‘Going to Amsterdam for Christmas’ might sound like a euphemism for getting high to make it through festive family time. But The Netherland’s capital is surprisingly magical (even pre-shrooms).

There’s Christmas Markets, traditional doughnuts and the distant hope that snow will fall, frosting everything in Christmas dust and scuppering half a million cyclist's plans.

Best of all are Amsterdam’s twinkly canals...

Go for the… Amsterdam Light Festival

‘Think the neighbours will mind if we string up a few Christmas lights?’

Over December and January, Amsterdam is a city-wide museum for 35 newly commissioned pieces of neon art . Stroll round the city to see works including Ai Wei Wei’s ‘thinline’. Makes your tinselled tree look basic AF.

Other good stuff

Open air ice rinks open in two of Amtsterdam’s prettiest spots - Leidseplein and Museumplein. If it’s particularly frosty, locals strap on their boots and skate down the canals. Gwaaan, give us a twirl.

There’s a sackful of Christmas Markets in Amsterdam. Cruise through them all, seeing how many samples of gluhwein and oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts) you can score.