From the canals to the Seine

Who it is for

For anyone who wants painting museums, architecture and walkable cities in just over a week.

Not for anyone looking for nature.

The strategy

Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris are a few hours apart by train. The trip ends in Paris, which is the one that takes the most days.

What you will see

• Canal ring, Amsterdam. The houses are narrow because tax followed the width of the facade, they lean forward on purpose so furniture can be hoisted up by the hook in the attic without scraping the wall, and the dated gable at the top tells you the decade of construction.
• Grand-Place, Brussels. A square of about 68 by 110 m surrounded by guild houses rebuilt between 1696 and 1700, after the French bombardment.
• Eiffel Tower, Paris. Raised in 26 months for the 1889 World's Fair, it stands 330 m with the antennas, made of 7,300 metric tons of puddled iron, 18,038 parts, and 2.5 million rivets, and is hand-repainted every seven years.

Day by day

Amsterdam

1. 1
   Day 1: The old center and the canal ring

   1. 6BegijnhofUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 5Anne Frank HouseWorth a visit
   3. 3Canal ring (Grachtengordel)Essential
2. 2
   Day 2: Museums, De Pijp and the park

   1. 1RijksmuseumEssential
   2. 2Van Gogh MuseumEssential
   3. 8Vondelpark and MuseumpleinUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: The Plantage, the docks and the north of the IJ

   1. 7National Holocaust Museum and Portuguese SynagogueWorth a visit
   2. 4NDSM and Eye FilmmuseumUp to half an hourEssential

Brussels

1. 4
   Day 4: The center (the Pentagon), from the Grand-Place to the Mont des Arts

   1. 8Manneken PisUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 7Galeries Royales Saint-HubertWorth a visit
   3. 2Royal Museums of Fine Arts and Magritte MuseumEssential
2. 5
   Day 5: Marolles, the hill, and art nouveau · if you have more time

   1. 9Palais de JusticeUp to half an hourIf there is time

Paris

1. 6
   Day 6: The island, the river, and the Left Bank

   1. 4Sainte-ChapelleUp to half an hourEssential
2. 7
   Day 7: Museum in the morning, the Marais in the afternoon

   
3. 8
   Day 8: Montmartre, a cemetery, and the Eiffel Tower

   1. 1Eiffel TowerEssential
4. 9
   Day 9: Giverny (day trip)

   
5. 10
   Day 10: Versailles (day trip) · if you have more time