Selected Travel Guide:		More Amsterdam Travel Guides:			Adjust Font Size:

Sightseeing Overview
Amsterdam is perfect for sightseeing as it is flat and compact, making it easy to walk around. The best way for visitors to get a real feel for the city is to head straight out on a canal tour, something that many locals have never done, or enjoy a cycle, though beware cycling here can be a frightening experience if you are not used to city cycling.

Most of the main attractions are located within the historical core, usually within walking distance of each other, although the efficient tram and bus networks are close at hand for attractions further afield.

The most visited sites in the city are the many excellent museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank Museum, Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, Van Gogh Museum, the NEMO Museum and the Scheepvaartmuseum.

Less cerebral pursuits are on offer among the grand facades and elegant museums, with brown cafés and prostitutes adorning windows all day and night in the red light districts.

Away from these busy places, the city is also blessed with quiet canals and leafy parks, which provide an escape all year round, especially Vondelpark, with its open-air, free concerts during summer.

Breaking away from the main tourist throng is the best way for one to discover the ‘real’ Amsterdam of grand old canal-side merchants’ houses where modern Amsterdammers still live, in an almost bucolic setting.

As well as being the transport hub for the city, Amsterdam’s grand Centraal Station is also the gateway to myriad half- and full-day trips, with regular and inexpensive train services all over the Netherlands.

Tourist Information
VVV Amsterdam Tourist Office
Stationsplein 10 (opposite Centraal Station)
Tel: (020) 551 2525.
Website: www.visitamsterdam.nl; www.iamsterdam.com (tourist office’s dedicated English language portal).
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.

In total there are six VVV offices, including this location, Leidseplein/Leidsestraat and the airport. Services provided include general tourist information, hotel and package reservations, excursions and canal cruises, maps and guidebooks, walking tours, public transport tickets, theater, concert and museum tickets, souvenirs and posters, telephone cards, VVV gift vouchers and currency exchange.

Passes
The I Amsterdam Card offers tourists the use of public transport (tram, bus and underground), free or reduced admission to many museums, a voucher booklet for 25% discount on several attractions and restaurants, a full-color pass guide and a free canal boat trip. Attractions offering free entrance to card holders include the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandthuis, Amsterdams Historisch Museum and Hortus Botanicus.

Valid for one, two or three days, the card is available for purchase from VVV Amsterdam tourist offices, as well as a number of hotels.

Key Attractions:

Rijksmuseum
The largest and most popular museum in the Netherlands was opened in 1885 and has grown steadily ever since. Today, it is in the midst of the biggest rebuilding program in its history. Much of its most famous work by ‘The Masters', though, is still on show in the impressively designed Phillips Wing and as many of the other collections are being put on display as possible. The 'New' Rijksmuseum is scheduled for completion in 2012/13.

Jan Luijenstraat 1
Tel: (020) 674 7047.
Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 0900-1800; Fri 0900-2200.
Admission charge.

Anne Frankhuis (Anne Frank House)
The queues can be horrendous at the small but very popular Anne Frank House, which annually attracts up to a million people. It is the historic home where Anne Frank, her family and four other Jewish people hid from the occupying Germans during WWII, after fleeing their native Germany. Finally caught by the Nazis, after two years in hiding, they were taken off to concentration camps, where Anne died. However, her father survived and published her diary, which has been translated into 50 languages. The story of how they were saved by local people for so long sometimes masks the reality that the city's Jewish population was all but wiped out during the war.

Prinsengracht 263, Westerkerk
Tel: (020) 556 7105.
Website: www.annefrank.org
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1900 (Sep-Mar); daily 0900-2100 (Apr-Aug).
Admission charge.

Van Gogh Museum
This spacious museum houses a permanent display of 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters by Van Gogh (making it easily the largest Van Gogh collection in the world), as well as works by Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. They also stage a variety of temporary exhibitions.

Paulus Potterstraat 7
Tel: (020) 570 5200.
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 1000-1800; Fri 1000-2200.
Admission charge.

Scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands Maritime Museum)
The highlight of the maritime museum is the reconstruction of an old Dutch East Indiaman, The Amsterdam, which is moored just offshore. The ship may have no engine but it looks impressive and its confined interior is authentic. The museum helps open up the reality of the country's rich maritime past when the Dutch were major global players and their fleet ventured as far as modern day Indonesia, Goa and Macau.

Katterburgerplein 1
Tel: (020) 523 2222.
Website: www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Museum Het Rembrandthuis
This museum, a charming three-story house, built in the early 17th century, is where Rembrandt lived for nearly 20 years. Recently, a museum wing has been added, with more space for a permanent collection of his work. It is home to a comprehensive collection of 250 of the artist's etchings and self-portraits. Many visitors find the odds and ends that he accumulated during his lifetime, such as Roman busts and turtle shells, every bit as colorful and illuminating as his paintings. The work of Rembrandt's teachers and students is also on display, which adds depth and dialog to Rembrandt's own work.

Jodenbreestraat 4
Tel: (020) 520 0400.
Website: www.rembrandthuis.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 1000-1700; Fri 1000-2100.
Admission charge.

Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art
The best collection of modern art in Amsterdam is currently located in a temporary home whilst work continues on Museumplein. The renovation work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. The collection includes Dutch and international art from the second half of the 19th century onwards, with works by Picasso, Cézanne, Chagall and Monet, as well as photography, video, film and industrial design. Recent Dutch artists on display include Mondrian, De Kooning and Lichtenstein.

Oosterdokskade 5
Tel: (020) 573 2911.
Website: www.stedelijk.nl
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800.
Admission charge.

Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum)
The Amsterdam Historical Museum shows how this city grew from a small medieval town into a modern city. Housed in a former orphanage that dates back to 1524, the museum is filled with paintings, prints and archaeological finds. One of the most interesting exhibits is an 18th-century coach without wheels. According to council regulations (and to reduce the noise of wheels on the cobbled streets) wealthy Amsterdammers had to travel by sleigh, even in summer. The entrance fee to the museum includes free entry to the Civic Guards Gallery, a glass-roofed ‘street' between Kalverstraat and the Begijnhof, which is lined with 15 massive portraits of the Amsterdam Civic Guards, dating from the 17th century. However, the Rijksmuseum has the most famous painting of the Civic Guard - Rembrandt's Nightwatch. The museum's courtyards are a relaxing place to be on a warm summer's day with the restaurant offering outside tables.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 357
Tel: (020) 523 1822.
Website: www.ahm.nl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700; Sat-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge.

Heineken Experience
The award-winning Heineken Experience is a self-guided, multimedia delve into the workings of the world's largest beer exporter. There is plenty of information on the company's rich history and also the chance to bottle your own beer. At the end of the tour, there is, of course, the chance to sample the brew.

Stadhouderskade 78
Tel: (020) 523 9666.
Website: www.heinekenexperience.com  
Opening hours: Daily 1100-1900.
Admission charge.

Sub-Culture Museums
Amsterdam is infamous for its Sex Museum, but it also boasts the dubious charms of the Hash Museum and the Torture Museum. The extremely tacky Sex Museum is full of erotica (objets d'art, photos, prints, paintings and videos) dating from the Roman era to about 1960, although somehow manages to be totally devoid of eroticism. The Hash Museum is of interest to those visitors who come to Amsterdam in search of coffee shops and would like to learn a little more about the hallowed weed, while the Torture Museum caters to another sub-group of society altogether. Nevertheless, it is tongue-in-cheek enough to be of interest to all. The three museums are all within walking distance of each other in the city center.

Hash Museum
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 148
Tel: (020) 623 5961.
Website: www.hashmuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1100-2200.
Admission charge.

Sex Museum
Damrak 18
Tel: (020) 622 8376.
Website: www.sexmuseumamsterdam.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2330.
Admission charge.

Torture Museum
Singel 449
Tel: (020) 320 6642.
Website: www.torturemuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
Admission charge.

Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace)
The Royal Palace, designed by Jacob van Campen, was built in 1648, as Amsterdam's city hall. When King Louis Napoleon arrived in Amsterdam, in 1808, he had the city hall turned into a palace. The large collection of Empire-style furniture, chandeliers and clocks date from this period. Although the palace is still the official royal residence, the royal family lives in The Hague. However, Queen Beatrix does host official functions here. Note that the interior is off limits to visitors until 2009 due to a major refurbishment.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147
Tel: (020) 620 4060.
Website: www.koninklijkhuis.nl
Opening hours: Tues-Thur and Sat-Sun 1230-1700; guided tours need to be booked two weeks in advance.
Admission charge.

NEMO Museum
The funky and modern NEMO Museum is an unmistakable sight on the banks of the IJ. Just a short stroll away from Centraal Station, this museum attempts to defy the crusty image of some traditional museums by offering plenty of hands-on exhibits to stimulate young minds and keep them occupied, as well as provide more information on science and technology for older visitors. This bright, relaxed venue is a good antidote to Amsterdam's other, perhaps stuffier museums, especially for younger visitors. The rooftop has a beach area, a surreal place to take in the rays on a sunny day.

Oosterdok 2
Tel: (020) 531 3233.
Website: www.e-nemo.nl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Vondelpark
Named after a famous Dutch poet, the Vondelpark is known as the ‘green lung’ of Amsterdam. It contains 49 hectares (120 acres) of ponds, gardens, lakes, playgrounds, cafés and a bandstand. During summer, there are regular free concerts. At times, palm readers and buskers (African drummers, classical quartets and jazz singers) provide entertainment. Also look out for theater and film performances. Just a short walk from the Leidseplein, the Vondelpark is an ideal place for visitors to get away from it all.

Vondelpark, Roemer Visscherstraat
Tel: (020) 523 7790.
Website: www.vondelpark.nl
Opening hours: Daily dawn until dusk.
Free admission.

Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
Despite its name, the building of the original church that stood on this site was started in 1408, as the congregation had outgrown the Oude Kerk (Old Church). The present structure dates to the 17th century, the previous wooden church having been badly damaged by fire. One of the most interesting pieces inside the church is the pulpit. Rising to a height of more than 10m (33ft), it took sculptor Albert Jansz Vinckenbrinck almost 20 years (1645-1664) to create. A close look at the carved ‘rope’ of the handrail will reveal mischievous angels sliding down it. Located next door to the Royal Palace, on the Dam, the Nieuwe Kerk has been used for the inauguration of Dutch monarchs since 1815 - Queen Beatrix was crowned here in 1980. The church is also renowned for excellent exhibitions and it is rated as one of top three exhibition locations in the Netherlands.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal
Tel: (020) 638 6909, for recorded information.
Website: www.nieuwekerk.nl
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600.Admission: Variable according to exhibition; often free.

Hortus Botanicus
The very pretty Hortus Botanicus is home to more than 800 plants from all over the world. It is also one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, established as a ‘Hortus Medicus’ herb garden in 1638. The garden became an ornamental garden, displaying foreign plants brought back by the East India Company, from as far afield as South Africa, India, Indonesia, Australia and Japan. Conducted tours take place on Sunday at 1300 and last for 60-90 minutes.

Plantage Middenlaan 2A
Tel: (020) 625 9021.
Website: www.dehortus.nl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; Sat-Sun 1000-1700. Closes at 1600 in Dec-Jan and stays open until 2100 in Jul-Aug.
Admission charge.

Roemer Visscherstraat
Also known as United Europe, or Seven Countries Houses, the extraordinary street of Roemer Visscherstraat was built in 1894 by architect Tjeerd Kuipers, with the intention of focusing on the history of European architecture. Lying between the Vondelpark and Leidseplein, numbers 20 to 30A of this street provide a one-minute excursion through seven European cities. Number 20, with its Gothic windows, is based on romantic German architecture. Number 22 is a miniature French Loire chateau, while 24 is a Moorish masterpiece reminiscent of Granada’s Alhambra. There is an Italian palazzo at number 26, next door to which, with its onion-shaped dome, is a house reminiscent of a Russian cathedral. Number 30 is a Renaissance-style Dutch house, while 30A is an English cottage.

Roemer Visscherstraat 20-30A

Houseboat Museum
Living on a houseboat sounds like an alluring way of life and it is increasingly popular in the Amsterdam area, partly due to the city’s chronic housing shortage. This modest museum, reputed to be the only one of its kind in the world, attempts to delve into this unique way of life, answering questions about what it is like to live on a boat in this historic city. The boat is much as it would be as a house (with a living room, shower, toilet and bedroom) and is a far better way of seeing a houseboat than poking through the windows of a real one, as many curious tourists cannot help themselves doing.

Opposite Prisengracht 296
Tel: (020) 427 0750.
Website: www.houseboatmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1700 (Mar-Oct); Fri-Sun 1100-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission charge.

Related Amsterdam Content

Related Netherlands Content

Netherlands Airport Guides: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Rotterdam	Netherlands City Guides: Amsterdam City Guide The Hague City Guide
Netherlands Attraction Guides:
Anne Frank House (Anne Frankhuis) Keukenhof Gardens (Keukenhof) Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis)	State Museum (Rijksmuseum) Van Gogh Museum