Amsterdam De Pijp

De Pijp's sights are of a decidedly different variety than those in nearby Museumplein. Rather than staring at paintings you'll never have a chance to own, haggle for wares at Albert Cuypmarkt, and instead of contemplating what life would be like in the Dutch Golden Age, find out what it's like being a bottle of beer at the Heineken Experience.

Sarphatipark, Sarphatipark In the 1860s, Amsterdam's chief architect was convinced that the center of the city would move south, and that this spot in De Pijp (then just marshlands and a windmill or two) would be the ideal place for Centraal Station. We all know how that one turned out (though one wonders what would have happened to the Red Light District if visitors couldn't stumble straight into it from the station). Not one to be deterred, the architect decided to build a park instead. And not a bad one, either. Sarphatipark is fairly small, but its crisscrossing paths and central monument give it a genteel, 19th-century feel. It's rarely as crowded as Vondelpark, so you can have more grassy sunbathing space to yourself. The monument commemorates the same guy who gave his name to the park, the Jewish philanthropist and doctor Samuel Sarphati. Under the Nazi occupation, his statue was removed and the park was renamed for a Hegelian philosopher; one of the first acts after the liberation was to res Tram #3 or 25 to 2e Van der Helstraat. Wheelchair access.
Heineken Experience, Stadhouderskade 78 (☎052 392 22; www.heinekenexperience.com), Beer hasn't been made here since 1988 (if you want an actual brewery tour, check out Brouwerij 't IJ or Brouwerij de Prael), which is why this is an “experience.” And what an experience, indeed. Four floors of holograms, multimedia exhibits, and virtual reality machines tell you everything you'll ever want to know about the green-bottled beer. We particularly enjoyed the ride that replicates the experience of actually becoming a Heineken beer. (There's something very Zen-alcoholic about the whole “in order to enjoy the beer you must BE the beer” idea.) And don't worry—it would be inhumane to be surrounded with all of that beer-related information without actually letting you drink, so the ticket includes two oat sodas of your very own. Lines can be long in the afternoon, so the best time to arrive is before 1pm. Yeah, you'll be drinking early, but we won't judge. It is Amsterdam, after all. Tram #16 or 24 to Stadhouderskade, or tram #4, 7, 10, or 25 to Weterincircuit. Cross the canal and you'll see the building. €15. Open daily 11am-7pm, last entry 5:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.