Albert Cuyp Market

Renowned as being Europe’s biggest outdoor market, the Albert Cuyp Market, named after the 17th-century painter of the same name, has been trading since the late 19th-century. Starting out as a collection of street traders, the market was taken over by the city council in 1905 and has since become a tourist favorite, offering a fascinating glimpse into local life.

Located on Albert Cuypstraat in the city’s characterful De Pijp district, the market is open every day except Monday and is an easy tram ride from the city center.  Here, around 260 market stalls offer just about everything imaginable. Share some jovial banter with the notoriously chatty stallholders as you bargain over books, clothing and electronics, then fill your shopping basket with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish, all at very reasonable prices. The melting pot of local residents brings an ethnic flavor to proceedings - Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese foods and furnishings add a flash of color to the market but, of course, there’s plenty of traditional Dutch fare on sale too.

If all that shopping leaves you feeling peckish, the area surrounding the market is crammed with international restaurants with curry houses, Asian noodle bars and street food providing a myriad of choices. Just don’t forget to sample local specialty – freshly baked Stroopwafels, dripping with syrup.

Not finished shopping, yet? Check out Amsterdam’s Waterlooplein flea market, the famous floating flower market on the Singel canal or the Black Market Bazaar, Europe’s largest indoor market