Must-see attractions in Amsterdam

  • Westergasfabriek

    Jordaan & the West

    Adjacent to the Westerpark, this late-19th-century Dutch Renaissance complex was the city's western gasworks until gas production ceased in 1967. The…

  • Het Grachtenhuis

    Western Canal Ring

    Learn about the remarkable feats of engineering behind the Canal Ring through this museum's holograms, videos, models, cartoons, scale model of Amsterdam…

  • Scheepvaarthuis

    Amsterdam

    Now the five-star Grand Hotel Amrath, the grand 1916 Scheepvaarthuis is a neo-Gothic art deco beauty, the first and finest example of the expressionist…

  • Magere Brug

    Southern Canal Ring

    Dating from the 1670s, the nine-arched 'Skinny Bridge' has had several incarnations, first in timber and later in concrete. It has a hand-operated central…

  • Westerkerk church on Prnsengracht, Western Canal Belt.

    Westerkerk

    Western Canal Ring

    The main gathering place for Amsterdam's Dutch Reformed community, this church was built for rich Protestants to a 1620 design by Hendrick de Keyser. The…

  • 500px Photo ID: 91627775 - Just a colorful view on the 'Rijksmuseum' with tulips in Amsterdam last summer, typically dutch. Heavily filtered to smoothen the image and bring the colors out... Maybe a bit much, but I like it :)

    Amsterdam Tulip Museum

    Jordaan & the West

    Allow around half an hour at this diminutive museum, which offers an overview of the history of the country's favourite bloom. Through exhibits, timelines…

  • Sexyland is a members' club located in Amsterdam Noord with weekly events open to the public

    Sexyland

    Amsterdam Noord

    See the neon sign and you'll be forgiven for thinking this is an outpost of the Red Light District. But Sexyland is a members' club that has 365 co-owners…

  • Sarphatipark, Amsterdam

    Sarphatipark

    De Pijp

    While the Vondelpark is bigger in size and reputation, this tranquil English-style park delivers an equally potent shot of pastoral summertime relaxation,…

  • The Stopera, a City Hall and music theatre on Waterlooplein by the Binnen Amstel, at night.

    Stopera

    Amsterdam

    This curved waterside building is called Stopera because it houses both the stadhuis (city hall) and the opera and ballet hall, aka Muziektheater. It…

  • Westerkerk Bell Tower

    Western Canal Ring

    The bell tower of the Westerkerk is famously topped by the blue imperial crown that Habsburg emperor Maximilian I bestowed on the city for its coat of…

  • Young Goat Kid looking at camera

    De Ridammerhoeve

    Amsterdam

    A remarkable place in Amsterdamse Bos is this organic working goat farm, where kids can feed bottles of milk to, well, kids (€1 for a bottle) in season…

  • ARCAM Architecture Centre in the Eastern Islands area.

    ARCAM

    Amsterdam

    The curved Amsterdam Architecture Foundation, a striking waterside building designed by Dutch architect René van Zuuk, hosts changing architectural…

  • amsterdam holland canal house boat with flowers

    Houseboat Museum

    Jordaan & the West

    This quirky museum, a 23m-long sailing barge from 1914, offers a good sense of how gezellig (cosy) life can be on the water. The actual displays are…

  • Cobra Museum

    Amsterdam

    It's well worth making the effort to visit this out-of-the-way canal-side museum. The building, designed by Dutch architect Wim Quist, makes a light…

  • Riekermolen Amsterdam

    Riekermolen

    Amsterdam

    Like a scene from another century, just outside Amstelpark's south edge, on the west bank of the Amstel River, stands this 1636 windmill. In a field…

  • West-Indisch Huis

    Western Canal Ring

    Built in 1617 as a meat market and militia barracks, this historical building was rented by the Dutch West India Company (Geoctroyeerde West-Indische…

  • Oosterpark

    Amsterdam

    The lush greenery of Oosterpark, with wild parakeets in the trees and herons stalking the large ponds, brings an almost tropical richness to this diverse…

  • Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue

    Amsterdam

    With dizzying wooden barrel-vaulted ceilings, this was the largest synagogue in Europe when it was completed in 1675. It's still in use today, and has no…

  • Hollandsche Schouwburg

    Amsterdam

    Few theatres have had a history of such highs and lows. It was opened as the Artis Theatre in 1892 and became a hub of cultural life in Amsterdam, staging…

  • Frankendael House

    Amsterdam

    This area was rolling countryside several centuries ago. In the 18th century, wealthy Amsterdammers would pass their summers and weekends in large country…

  • Waag

    Amsterdam

    The multi-turreted Waag was built as a gate in the city walls in 1488. In 1601 the walls were destroyed to allow the city to expand, and the building was…

  • Dam

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    This square is the very spot where Amsterdam was founded around 1270. Today pigeons, tourists, buskers and the occasional funfair (complete with Ferris…

  • Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ

    Amsterdam

    Even if you don't catch a performance here, the cool contemporary architecture makes the magnificent 'Music Building on the IJ' worth swinging by for a…

  • Huis Marseille

    Western Canal Ring

    Large-scale temporary exhibitions from its own collection are staged at this well-curated photography museum, which also hosts travelling shows. Themes…

  • Amstelpark

    Amsterdam

    Pastoral haven Amstelpark has particularly creative garden layouts and many different species of flowers – it was originally created in 1972 for the bloom…

  • Centraal Station

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Beyond being a transport hub, Centraal Station is a sight in itself. The turreted marvel dates from 1889. One of the architects, PJ Cuypers, also designed…

  • Hash, Marijuana & Hemp Museum

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Simple exhibits here cover dope botany and the relationship between cannabis and religion. Highlights include an impressive pipe collection, an…

  • Kuan Yin Shrine

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    Europe's largest Chinese Imperial–style Buddhist temple, built in 2000, is dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Enter through the side…

  • Zuiderkerk

    Amsterdam

    Famed Dutch Renaissance architect Hendrick de Keyser built the 'Southern Church' in 1611. This was the first custom-built Protestant church in Amsterdam –…

  • Hollandsche Manege

    Amsterdam

    The neoclassical Hollandsche Manege is a surprise to discover just outside the Vondelpark. Entering is like stepping back in time, into a grandiose indoor…

  • Dappermarkt

    Amsterdam

    The busy, untouristy Dappermarkt is a swirl of life and colour, with around 250 stalls. It reflects the Oost's diverse immigrant population, and is full…

  • NAP Visitors Centre

    Amsterdam

    This fascinating display was closed for repairs at the time of research, but shows the ins and outs of Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP; Normal Amsterdam…

  • Fashion for Good

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    The world’s first sustainable fashion museum delves into the history of fashion, the latest industry technology and innovation, and the stories behind day…

  • St Nicolaaskerk

    Medieval Centre & Red Light District

    In plain view from Centraal Station, the magnificent cupola and neo-Renaissance towers belong to the city's main Catholic church, the first to be built …

  • Stadsarchief

    Southern Canal Ring

    A distinctive striped building dating from 1923, this former bank now houses 23km of shelving storing Amsterdam archives. Fascinating displays of archive…

  • Pianola Museum

    Jordaan & the West

    This is a very special place, crammed with pianolas from the early 1900s. The museum has around 50, although only a dozen are on display at any given time…

  • Entrepotdok

    Amsterdam

    In an area northeast of the Plantage, there is a 500m row of warehouses that once belonged to the Dutch East India Company (VOC). This powerful…

  • Multatuli Museum

    Western Canal Ring

    Better known by the pen name Multatuli (Latin for 'I have suffered greatly'), writer Eduard Douwes Dekker is most recognised for Max Havelaar (1860), his…

  • Little Woodcutter

    Amsterdam

    Hidden up in the Leidsebosje parkland's closest tree to the pedestrian crossing on Stadhouderskade (where it intersects with Leidseplein) is an endearing…

  • Hortus Botanicus

    Amsterdam

    A botanical garden since 1638, it bloomed as tropical seeds and plants were brought in by Dutch trading ships. From here, coffee, pineapple, cinnamon and…

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