Amsterdam, one of Europe’s smaller but densely populated capitals, has many attractions for visitors. The town’s most famous sight is the system of canals, which spreads over the whole city centre.
Museums
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam is the national museum of the Netherlands.
The Van Gogh Museum specialises in works by Vincent van Gogh.
The Stedelijk Museum specialises in modern art.
The Rembrandt House Museum specialises in works by Rembrandt van Rijn.
The Anne Frank House is a museum dedicated to the apartments where the Frank family hid from the nazis during WWII.
The Hermitage Amsterdam is a branch of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The Tropenmuseum, anthropological museum.
The NEMO (museum), the science museum in a building that looks like a sinking ship.
The Burcht, National Trade Unions Museum built by Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
The Verzetsmuseum, the Amsterdam resistance museum.
The Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Amsterdam’s historical museum.
The Allard Pierson Museum, Archaeological Museum of the University of Amsterdam.
The Bijbels Museum, where the Bible, art and culture meet in a monument full of history.
The Filmmuseum, Holland’s museum for cinematography.
The Joods Historisch Museum, The Jewish Historical Museum collects objects and works of art associated with the religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and its former colonies.
The Museum Van Loon, a home on the canal. The double-sized canal house dates from 1672.
The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, museum about Dutch maritime history. Due to renovation closed from January 2007, until 2011.
The Pianola Museum is a museum about pianos and pianolas.
The Handbag Museum is a museum of handbags and purses.
The Kattenkabinet is a museum about cats.
The Universiteitsmuseum is the University of Amsterdam museum.
Het Schip is a museum about the Amsterdam School architectural movement of the early 20th century.
The Amsterdam Dungeon is a unique combination of a museum, theatre and an attraction park.
Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen, a mansion on the Herengracht, with four period rooms and a tranquil garden.
Diamond Museum Amsterdam is a museum at the Museumplein about the history of diamonds.
Churches
The Oude Kerk (ca. 1400), is the oldest building in the city of Amsterdam, probably founded as a wooden chapel in a village on the Amstel River.
The Nieuwe Kerk (1490) is famous for its high profile exhibitions. With hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the church is one of the most attended exhibition locations in the Netherlands.
The Zuiderkerk (1603-1611) is the city’s first church built specifically for Protestant services. Noorderkerk (1620-1623) is a historic building in the middle of the Jordaan. It is part of the Protestant Church Amsterdam.
Westerkerk was finished in 1638 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser.
Oosterkerk was originally a Dutch Reformed church on Wittenburgergracht Amsterdam. The church was built in the period 1669-1671, designed by architect Adrian Dortsman with the assistance of Daniel Stalpaert.
Ronde Lutherse Kerk, the first round Lutheran Church. A Reformed Church in the Netherlands with a copper dome.
English Reformed Church, Amsterdam, one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, situated right in the centre of the city.
Sint Nicolaaskerk, a neo-Renaissance and Baroque church in Amsterdam. “Onze Lieve Heer op Zolder” is a Catholic church hidden in an attic.
De Papegaai is located in the busy Kalverstraat. The neogothic church was built in 1848.
Mozes en Aäronkerk
Posthoornkerk
Amstelkerk
Bridges
The Magere Brug is probably the most famous draw bridge in Amsterdam. The Blauwe Brug connects the Rembrandtplein area with the Waterlooplein area.
The Python Bridge connects Sporenburg to Borneo Island and won the International Footbridge Award 2002.
The Jan Schaeferbrug, built in 2001 straight through warehouse De Zwijger, after a design by architect T. Venhoeven.
Buildings
Royal Palace (Amsterdam), former city hall, built in 1648. Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
Kalvertoren, shopping mall located in the busy Kalverstraat.
AEX, stock trading building.
Beurs van Berlage, was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
Centraal Station, Neo Gothic building.
De Waag, part of the city fortifications was built in 1481-1494.
Montelbaanstoren, the tower was built in 1512 as a part of the city fortification.
Munttoren, the tower was built in 1619-1620 and it is the southern tower among all other ones in Amsterdam.
Pakhuis De Zwijger, built in 1933-1934 after a design by architect J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk, this was a warehouse for cooling perishables.
The house with the waterfall, at the Zuiderkerkhof. Nieuwe Wereld, by architects Meyer and Van Schooten. The name goes back to the 1980s when squatters lived here and called their place ‘End of the World’.
Barcelona Building, building from 1993 by architect B. Albert on the Levantkade.
Emerald Empire, building on the far end of KNSM Lane by architect J. Coenen.
The Magna Plaza, a former post office dating back to 1899 and it was converted to a shopping mall in 1990.
The Whale, mega-apartment building by architect F. van Dongen. It took five years to complete (1995-2000).
Skydome, 60 meter tall towerblock was designed by architect W. Arets and has 3 vertical dents.
Lloydhotel, was built between 1917-1920 to serve as an emigrants hotel.
Oost-Indisch Huis, Since 1606 till 1798 former headquarters of VOC (The United Dutch East Asia Company), a 17th Century Dutch trading giant.
Rembrandt Tower, a 135 metres high skyscraper.
Bijlmerbajes, a prison in Amsterdam near the Amstel station.
Amsterdam ArenA, a football stadium in Amsterdam home to football club Ajax.
Begijnhof, Amsterdam, one of the oldest inner courts in Amsterdam.
The Portuguese Synagogue, impressive building was founded in 1670 by the Sephardic Jewish community.
El Tawheed Mosque, a mosque in Amsterdam, founded in 1986.
Homomonument, a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their sexual orientation.
Millennium Tower (Amsterdam), a 97.5 metre tall (24 floor) office building in Amsterdam.
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam), was built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics. It was designed by the architect Jan Wils.
The Amsterdam Metro, a three main lines in the metro system.
Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Public Library) by architect J. Coenen on Oosterdokseiland, next to Central Station. Has a wonderful view over the city.
Concert Halls
The Concertgebouw is home to the world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest.
Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
Heineken Music Hall.
Paradiso (Amsterdam).
Melkweg.
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ Specializing in contemporary art music.
Diamond Factories
Amsterdam Diamond Centre.
Coster Diamonds, one of the oldest diamond polishing factories in the Netherlands.
Gassan Diamonds.
Zazare Diamonds.
Red-Light Districts
There are three red-light districts in Amsterdam: de Wallen, which is located about the Oude Kerk, The Singelgebied, located around the Singel and north of the Nieuwe Kerk, Some isolated windows along the Ruysdaelkade in the de Pijp district, west-southwest from Albert Cuypmarkt.
Squares
There are many squares (anyplace suffixed with plein) in Amsterdam. Here is a partial list of some of the better-known ones:
The Dam, the central square of Amsterdam, where stands the Royal Palace on the Dam and the Netherlands National Monument.
Koningsplein.
Leidseplein, a plaza on the southwest end of the Leidsestraat.
Muntplein, at the intersection of Kalverstraat and Rokin, a town square centered on the old Tower of the Mint (Munttoren).
Museumplein, southwest of the Rijksmuseum, holds the Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
Rembrandtplein.
Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
Markenplein, a place which holds Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTA), close by the Waterlooplein.
Azartplein, is the end of the Java Island walk, crossing this square will lead to KNSM Island.
Open-Air Markets
Albert Cuyp Markt, great open-air food marked in the borough De Pijp.
Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
Dappermarkt, open-air food and cloths market in the borough Dapperbuurt.
Noordermarkt, Saturday market for organic food.
Tsaar Peter Markt, small daily marked in the Tsaar Peter street.
Bloemenmarkt, the famous and only floating flower market.
Breweries
Heineken Brewery, located in the borough De Pijp. Now a museum.
Brouwerij ‘t IJ (Brouwerij ‘t IJ), located in the beautiful De Gooier windmill.
Brouwerij De Prael, located at the Oudezijds Voorburgwal in the heart of the red light district.
Zoos
Artis, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.
