Amsterdam

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The Royal Palace on Dam Square was built in the seventeenth century as Amsterdam's city hall, Netherlands

The Begijnhof is a medieval enclosed courtyard of houses once home to a lay Catholic sisterhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Rijksmuseum, designed by Pierre Cuypers and opened in 1885, is the national museum of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Van Gogh Museum holds the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh in the world, Amsterdam, Netherlands

About Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, grew from a dam on the Amstel River into one of the great trading cities of the seventeenth century. Its semicircular ring of canals from that era, lined with narrow gabled houses, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is a compact, cycle-heavy city with world-class museums and a reputation for tolerance and independent spirit.

A canal cruise gives a quick sense of the layout before setting out on foot to Dam Square and the Royal Palace, then into the quiet courtyard of the Begijnhof. The Museumplein area holds the Rijksmuseum, with its Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, and the Van Gogh Museum, while the Rembrandt House Museum preserves the painter's home and studio. The Anne Frank House, where timed tickets are essential, sits on the Prinsengracht beside the Jordaan, a neighborhood of small streets and cafes overlooked by the Westerkerk tower. Vondelpark offers green space, and De Pijp has the busy Albert Cuyp Market and a wide choice of restaurants.

The city suits travelers who like walking, museums and lingering in cafes. Watch for cyclists when crossing bike lanes. Spring brings tulip season and nearby gardens, and crowds peak in summer.

Best seasonApril and May for spring flowers, or September for milder crowds and pleasant weather.

Ideal stayThree days covers the canals and major museums; add a day for nearby towns.

ArrivingSchiphol Airport has direct trains to Amsterdam Centraal, which also receives international rail services.

WiserMap travel guideAmsterdam Netherlands Canals Bikes and the RijksmuseumExplore Amsterdam's canal ring, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, the Jordaan, Vondelpark and De Pijp, with tips on museum tickets, bikes and when to go.Read the guide

Top 12 Experiences in Amsterdam

Landmarks 3

Canal ring and canal cruises

Dug in the seventeenth century during the Dutch Golden Age, the concentric rings of the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengrac...

Dam Square and the Royal Palace

The city's historic heart, Dam Square marks the spot where a dam on the Amstel gave Amsterdam its name. Its west side is filled by...

Begijnhof

Step through a small doorway off the busy Spui and you find yourself in a hushed, green courtyard ringed by tall, narrow houses. T...

Museums 4

Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands' national museum occupies Pierre Cuypers's grand red-brick building of 1885, reopened in 2013 after a decade-long...

Van Gogh Museum

On the Museumplein, this museum holds the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's work in the world, including hundreds of painti...

Anne Frank House

At Prinsengracht 263, Anne Frank, her family and four others hid from the Nazis for more than two years in a secret annex conceale...

Rembrandt House Museum

Rembrandt lived and worked in this tall house on the Jodenbreestraat for nearly twenty years in his prime, before bankruptcy force...

Neighborhoods 3

The Jordaan and Westerkerk

Once a crowded working-class district, the Jordaan is now one of Amsterdam's most charming neighborhoods, with narrow streets and...

De Pijp and the Albert Cuyp Market

Built in the late nineteenth century as a district for workers, De Pijp has become a lively, multicultural neighborhood packed wit...

Amsterdam Noord and the NDSM wharf

Just across the IJ from Centraal Station, free ferries carry pedestrians and cyclists to Amsterdam Noord, the city's creative fron...

Parks 1

Vondelpark

Amsterdam's most popular park opened in 1865 and is named after the poet Joost van den Vondel. Its long, landscaped grounds of law...

Family 1

Artis Royal Zoo

Founded in 1838, Artis is one of the oldest zoos in Europe, set in the leafy Plantage district among historic buildings, monumenta...

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Photo: Michielverbeek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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