Amsterdam, netherlands
Attractions Guide
Introduction
Amsterdam is a stunning city of countless canals lined with lovely historic homes, tress, and boats, as well as many medieval structures. Most of the city's main sights are concentrated around the city's center (near Dam Square) and Museumplein square located a bit south of Dam Square.
Canals of Amsterdam
The best way to enjoy Amsterdam is by walking around and exploring amongst its many picturesque canals, which make up a UNESCO world heritage site. Be sure to also take a boat tour through the canals for a different perspective.
West of Dam Square near the Anne Frank House is a very photogenic canal bridge, the Prinsensluis Bridge. A bit to the south of this bridge is the especially scenic De 9 Straatjes (9 Streets) area, which hosts many charming canal homes, boutiques, gift shops, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants around a picturesque area of the city.
Dam Square
Dam Square is a large, lively place, often filled with many eccentric street performers. Lining Dam Square are several attractions, including the Royal Palace Amsterdam, a highly intricate 17th century palace still used for royal ceremonies today. Inside the palace you'll find lavish rooms with historic furnishings and artwork.
Adjacent to the Royal Palace is the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), an impressive 15th century church turned into a museum. This church hosts elaborate stained-glass windows and rotating exhibitions, but is best admired from outside.
Between Dam Square and Amsterdam Central Station along Damrak Street is one of the city’s most iconic row of canal homes, the Damrak Street Crooked Houses. These lovely old 5-6 story houses are famously tilted due to their own weight, similar to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You can observe these houses along the Damrak Waterfront.
If you’re interested in learning more about the city’s history, you can visit the nearby Amsterdam Museum, which offers multimedia exhibits housed within an historic former orphanage building.
De Wallen Red Light District
Just east of Dam Square is Amsterdam’s famous De Wallen (Red Light District), an area in which legal prostitution and cannabis cafes are everywhere. The popular Red Light Secrets Museum hosts exhibits about this district’s history. The Red Light District also hosts many bars and a thriving nightlife scene. Apart from the debauchery, De Wallen is quite scenic and is also one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
The De Wallen district is home to the oldest preserved building in Amsterdam, the 800 year-old Oude Kerk (or Old Church). This striking medieval structure contains beautiful stained-glass windows and the largest medieval wooden vaulted ceilings in all of Europe. Amongst the church's impressive architecture you'll find contemporary art collections as well as exhibits on the city's history.
Near the Oude Kerk you can visit the Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic Museum), a 17th century canal house hosting a lovely and elaborate pink catholic church on its top floor.
One of the most stunning structures in De Wallen is the grand Basilica of St. Nicholas, a newer 19th century church which is one of the first sights you’ll see if arriving in the city at Amsterdam Centraal.
Rembrandtplein Square Attractions
Just south of De Wallen and Amsterdam Centraal is Rembrandtplein Square, a popular public square known for it Night Watch sculptured figures, which are based off of Rembrandt’s most famous painting. Around this centrally located square are countless bars and restaurants.
Next to the square is the Willet-Holthuysen Museum, a posh 17th century mansion with historic furniture and artworks. Visiting this well-preserved home is like stepping back in time to see what Amsterdam’s canal houses would have looked like inside hundreds of years ago. Another historic canal house nearby is the Museum Van Loon, which is known for its fine gardens and elegantly decorate interiors.
Hermitage Museum Amsterdam
Another museum nearby is the Hermitage Amsterdam, a branch of the famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Inside the museum you can appreciate shifting art exhibits which frequently feature priceless works of art, fashion, jewelry, and more.
Rembrandt House Museum
The Rembrandt House Museum is located just northeast of Rembrantplein Square. This historic 17th century home is a former residence of the famous artist and was reconstructed and furnished to appear as it would have back when Rembrandt lived there. Connecting to the house is a museum area displaying many of Rembrandt’s artworks, as well as works of his contemporaries.
Next to this house-museum you can walk through the famous 19th century Waterloopleinmarkt, a flea market in the middle of the city offering a wide array of goods for sale.
Anne Frank House
To the west of Dam Square is one of the city's most popular attractions, the Anne Frank House. This it the actual house with the secret annex in which the girl hid with her family during the German occupation of Amsterdam in WWII. Unfortunately the house is extremely popular but not very large, so it's highly recommended to purchase a ticket ahead of time in order to avoid long lines and waiting times.
Museumplein: Top Museums
Rijksmuseum
To the south of Central Amsterdam is a large green field known as Museumplein. This area is home to most of the city’s great museums, the most famous being the stunning palace-like Rijksmuseum. This museum hosts a massive collection of artistic masterpieces, especially those from Dutch painters such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh. The museum’s art collection ranges from the Middle Ages to the present, and also includes works from other European countries as well as from Asia.
Additionally the Rijksmuseum hosts many impressive items in its historic arts and crafts exhibits, as well as the elegant Cuypers Library.
Van Gohh Museum
The next most popular museum is the incredible Van Gogh Museum. This giant museum is dedicated to detailing the history of the painter’s life, containing a wide array of Van Gogh’s personal belongings and trinkets. Most notably, the museums hosts a vast collection of Van Gogh’s art works, as well as many from his contemporaries.
Stedelijk Modern Art Museum
Next to the Van Gogh Museum is the striking Stedelijk Museum, with its eccentric giant white bathtub-like exterior. This museum specializes in modern and contemporary art and design exhibits from around the world.
Moco Museum
Also highly recommended along Museumplein is the smaller Moco Museum, a large photogenic townhouse hosting intriguing and unique modern exhibits by Salvador Dali, Banksy, and Andy Warhol.
Iamsterdam Sign
Museumplein was formerly most known for hosting the I Amsterdam Sign, however this popular art installation was moved to Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport. The spot where the sign was located still hosts the massive fountains however.
Heineken Experience & Vondelpark
Nearby Museumplein is the Heineken Experience, housed within the first Heineken Brewery building (built in 1867). This historic industrial-era building hosts many multimedia exhibits and a brewery room, offering tours and tastings.
Just west of Museumplein is Vondelpark, a vast urban park with many trees and grassy fields. Throughout this lovely park is a large network of streams and ponds surrounded by lush greenery with many pathways and bridges, making this park an excellent place to walk around and enjoy some leisure time.
More Museums
To the east of Central Amsterdam are servers popular museums, including the waterfront NEMO Science Museum. This museum is housed in a modern structure and features many interactive exhibits.
Nearby is the Het Scheepvaartmuseum, a maritime museum housed within a 17th century naval storehouse. The most popular exhibit at this museum is its full-sized replica of the 18th century merchant ship called The Amsterdam. This incredible ship floats in the canal on the side of the museum and is open to explore.
Further east from Central Amsterdam is the Tropenmuseum (or Museum of the Tropics). This ethnographic museum contains many interesting exhibits with objects from around the world, mainly consisting of artifacts from former European colonies. Additionally the museum hosts a large collection of musical instruments and theatrical objects, as well as a photography collection.
Another interesting museum is the Eye Film Museum, which is housed in a stunning ultramodern structure along the water, across the river from Central Amsterdam. This museum specializes in film collections, historic filming equipment, and movie posters.
More Attractions
Near Amsterdam Central is the city’s famous outdoor flower market, Bloemenmarkt, which hosts a wide array of locally-grown flowers for sale.
Just south of the Heineken Experience is the long urban street Ferdinand Bolstraat, which is lined with countless stores and restaurants. This street is considered Amsterdam’s main shopping destination, hosting many branded stores from around the world.
Nearby the Tropenmuseum (east of Central Amsterdam) you can admire the largest wooden windmill in the Netherlands, called De Gooyer. This beautiful octagonally shaped windmill sits along the water and is quite photogenic.
Also notable along the canals near the Rembrandt House Museum is the Montelbaanstoren, a striking 16th century defensive tower which is one of the few remaining structures of Amsterdam’s medieval walls.
Google Maps Attraction Lists
Save Amsterdam Attraction Lists to your Google Maps Account:
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