Exploring a full-scale replica of the 700-tonne galleon Amsterdam is the highlight of a visit to Het Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum; hetscheepvaartmuseum.com; adult/child €18.50/free). The original, one of the VOC's largest tall-mast ships, was wrecked by storms during its maiden voyage to East Asia. A 180-degree multi-screen projection takes you downriver on a virtual journey into the 18th-century port of Amsterdam.
Inside the main museum, the powerful "Shadows on the Atlantic" exhibition examines colonial reverberations. Other rooms display historic ship figureheads, navigational instruments and priceless naval charts. The imposing courtyard building is part of the attraction, a 1656 waterfront behemoth originally designed as a storehouse for the Admiralty of Amsterdam.
