Art And History Lovers’ Must Have List in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, attracting more than 7 million tourists from the world across. It is the largest city in the country and is well known as an economic, cultural and creative hub. Amsterdam's name is derived from its origin as a “Dam” across the “Amstel” river. During the olden days, it was called “Amstelredamme” from which its modern and current name Amsterdam is derived. The city is also known as the Venice of the North owing to the many winding canals which flow through this beautiful city. It also has impressive architecture and more than 1500 bridges across the city, making it an ideal tourist destination for you. So, pack your bags as we help you with a bouquet of things to do in Amsterdam.

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is an art museum which is dedicated to the legendary artist Vincent Van Gogh and other contemporaries of his time. Situated at the Museum square, it is located in the Amsterdam South borough and is close to the other museums and places of interest. This museum figures very high on the list of things to do in Amsterdam by all tourists and is highly recommended for you. It is a very busy tourist attraction and welcomes more than 2.3 million visitors every year. Opened in June 1983, this museum holds one of the largest collections in the world of the painting and drawings of this legendary artist who committed suicide at the height of his success. It has a collection of 200 of his famous and early works, including the “Almond Blossom” and “Sunflowers” to name a few. You may also like to go through the history of this museum, which was created as his unsold work changed hands from his brother to his brother's wife and son. Ultimately this private collection was taken over by the state in 1962 and was displayed in this museum and remains one of the most important art collections in entire Europe. You can also visit the Kurokawa wing of the museum, which houses temporary exhibitions from time to time and is mostly very interesting. You should also know of a small trivia – this museum was burgled of 20 of Van Gogh’s paintings, which were recovered within 35 minutes from an abandoned car.

Since this is a very popular and most visited museum, you may want to buy tickets online to save yourself from the lengthy queue to buy one on-site and plan to visit on Fridays, where it is open for a longer duration. The tickets are costly but worth it considering that you will be able to see the master’s work in the original. An adult ticket costs 18 Euros with an extra 5 Euros for the audio guide, which you may need to get details of each of the artworks. You can reach the museum taking a tram or a bus which have easy connectivity to the place. You can easily spend half a day here and must put this place high on your list of things to do in Amsterdam.

Opens - Fri 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Sat - Thu 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Address - Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam

If you want to really discover what Amsterdam was about and still is, you may want to head to the Amsterdam Museum. Here you will see a large collection of masterpieces that define the city and chart its gradual progression to what it is today. Few exceptional ones include the middle ages aerial map. You will learn much about Amsterdam with the audiovisual experience that you get here.

You will find the museum building itself a historical masterpiece. Since 1975, it has been located in a building that housed an orphanage in an old convent. You will be amazed to find out that the building has a history dating back from 1581. The museum has a collection of 70,000 items, which are either on display or in the storage area, making it interesting for adding to your things to do in Amsterdam. Few of the interesting articles you will find on display here are a working Clarion that can be played, a replica of a famous pub and Café which is a meeting point of the pimps, prostitutes, and queers in the Red-light district of the city, Wikar which was an environment friendly car from the 60’.

You can visit The Golden Age section of the museum, which gives you a view of the city’s golden era, its wealth, it's master painters, about the Dutch East India Company, and also about the construction of the famous city-wide canals. It also has exhibits from the time of war, slavery, and oppression in the city.

If you want an assisted tour, you can go for Amsterdam DNA tour of the museum, which offers a one-hour presentation aligned with the history of Amsterdam with audiovisual and selective pieces. If you have your children with you, you could probably go to The Little Orphanage section, which is suitable for children from 4-12 years. This presentation gives a view of life in the 17th-century orphanage. Besides this, the museum is a treasure trove of many interesting items that you can spend half a day easily.

The museum is daily open from 10 am to 5 pm and has an entry fee of € 15 for adults and € 12.5 for students. Children below the age of 17 get a free entry here.

Address - Kalverstraat 92, 1012 PH Amsterdam, The Netherlands

For those of you who are inclined towards art and revere the great artist Rembrandt, one of the most unmissable things to do in Amsterdam is a visit to the Rembrandt House Museum. This museum is a historic house in Amsterdam where the painter worked and lived between years 1639 to 1656. It is located in the Jodenbreestaat area close to the city hall in Amsterdam. The historic house has been reconstructed and contains the collection of his paintings along with his contemporaries. There is a history of the house which Rembrandt bought for himself in 1639 and lived and worked in the place till he went bankrupt in 1656 and had to auction all his belongings. You will be able to see these recreated items in the house. As of today, you will be able to see the house fully reconstructed to show how it would have been during the life of the great painter here. In the adjoining modern building, you can admire the works of the great of the artist that are on display here. You can find many etchings and other items among this collection of many objects from all over the world. You can easily spend 1-2 hours here. A visit to the master’s house tops the list of things to do in Amsterdam for many art lovers, and so is also recommended for you.

The museum is daily open from 10 am to 6 pm and has an entry fee of € 14. Children between 6 to 17 years age are charged € 12.5.

Address – Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam

Another history museum to add to your list of things to do in Amsterdam! You can have a full day here as this is a big place with a large collection of exhibits. The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum which is primarily dedicated to the history of the city of Amsterdam. It is located near the Museum square in the borough of Amsterdam South and is very close to the Van Gogh Museum. You can plan to visit this place along with the other tourist attractions in this area. This museum was found and located in The Hague in 1798 but was moved to Amsterdam in 1808. The current building where it is housed also is a masterpiece of an architecture that was opened in 1885. This museum top the list of most visited museums in the Netherlands and attracted more than 2.2 million visitors every year. It is highly recommended that you book your ticket online so that you don’t waste time standing in the queue. You can take the various guided tours available. This year is celebrated as the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death and the museum theme of “The Year of Rembrandt,” you may be able to catch up with many exhibitions and special events to celebrate the work of one the greatest artist the world has ever seen. Here in this museum, you will be able to see more than 8000 objects and artifacts of art and history besides the masterpieces from the likes of Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, and Frans Hals, among others. In all, this museum has a collection of more than 1 million cataloged articles from right from the years 1200 to 2000. This museum ranks high in any art lover’s things to do in Amsterdam.

The museum opens from 9 am to 5 pm and charges a ticket of € 19.00 for adults while children less than 18 years can enter free.

Address - Museumplein/Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam

Amsterdam is famous for its art and architecture, and you will admire how beautiful and well preserved the old buildings here are. Another piece of architecture that should find a way in your things to do in Amsterdam is a visit to the Westerkerk. This is the biggest church in Amsterdam and one of the oldest too. The Western Church is one of the most important protestant churches in the city. It lies in the western part of the Centrum borough. An icon in the city’s architectural skyline, the church has a tall bell tower called the WesterKerk Tower and is regarded as an integral symbol of the city. You will admire this 85-meter high bell tower, which is still visible from most of the old city of Amsterdam. You may want to climb up the tower to get an awesome view of Amsterdam from its balcony. You will be able to visit the inside of this active church, which has a service every Sunday. You will appreciate the interior and the architecture of this beautiful serene church, which is 58 meters in length and 29 meters in width and has two isles flanking the high alters. You can have an interesting evening coming to this church where 350 years ago, Rembrandt was buried on 8th October 1669. This place is beautiful and serene and can be in your list of things to do in Amsterdam for sure.

The church opens Monday-Friday 11:00-16:00; On Sundays and Christmas, it is are not open to visitors.

Address - Prinsengracht 279, 1016 GW Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is located in the center of the city. This is a 17th-century architectural marvel built during the Dutch Golden Age and was originally built for housing the city hall and the city courts. You will be able to spend a nice afternoon here, roaming the expansive courtyards and gardens. This place is certainly one of the few things to do in Amsterdam.

This palace that you will visit is one of the three royal palaces that are at the disposal of the Monarch of Netherlands, given to him by an act passed by the parliament. On your visit, you will see the royal venue where the major official events like state receptions, visits, and meetings with foreign state leaders and the King’s New Year party happens. If you are lucky, you may also witness the annual awards ceremony that is conducted here.

The Royal Palace is a historical place and was occupied once by the King Louis Napolean, brother of Napoleon, in1806. It was a house of the French governor when France annexed the Netherlands. Subsequently, over the years it remains the royal property. While having a tour inside the palace, you will see the central hall which has had many historical events and is a massive room 120 feet long, 90 feet high, and 60 feet wide. You can also see the famous statue of Atlas with the globe on his shoulders, signifying the Dutch reach across for the globe for business and commerce. There are other interesting artifacts here that will immerse you here.

The palace is open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm on all days except Monday and on days when there are Royal events. The ticket costs € 19.00 and free entry for children up to 18 years.

Address - 1001 AM Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Homomonument is a unique memorial in the central part of Amsterdam. It was built to commemorate the gay movement and especially those who were persecuted due to their homosexuality. If you are a supporter of liberated human nature and support the LGBT, a visit to this place is one of the must things to do in Amsterdam. This memorial is on the bank of a canal near the WesterKerk Church. This monument is made with three big pink granite triangles that are set on the ground to form a triangle. Visiting here, you will lend your silent support to the many gays and lesbians who struggle the world over against discrimination and oppression as this was the first monument in the world which is in memory of a large number of queers who were exterminated by the Nazis. If you are here on May 5th, i.e., the Liberation day, you can take part in a massive street party that gets organized here.

Address - Westermarkt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Woonboot Museum or the Houseboat Museum is a houseboat that is furnished traditionally and gives visitors a sense of daily life in the canals of Amsterdam in the olden times. An old freighter called Hendrika Maria has been completely refurbished to give the visitors the display of how life has changed over the decades. It’s interesting to see how this old barrage built-in 1914 has been converted into a comfortable live houseboat. It welcomes you to its skipper's chamber, which has a bed, living room, a bathroom and a kitchen all of the size of an average city apartment. You can enjoy a good cup of coffee here at the museum, which is one of the recommended things to do in Amsterdam. Visiting this museum, you may get interested in having an experience living in a houseboat. Don’t worry as you can book accommodation in any one of these that are available on rent across many of Amsterdam’s canals.

The houseboat museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Address -1016 HW Amsterdam, The Netherlands

If you are interested in flora and fauna, then this is one of the most interesting things to do in Amsterdam. You can plan to have a morning tour to Hortus Botanicus. This major tourist attraction is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. Founded in 1638 this garden was to serve as the herb producer for the doctors. In those days, the extracts of the various medicinal plants used to be extracted for the treatment of various ailments. This place is a popular tourist attraction as it has a huge collection of famous trees and plants — most notably the Persian ironwood tree. You can spend a few hours enjoying the greenery and 796 or so different species of plants which are here.

Opens – 10 am to 5 pm.

Address - Plantage Middenlaan 2a, 1018 DD Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is a city that is full of places that will interest you. Be it the historic architecture or the world-famous art museums, and the city has all the attractions which you can visit during your vacation here. Come with family to enjoy a vacation or alone to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the place offers. Amsterdam is a place to be in this season!