Amsterdam, like every city in the world, has two narratives: the official and the unofficial. The unofficial narrative is woven by citizens as they go about their daily lives, while the official story is the one impressed upon our minds as the result of a social construct on which a group of people have agreed.

For instance, the most famous city in the Netherlands is often presented to foreigners as an open, cosmopolitan, tolerant town, as the city of canals, of tall, narrow buildings, of cyclists, museums, tulips and cheese-filled broodjes (bread rolls).

To understand the origins of the narrative and imagery surrounding Amsterdam, we must travel back to the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, when the city became a major international trade hub on a par with London in the 18th and 19th centuries or New York in the 20th. Dutch merchants developed trade relations with the Far East; their navy founded overseas communities like New Amsterdam, on the island of Manhattan; and many foreigners came to live in the Netherlands. This was also a time of great cultural and scientific advances and relative political stability, enabling Amsterdam to emerge as a unique, proud city eager to share its way of life with the world.

To experience present-day Amsterdam, we must surrender to its sounds, the hustle and bustle of the people in its streets and squares; feel the allure of meeting people and discovering things we didn’t even know existed; be open to social interaction and new ideas. And despite the changes that have transpired over the years, in order to truly surrender to Amsterdam, we have to harness the architectural spirit of the Dutch Golden Age, because this is one of the few European cities that have managed to make their past the basis of their urban future.