Amsterdam - sightseeing

The Royal Palace is located on the Dam in Amsterdam. It is not Queen Beatrix’s place of residence but occasionally she receives important guests here.

The Royal Palace was built between 1648 and 1665 as the Amsterdam city hall. The building was designed by Jacob Van Campen, the city government envisioned a grand, impressive building that reflected the powerful ideals of the young republic both from the exterior and interior. In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte came to Amsterdam and changed the city hall to his own personal palace. Converting the offices into bedrooms, dining rooms and ballrooms. A beautiful collection of empire furniture, clocks and chandeliers recall those times. There are magnificent paintings and delicate sculptures by artists such as Govaert Flink and Ferdinand Bol.

The Palace is regularly open for both tourists and groups, with tickets for Adults at 4,50 euro it is well worth a visit.

It’s almost compulsory for the tourist to make a visit to this area. The quality of museums concentrated here is very high: Flemish art at its apex, the 19th-20th Century avantgardes, the contemporary Dutch artists... The Amsterdam Pass is the key to visiting all these museums plus a number of extra bonuses. It contains more than 30 free offers and 20 discounts for major tourist attractions including public transport and a free canal cruise. Prices range from 26 euro for 1 day, 36 euro for 2 days and 46 euros for 3 days, the Pass can be ordered through the Amsterdam Tourist Office.

Rijksmuseum

The worlds largest collection of Dutch Masters (paintings, sculptures, prints, antiquities). Not to be missed:
 Rembrandt’s "The Night Watch";
 the four Vermeer’s ("The Kitchen Maid", "The Little Street", "Woman Reading a Letter", "The Love Letter").

Check out the Rijksmuseum Official Site

The World’s Smallest Art Museum - Reflex

A great find opposite the Rijksmuseum. This tiny museum is only 13sq. m and displays 1,500 miniature paintings, graphics, sculptures and pictures by the likes of Picasso, Lichtenstein, Oldenburg and Christo. Admission is free and it’s open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Van Gogh Museum

A great collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpieces, from "The Potato Eaters" to "Wheatfield with Crows", from "The Sower"to "The Bedroom", and the world-famous "Sunflowers". The museum also hosts a big collection of paintings by Van Gogh’s contemporaries. Check the museum’s wonderful, informative, fast-loading site: Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam.

Stedelijk Museum

This museum hosts minor works by contemporary artists (mostly Dutch, such as Piet Mondriaan, but not exclusively) and shows them in a very interesting didactic route. It is strongly advised to people who are not art experts to get an audio guide, in order to better understand what’s on show.

Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is situated in the center of Amsterdam. This was the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II. In the original Anne Frank House you will be informed about what happened during her period of hiding. The front part of the house has been returned to its original style and atmosphere it had during the war. Due to conservation the rear part of the house has remained entirely in its original condition. Anne Frank’s story is told using quotes from her diary and every room has been reconstructed to reflect the atmosphere as described in her diary. Anne Frank was a normal girl in exceptional circumstances and this can be seen and felt while wandering through the museum.

Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum

The scent of genuine cannabis plants has been welcoming visitors since the opening in 1985 of the Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum in Amsterdam. Each year, some 75,000 people from all parts of the world come to this exceptional cultural and knowledge centre in the heart of the Red-Light District. The museum is completely dedicated to the cannabis plant and its many uses. The Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum is unique in the world, and is much like a voyage of discovery that fits perfectly into a tourist visit to Amsterdam. This summer, the Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum will relocate to 130 Oudezijds Achterburgwal. In the new building, it will soon be possible to admire many more valuable pictures and objects. For instance, objects such as hand tools and implements used through the centuries to make hemp into rope, paper and fabrics. Open daily from 11am to 10pm, guided tours for groups are available on request.

The Sex Museum

The Sex Museum is the world’s first and oldest sex museum, the "Venustempel" in Amsterdam. A leading museum on the theme of sensual love with an extensive collection of erotic pictures, paintings, objects, recordings, photographs and even attractions. All of the exhibits have been gathered together personally by the owners and can be viewed in their 17th century property on the Damrak. The collection is displayed in two houses on the back of the building and a house on the front of the building all connected by a specially designed stairwell. The result is an exciting labyrinth of rooms and corridors, together with an ever-growing collection of objects from different ages and cultures, provides hours of viewing and listening pleasure for everyone. The "Venustempel" opened its doors in 1985 and has expanded ever since, with some 500,000 visitors every year it is one of the best-visited museums in Amsterdam and with an admission fee of only 2,50 euro you can’t go wrong.

The Theater Museum

To visit the Theater Museum is a performance in itself. The museum is housed in two 17th century mansions with wonderfull paintings on the walls and ceilings. The Theater Museum encompasses all theater disiplines from circus to cabaret, dance to opera. There is also a large database containing information on all Dutch professional productions since 1945. The Theater Instituut-library has over 100,000 books and plays in several languages, scores of music, subscriptions to international magazines, compact discs and more than 6,000 videos. There are also spacious reading rooms and viewing facilities. Open 7 days a week from around 11am/1pm to 5pm, with admission being 4,50 euro for an Adult.

This beautiful park was designed by in 1877 architect J.D. Zocher as an English-style park with winding paths, ponds and alternating wooded and open areas. The Park, named after Dutch playwright Joost van den Vondel, is situated in the Leidseplein district and is an oasis for everyone seeking to escape the bustling heart of the city, lounge around on the grass and listen to local artists on their guitars or watch numerous acrobats and buskers entertaining crowds.

Vondel Park is Amsterdam’s best-known park. Its location is just perfect, in the middle of the smartest quarters of the city. Locals and tourists alike come here to jog, roller skate, ride their bikes or just relax.

If you go to Vondel Park you must stroll past the Vondel Park Pavilion. This beautiful glass-and-iron building houses the Netherlands Film Museum. The museum has an old-fashioned project room, old projectors, posters and cinema chairs. And, most important of all, a priceless collection of films.