There's no shortage of amazing photos of Amsterdam on Instagram.
But does the city really look that good in real life?
And is it worth a visit?
We check out three spots that are especially popular.
But let's be honest not all of the city's famous places live up to the hype.
Amsterdam is one of the most-visited cities in Europe. On average, the Dutch capital sees
20 million overnight stays per year. The Old Town area is especially popular
and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.
You'll find plenty of photo spots in the city center - including, of course, Dam Square, the main plaza.
But how beautiful is it really?
The square is huge.
If you're exploring Amsterdam, you're sure to pass through it sooner or later.
Dam Square got its name in the 13th century, when a dam was built here
across the Amstel River.
That's also why the city is called Amsterdam.
The most important building here is the Royal Palace which hails from the 17th century.
Fun fact: The building is supported by 13,659 wooden poles.
These days, the palace is merely symbolic, no one lives here.
More than anything, the square is a place where locals and tourists can enjoy a stroll.
You can also spend lots of money around the Dam at stores in the adjacent streets,
or at the iconic department store, de Bijenkorf.
Where are you from?
Philadelphia.
I came from Turkey.
I'm from India.
I'm from China.
I'm from Sydney, Australia.
So what do you think of the central square here?
Looks very historical. It's very old.
It's got a great feel to it. Again, it's a lot of great people watching and things to see.
It's a very scenic place and very historic, a lot of beautiful buildings. It looks a little old,
but you know, it's very historic, so it's very nice. It's very different from America and India.
I think it looks very exciting, cosmopolitan. Obviously it's a beautiful summer's night.
I think there are some locals I can observe. It's not only tourists.
It's more diverse in terms of, you know, ethnically, it's more diverse.
You feel the freedom, I think when you are in Amsterdam.
We've been here a couple of times before and for me it's probably my favorite city in the world.
The Dam is a good place to start exploring of the city.
And you can't miss the next spot ...
The Bloemenmarkt is a well-photographed spot on instagram thanks to its brightly coloured flowers —
but does it really look so good in real life?
The floating flower market is an Amsterdam institution.
It's been on the Singel Canal since 1862.
Thanks to the internet, the "Bloemenmarkt" has become a major tourist attraction.
And what brought you to the flower market?
The Internet, Googling places to see that it's one of the highlights.
So decided to come and have a look at it while we're walking around.
So it's been good.
Well, to see the tulips. Of course we are here a little late to see the actual tulips.
We get some seeds maybe.
We have wonderful new little tote bag. We're very excited about just, you know, to see the people
and see the market.
There's a lot of things to see. There's a lot of flowers. There's a lot of boats.
My grandfather and grandmother were born in Amsterdam, so I want to see
where they were born and live.
Yeah, they moved to Israel after the Holocaust.
So we came to do like a family research trip on the way.
And why are you at the flower market?
Because it's beautiful.
We wanted to see all the flowers. Why people in Holland make markets for flowers.
It's not in every city that they have a flower market.
Yeah, and it's really pretty and we like the colors.
I wish we could take everything with us home!
Our impression, however, was that the market's charm had faded a bit, and the salespeople
seemed annoyed. We found it a bit disappointing however, tourists were still visiting in droves.
One more tip: If you visit the market in spring, you'll catch tulip season!
If you search for Amsterdam on Instagram,
you're sure to see incredible photos of the city's canals.
The entire old town is crisscrossed by these picturesque waterways!
The best way to explore them is by boat.
The canals were constructed in the 17th century, during the city's "golden age"
with the purposes of facilitating the movement of goods.
Today, you can still admire many magnificent gable front houses
built by rich merchants during that period.
We took a boat tour that lasts 75 minutes and cost 16 euros.
After a detour over the city's modern port, the tour ends in the old town.
We think a boat trip is a great and relaxed way to get to know Amsterdam and take great photos.
Why did you become a skipper here in Amsterdam?
I already had a boat offer when I was a student of economics here in Amsterdam.
At least half of my free time I was sailing just outside of Amsterdam
on a sailing dinghy or touring through the canals with friends on the small boats like
you see here everywhere in Amsterdam.
Why is it worth to take a boat trip?
If you come to Amsterdam, the most worthwhile thing is taking a boat trip. You have the canals,
they are beautiful. It's a relaxing way to see Amsterdam. You get information about the city,
you can have a good time and you can meet other people, especially if you
are sitting alongside people during a boat tour which is a little bit longer.
You also sometimes meet people and make friends.
So what's our conclusion?
A boat tour is definitely worthwhile and gives you the chance
to take many instagram-worthy pictures.
The same is true of Dam Square. But we weren't quite convinced by the
flower market — perhaps it's better to visit in the spring when the tulips are in full bloom!