Amsterdam, Netherlands — Where to Go
Amsterdam Sightseeing Overview
The Dutch capital has clearly come a long way since it was founded, as legend has it, by two fishermen and a seasick dog. The story goes that the dog jumped ship to deposit the contents of his stomach, and the two fishermen became the founders of Amsterdam. The reality might have been slightly more prosaic, with the River Amstel being dammed in the 13th century and spawning the settlement of Aemstelledamme.
The lifeblood of Amsterdam has long been its aquatic locale, close as it is to the North Sea and built on myriad canals, which neatly divide the city into easily navigable districts and imbue it with a small town ambience. There seems to be a canal around every corner in Amsterdam - not too surprising, considering that the city is home to a staggering 165 of them (more than Venice).
The best way for visitors to get a real feel for the city is to head straight out on a canal tour, or enjoy a cycle.
The most visited sites in Amsterdam are the many excellent museums, such as the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank Museum and the Van Gogh Museum to name a few. The new kid on the cultural block is the Hermitage Amsterdam, opened in 2009.
Less cerebral pursuits are also 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 to discover the ‘real' Amsterdam of grand old canal-side merchants' houses where modern Amsterdammers still live, in an almost bucolic setting.
Amsterdam Tourist Information
VVV Amsterdam Tourist Office
Stationsplein 10 (opposite Centraal Station)
Tel: 0900 400 4040.
Website: www.iamsterdam.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800.
In total there are six VVV offices, including this location, Leidseplein/Leidsestraat and the airport. Services provided include excursions and canal cruises, walking tours, theater, concert and museum tickets, telephone cards and VVV gift vouchers.
Amsterdam Sightseeing
The 'I amsterdam Card' offers tourists the use of public transport, free or reduced admission to many of the city's top museums, a voucher booklet for discounts on several attractions and restaurants, a full-color pass guide and a free canal boat trip. 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.
Amsterdam Sightseeing
The 'I amsterdam Card' offers tourists the use of public transport, free or reduced admission to many of the city's top museums, a voucher booklet for discounts on several attractions and restaurants, a full-color pass guide and a free canal boat trip. 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 in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Rijksmuseum
The largest and most popular museum in the Netherlands was opened in 1885 and has grown steadily ever since. The highlight is the ‘Masterpieces' collection with the work of many European artistic luminaries including the Dutch cultural giants Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and the former's seminal Nightwatch. They also stage a variety of temporary exhibitions.
Jan Luijenstraat 1
Tel: (020) 674 7000.
Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 0900-1800, Fri 0900-2030.
Admission charge: Y.
Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House)
The queues can be horrendous at the small but very popular Anne Frank House, which annually attracts up to 1 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 eventually died. However, her father survived and published her diary, which has been translated into 50 languages.
Prinsengracht 267
Tel: (020) 556 7100.
Website: www.annefrank.org
Opening hours: Daily from 0900 until 1900-2200 depending on time of year.
Admission charge: Y.
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: Y.
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
Oudezijdsachterburgwal 148
Tel: (020) 624 8926.
Website: www.hashmuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2300.
Admission charge: Y.
Sex Museum
Damrak 18
Tel: (020) 622 8376.
Website: www.sexmuseumamsterdam.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-2330.
Admission charge: Y.
Torture Museum
Singel 449
Tel: (020) 320 6642.
Website: www.torturemuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
Admission charge: Y.
Museum Het Rembrandt Huis
This museum, a charming three-story house, built in the early 17th century, is where Rembrandt lived for nearly 20 years. 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: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum)
Housed in a former orphanage that dates back to 1524, the museum is filled with paintings, prints and archaeological finds, and shows how Amsterdam grew from a small medieval town into a modern city. 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.
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 357
Tel: (020) 523 1822.
Website: www.ahm.nl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
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 9222.
Website: www.heinekenexperience.com
Opening hours: Daily 1100-1900.
Admission charge: Y.
Hermitage Amsterdam
Housed in the historic Amstelhof and recently opened in 2009, this new cultural mecca has strong links to its sibling of the same name in St Petersburg. The main permanent collection focuses on artistic and cultural links between Russia and the Netherlands, with exhibits brought in from St Petersburg. There are also a wide range of temporary exhibitions, as well as a section on the heritage of the historic home of the museum itself.
Amstel 51
Tel: (020) 530 8751.
Website: www.hermitage.nl
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
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 all 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 and the interior has recently been brought back to its best. Guided tours need to be booked two weeks in advance.
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147
Tel: (020) 620 4060.
Website: www.paleisamsterdam.nl
Opening hours: Daily 1200-1700 except for Royal events, check website for calendar.
Admission charge: Y.
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: Y.
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
Website: www.vondelpark.nl
Opening hours: Daily dawn until dusk.
Admission charge: N.
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.
Dam Square
Tel: (020) 638 6909.
Website: www.nieuwekerk.nl
Opening hours: Fri-Wed 1000-1600, Thurs 1000-2200.
Admission charge: Y.
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
