Amsterdam

Activities

Rijksmuseum (Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX; Hours: daily 9am-5pm; Prices: Adults €25/FREE for ages 18 and under; Tram: Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum)

This museum has 8,000 objects of Dutch art and history on display. It is most famous for its collection of art masterpieces, especially by Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer and Frans Hals. Rembrandt’s The Night Watch (pictured above) is the museum’s most well-known work.

Van Gogh Museum (Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ; Hours: Sat-Thu 9am-6pm, Fri 9am-9pm; Prices: Adults €27,50/FREE for under 18s; Tram: Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum)

If you are a fan of the artist Vincent van Gogh, then this is the place for you! The museum contains the world’s largest collection of his works. It also has an official 3D immersive exhibition which uses images of Van Gogh’s works to tell the story of his life.

Anne Frank House (Prinsengracht 263, 1016 GV; Hours: daily 9am-10pm; Prices: Adults €16,00/Ages 10-17 €7,00/Ages 0-9 €1,00; Bus: Amsterdam, Buiten Oranjestraat)

263 Prinsengacht is well-known for being where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during the Second World War. A movable bookcase, which has since been reconstructed, covered the entrance to the rear rooms, known as the “Secret Annexe”. Unfortunately, in 1944 the Nazis raided the annexe and sent its occupants to concentration camps; of the group, only Otto Frank survived. Today, the house serves as a museum and, as well as the secret annexe itself, contains exhibits about persecution and discrimination.

A boat ride along one of the canals

If art and history are not your cup of tea, then a great way to spend your time is renting a boat along one of the numerous canals in the city. Just be sure to watch out for other boats so you don’t bump into anyone. Additionally, there are signs such as a red-and-white rectangle which means “do not enter” – pay attention to those too!

There is also an option for a guided audio tour along the canals, which points out various buildings and sights as you pass them.

Zevenlandenhuizen or “Seven Country Houses” (Roemer Visscherstraat 37-1, 1054 EW; Tram: 1e Con. Huygensstraat)

Seven houses on the Roemer Visscherstraat (numbers 20 to 30A) are built in the style of some different European countries. These are: Germany, France, Spain (pictured above), Italy, Russia, the Netherlands and England. This is a great place to go for anyone who’s interested in architecture.

Places to stay

ibis Amsterdam Centre (Stationsplein 49, 1012 AB Amsterdam The Netherlands; Train: Amsterdam Centraal) Both Centraal Station and the historic downtown are within walking distance of this hotel. The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private bathroom, and a flat screen TV with free wi-fi. You can reach Schiphol Airport station, RAI or Amsterdam Arena within 15 minutes.

Holiday Inn Express Amsterdam (Zaventemweg 3, 1043 EH Amsterdam The Netherlands; Bus: Amsterdam, Kadijksplein; Train: Sloterdijk OR Amsterdam Centraal) A quick five minute train ride from the city centre, this hotel offers many amenities. These include complimentary wi-fi throughout the hotel, a wide selection of international TV channels, and complimentary coffee and tea-making facilities in each room. There’s also a new mini supermarket, Wundermart, available in the lobby.

Places to eat

DUTCH, INTERNATIONAL: Humphrey’s Amsterdam (€€-€€€; Three course menu €39.95; Nieuwezijds Kolk 23, 1012 PV Amsterdam The Netherlands; Hours: Mon-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri & Sat 5pm-10.30pm, Sun 4.30pm-9.30pm; Train: Amsterdam Centraal)

SEAFOOD, EUROPEAN: The Seafood Bar (€€-€€€; Van Baerlestraat 5, 1071 AL Amsterdam The Netherlands; Hours: daily from 12pm; Tram: Overtoom)

Getting to Amsterdam

Air

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main airport serving international flights.

Train

Eurostar: Amsterdam Centraal is the main Eurostar hub and serves Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and London.

Intercity Express (ICE): Serves Cologne and Frankfurt.

Day trips from Amsterdam

Haarlem: Located about 20 km (12 mi) west of Amsterdam, Haarlem has a lot of interesting places to visit. One of them is the Ten Boom Museum, which is where the Ten Boom family hid Jews and other refugees during World War II. The River Spaarne also runs through Haarlem, where it is possible to see functioning windmills.