The Saturday Boerenmarkt (farmer's market) on the Noordermarkt is where you will see Amsterdam's foodie, liberal, leftie elite at their finest. From 10 am onwards, they flock to the Noordermarkt to buy the finest organic meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables, along with fair-trade shopping baskets and massage oils. Okay, I shop here too. In autumn, the mushroom stall is to die for. The corn on the cob in September is fantastic, the corriander salsa all summer is too moorish for words.

Actually, there has been a market here since the 1620s. In those days what could be sold at a market was laid down by law and the Noordermarkt, along with pots and pans, was also able to sell "vodden" - the stuff of flea markets.
In the areas around the Noordermarkt there was a high percentage of bed shops (of the 32 bed shops in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 18th century, six were around the Noordermarkt). Along with the bed shops came the accompanying bedding and material stores, and that tradition continues to this day. The Monday morning market concentrates on curtains, bedding and material including, if you are lucky, you can pick up second-hand red velvet curtains for a bargain price.