Its no secret that Amsterdam has quite a reputation amongst certain crowds – a fact not helped by major celebrities like Rihanna painting the city as a hedonists paradise – but that image couldn't be further from the truth. A city with a soul of its own, Amsterdam has plenty of sights and places to go like the newly reopened Rijksmuseum for the casual tourist without the need to dive into the wild side.

Bicycles jingle and clatter across red-brick bridges - some carrying "wheelbarrows" filled with children, others with passengers riding side-saddle on the back.

While locals confidently tear through the streets at ferocious speed, a group of tourists riding convoy pedals nervously, hand signalling every turn.

Canals are equally busy with boats gently slicing through the sun-dappled water, while on land riverside bars have strewn blankets and cushions over concrete ledges to create surprisingly inviting daybeds.

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