Trains also mean travel<\/p>\n
Thalys from Gare du Nord in Paris. Journey made on 6 September 2010. Train 9351, departure 5.25pm and arrival 8.43pm at Centraal Station in Amsterdam. Half an hour after departure, a hostess offers a drink and a snack. A second meal tray is served after Brussels. The train serves Amsterdam up to 9 times a day from Paris in 3 hours 18 minutes. In Comfort 1, Wi-Fi access is free<\/p>\n
Thalys. Tel: 3635 say \"Thalys\" - Internet: www.thalys.com<\/p>\n
Following a major refurbishment last June, this is Europe's first Sofitel Legend, housed in the former Amsterdam Town Hall, which once welcomed Catherine de M\u00e9dicis and much later Queen Beatrix for her wedding in 1966. The decor, by French designer Sybille de Margerie, features bright colours in the lobby and restaurant, inspired by Cobra artist Karel Appel. The rooms, overlooking the inner courtyard or the canals, have softer tones and are as cosy as you could wish for. The Bridges restaurant offers a gourmet menu concocted by chef Aur\u00e9lien Poirot, featuring crab and turbot tartare, salt-crusted sea bass and unstructured raspberry crumble.<\/p>\n
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, 1012 EX Amsterdam - Tel: +31 20 5553111 Fax: +31 (20) 5553222 - E-mail: H2783@sofitel.com - Internet: www.accorhotels.com<\/p>\n
The Novotel Amsterdam City, which has also just undergone a design makeover, is located in the heart of the business district, close to the Amsterdam exhibition and congress centre. By metro or tram, it is no more than twenty minutes from the city centre. Ideal for large groups, its rooms are spotless and functional. For breakfasts, the buffet is huge and very copious.<\/p>\n
Europaboulevard 10, 1083 AD Amsterdam. Tel: +31 20\/5411123. Fax: +31 20\/6462823. <\/span>E-mail: H0515@accor.com. Internet: www.accorhotels.com<\/p>\n Amsterdam wouldn't exist without its canals. So a walk along the water's edge is a must. The Soeverein, owned by Cruise with Us, is a small lounge boat built in the early 19th century, with painted ceilings and crystal chandeliers. You can simply enjoy a glass of champagne at sunset or dine here. Tours vary according to the group, but include a visit to the port, where the Nemo science museum stretches out, a large green building in the shape of a cargo ship, designed by architect Renzo Piano. Ahead is the Amsterdam, a replica of a 1749 East India Company ship. The boat then enters the Amstel river, passes under drawbridges, passes the Hermitage museum and enters the Prinsengracht. It then takes the Reguliersgracht, which has seven successive bridges, to turn once more into the Herengracht. It's a walk that gives you a better idea of the tall, narrow houses with sash windows and sculpted gables that typify the architecture of each period, from the 16th to the 19th centuries.<\/p>\n Amsterdam is full of restaurants and brasseries that can cater for groups of all sizes.<\/p>\n Right in the centre of town, you can choose a cheeseburger or salmon fillet for lunch or dinner, to be enjoyed in front of the multicoloured stripes in the main dining room or with a small group in one of the small lounges.<\/p>\n Nes 67 - Internet : <\/span>www.brasserieharkema.nl<\/span><\/p>\n A little off the tourist circuit, a huge modern hall with a 16-metre long banquette and large tables for salads or pasta.<\/p>\n Ceintuurbaan 256-260 - Tel: +31 20 344 64 06 - Internet: www.brasseriewitteveen.nl<\/p>\n In a historic building, the former Poids Public, a large candlelit room for beef croquettes or marinated salmon.<\/p>\n Nieuwmarkt 4 - Phone: +31 20 422 7772. Internet: www.indewaag.nl<\/p>\n Recently opened in Leidesplein, the tourist district, its red d\u00e9cor is ideal for an evening of Asian cuisine combining Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes.<\/p>\n Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 17. Tel: +31 20 530 71 21. Internet: www.littlebuddhaamsterdam.com<\/p>\n In a building designed by the architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld, you will find the largest collection of paintings by Vincent Van Gogh - over 200 - hung chronologically. From the Potato Eaters painted in the Netherlands (1885) to those at Auvers-sur-Oise (1890), not forgetting the paintings produced during his stays in Arles and Saint-R\u00e9my, including a version of The Room which has just been restored.<\/p>\n The Rijksmuseum, just a hundred metres away, is still undergoing renovation work (due to reopen in 2013) and has just a few rooms showcasing around a hundred of its masterpieces, from Rembrandt to Vermeer and Frans Hals.<\/p>\n It's in the old breweries that this experience takes place, \"the\" meeting place for beer fans. The walk, which is fairly long, introduces visitors to the world of this beer, which is distributed and drunk in over 170 countries. The tour gives you a better understanding of the brewing process and the history of the brand. This museum is a bit like a theme park for adults. It features interactive exhibitions on beer, two tasting bars and a projection room where a moving stage shakes spectators like a bottle in the making. The highlight is the large brewing room with its enormous copper vats and the stable where two Friesian horses are pampered, the same ones that used to pull the barrel carts.<\/p>\n This night-time district is the equivalent of Paris's Pigalle, with the added charm of canals, swans and red neon lights. The crimson lights indicate the booths where each 'lady', generally young Eastern European women, entices passers-by... Of course, this area, which was once very popular with sailors, has now become a favourite with tourists who, in groups, revel in the female plasticity on display. For some time now, to prevent all the buildings from being taken over by this type of business, Amsterdam City Council has been buying up some of them, then restoring them and letting them to young fashion designers. So, alongside the night beauties, it's not unusual to see designer clothes on display in other windows.<\/p>\n On foot or by bike - beware of the tram tracks and back-pedalling - discover the treasures hidden behind these austere facades. Start with the Jordaan district, now home to artists and hipsters. This is where you'll find most of the brown caf\u00e9s. Further down, along the canals, you'll find a succession of grand houses from the Golden Age, such as the one housing the Van Loon Museum, built in 1672. You can visit the kitchens, drawing rooms and bedrooms. Its garden has been remodelled according to a 1679 plan. In the same vein, the Willet-Holthuyse Museum, a 17th-century hotel, boasts a fine collection of furniture and paintings. On another note, don't forget to spend some time at De Hortus, the \"garden of the simple\", created in 1638. Now a museum, it features plants from every continent. To round off this themed walk, don't miss the Rembrandthuis, the house where Rembrandt lived from 1639 to 1659, and which houses a collection of etchings made within its walls. A moving experience.<\/p>\n Opened in June 2009, the Hermitage Museum hosts exhibitions showcasing the collections of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. In this former hospice dating from the 17th century and built along the banks of the Amstel river, the conversion work combines elegance, classicism and contemporaneity. Yesterday's plans have been respected, and the regency hall and former kitchens can still be seen. The two annual exhibitions are generally extremely well presented, such as the latest, \"Alexander the Great\", scheduled to run until 18 March 2011. It will be followed by \"The Art of the Orthodox Church\", until September 2011.<\/p>\n Instead of bringing back clogs, which are available everywhere and in all sorts of materials, from real wooden ones to earthenware and miniatures, incentive groups can think outside the box. Take Droog Design, for example, where you'll find contemporary objects such as this dented earthenware cup imitating its plastic counterpart (Staalstraat 7b). In the Netherlands, the cult of Delft earthenware dates back to the Golden Age in the 17th century. Certain models continue to be copied, such as these magnificent tulip trees or tulip vases (Jorrit Heinen, Muntplein 12). Right next door, at the flower market on the Singelgracht canal, depending on the season, stalls sell bulbs, of course tulips, but also hyacinths, narcissi, amaryllis and even decorative garlic. And when it comes to gastronomy, why not try a little Gouda with cumin, basil, paprika or even old Gouda? Delicious!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the north of Europe, the undeniable charm of the canals in the capital of the Netherlands continues to be a favourite with incentive agencies. From Paris, it is easily accessible by high-speed train.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"type-darticle":[],"n_magazine":[],"class_list":["post-17379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-operations-incentive","vapo-free"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEssential boats: Amsterdam at water's edge<\/h2>\n
Restaurants of yesterday and today<\/h2>\n
Harkema Brewery<\/h3>\n
Witteveen Brewery<\/span><\/h3>\n
Restaurant-Caf\u00e9 In de Waag<\/h3>\n
Little Buddha<\/h3>\n
Masterpieces: Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum<\/h2>\n
Beers in stock: The Heineken Experience<\/h2>\n
Belles de nuit : The shop windows of the \"red light district<\/h2>\n
Centuries-old heritage: Houses and gardens<\/h2>\n
The Saint Petersburg collections: Hermitage Museum<\/h2>\n
Shopping<\/h2>\n