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Amsterdam’s coolest rooftop bars
Hip hangouts high above Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known for breaking the mould, and the city’s approach to cooling off in the summer months is no different. Where most cities stick with rooftop bars, and maybe an exclusive terrace pool, A’dam thinks bigger. Here, splash through fountains atop a museum, ride a swing 22 storeys above the canals, and lunch on veggies grown on the roof garden itself.
Best for: Getting wet, wet, wet
Up on the roof at NEMO
Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX, Website
Atop Renzo Piano’s ship-like science museum, the huge rooftop piazza is a family-friendly suntrap, complete with a café and several fountains to splash in.
Best for: Club kids
Canvas at the Volkshotel
Wibautstraat 150, 1091 GR, Website
This former newspaper building has been reborn as a hip hotel. Canvas takes in a club and glass-walled restaurant, while the rooftop hot tubs and sauna are open on Sundays.
Best for: Swingers
The Lookout at A’DAM
Overhoeksplein 5, 1031 KS, Website
The crowning glory of the 22-storey A’DAM Tower is Europe’s loftiest swing, set on its observation deck – note that you need tickets for both.
Best for: A quick dip
W Amsterdam
Spuistraat 175, 1012 VN, Website
The W’s pool is the place to make a splash in your ritziest swimwear – at least until the city’s long-awaited Soho House opens in July.
Best for: Leafy lunches
Zoku
Weesperstraat 105, 1018 VN, Website
The rooftop garden at this hip live/work hive isn’t merely ornamental; its produce often features in the delicious lunches served to laptop-toting members and drop-ins.
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Image credits: © Martijn Kort; © Martijn Kort; © NEMO Science Museum; © Raymond van Mil; © W Amsterdam; © Zoku; © Marcus Koppen; © Getty