There’s one thing at which the Dutch truly excel: turning water into land. Large parts of the Eastern Islands (Kattenburg, Wittenburg and Oostenburg) were reclaimed from the River IJ in the 19th century and the Dutch East India Company also had its headquarters here. Impressive buildings like the Maritime Museum stand alongside charming homes, but bear in mind that the neighbourhood may be pretty, but there’s not much else to do here apart from admiring the scenery.