right over the top of one? Check into this little wooden boat house, smack-bang in the middle of the busy Amsterdam marina – nothing is more Dutch than eating gouda for breakfast outside on the deck, surrounded by ducks. Plus, if it's really warm, we hear that it's nice for a swim*. *Not really
Move: Cycling
Sightsee like a local by hiring your own two wheels to get around the Dutch capital. Not only is it the best way to see Amsterdam quickly – we'd recommend take a detour through the Rijksmuseum and to the Brouwerij windmill brewery for a beer – but it's also a good way to burn off a few calories that you can put straight back on in one of the many bars in the Red Light District later on.
