Tulip Museum

The revamped Tulip Museum is just across Prinsengracht from the Anne Frank Huis, and is the perfect antidote if you need cheering up after a visit. It's a cheery, contemporary, and informative slant on the story of Amsterdam's obsession with tulips, which were imported from the Himalayas and nearly brought the country down when trade in the bulbs collapsed in 1637. It's all showcased in a short, well-designed basement exhibition with superb wall-sized photos of swathes of tulips and cleverly designed woodcuts showing the journey of tulips from the Far East into The Netherlands. On ground level is a top-quality souvenir store selling bulbs, pretty plant holders, and other classy tulip-related ephemera.