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    Amsterdam

    Netherlands

    Amsterdam

    CityCulture

    Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and by far its most visited destination: a city of 165 canals and almost 1,300 bridges, whose 17th-century canal ring has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010.

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    9. Amsterdam
    Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and by far its most visited destination: a city of 165 canals and almost 1,300 bridges, whose 17th-century canal ring has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010. Here, Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" hangs in the Rijksmuseum, along with the world's most famous Van Gogh collection, and here stands the Anne Frank House.The city originated in the 13th century on a dam in the Amstel and is located on the IJ, a former sea inlet. With approximately 936,000 inhabitants, it is the country's largest city; however, the government and parliament are situated in The Hague, about 60 kilometers away.
    Amsterdam has around 936,000 inhabitants and is located in the province of Noord-Holland, along the Amstel river and the IJ, a former sea arm. The historic center is defined by its canal belt, whose waterways once served as transport routes for merchant houses. Surrounding it are districts with their own character: the Jordaan west of the Prinsengracht, De Pijp with the Albert Cuyp Market in the south, and De Wallen, the Red Light District in the city's oldest part. Within the city, the GVB public transport company gets you to your destination by tram, metro, and bus; free ferries cross the IJ to Amsterdam Noord, which is also connected by the North-South Metro line. The bicycle is one of the most common means of transport; at the main station, there's even an underwater parking garage with space for up to 11,000 bikes. Expect many visitors year-round in the Old Town, at the major museums, and around Dam Square.

    Sights in Amsterdam

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Rijksmuseum
    Museum

    1Rijksmuseum

    The National Museum of the Netherlands, housed in a 19th-century building, showcases masterpieces of the Golden Age, most notably Rembrandt's “The Night Watch,” along with a large collection of European art. It is one of the country's most visited attractions; allow several hours.
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    Van Gogh Museum
    Museum

    2Van Gogh Museum

    The museum on Museumplein houses the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, complemented by the painter's drawings and letters. Among the country's museums, it attracts a particularly large number of foreign visitors.
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    Anne Frank House
    Museum

    3Anne Frank House

    In the annex on Prinsengracht, Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II; today, the house is a museum. Tickets are available exclusively online for a fixed time slot: Every Tuesday at 10 AM, tickets for visits six weeks later are released. The entrance is at Westermarkt 20.
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    Royal Palace (Palace on Dam Square)
    Museum

    4Royal Palace (Palace on Dam Square)

    The Palace on Dam Square was built between 1648 and 1665, designed by Jacob van Campen, as the city hall and has been a royal residence since 1808. The Royal House uses it for receptions and state visits; on other days, you can visit the halls.
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    Vondelpark
    Park

    5Vondelpark

    The approximately 47-hectare city park opened in 1865 and is named after the playwright Joost van den Vondel. With ponds, meadows, and playgrounds, it's the city's primary green gathering spot; the open-air theater offers free performances from June to August.
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    Begijnhof
    Church

    6Begijnhof

    The peaceful courtyard in the city center dates back to the 14th century and was once the residential complex of a community of pious women, the Beguines. The houses around the courtyard are still inhabited today – please be considerate.
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    Restaurants in Amsterdam

    1

    The Pantry

    A hearty restaurant with a terrace, serving generously portioned traditional Dutch dishes.
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    2

    Corner 43

    Lively café-bar in the Jordaan, known for its apple pie. It also serves savory snacks and a lunch and dinner menu.
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    3

    Bakers & Roasters

    Bright, modern cafe in De Pijp with brunch, homemade baked goods, and specialty coffees.
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    4

    Flemish Fries House Vleminckx

    Snack bar in the center, where there are fries in a cone with a selection of different sauces.
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    5

    The Seafood Bar Spui

    Fish restaurant with bar on Spui in the centre.
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    Art, Museums and Festivals

    MuseumsThe three major art museums are located next to each other on Museumplein: the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum for modern art. Additionally, there are the Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht, the Museum Het Rembrandthuis, and the Joods Museum.Festivals and MarketsKoningsdag: On April 27, the city celebrates the King's birthday with flea markets and street parties; many wear orange.Pride Amsterdam: The highlight is the Canal Parade on the canals, held on the first Saturday in August.Albert Cuyp Market: The weekly market in De Pijp is the city’s most famous.RemembranceOn May 4, the Netherlands commemorates WWII dead. After the Royal Palace's bell strikes on Dam at 8 PM, two minutes of silence are observed nationwide.

    Nightlife

    1

    Brouwerij ’t IJ

    Brewery with a taproom right next to a windmill in the east of the city. They serve their own light and dark organic beers, and guided tours are also available.
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    2

    Bimhuis

    Traditional venue for jazz concerts on the IJ. The black, rectangular hall is part of the Muziekgebouw complex.
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    3

    Escape

    Large downtown nightclub with a dance floor, DJs, and bar, open on weekends.
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    On the Go in Amsterdam

    Tram, Metro, Bus and FerryPayment: To pay, tap your contactless bank card or smartphone on the card reader (OVpay) when boarding and alighting. On GVB lines, the daily fare is capped at 10.50 Euros.Day Tickets: GVB sells day and multi-day tickets for one to seven days; they are valid from the first check-in.Tram: The tram covers almost the entire city; many lines meet at Centraal Station. Amsterdam Noord is not served by tram.Metro: Often the fastest connection to Noord, Zuidoost and Amstelveen.Ferries: Ferries across the IJ to Amsterdam Noord are free for pedestrians and cyclists. The main line departs behind Centraal Station to Buiksloterweg, with others to NDSM and IJplein.Cards for VisitorsI amsterdam City Card: Available for 24 to 120 hours. It includes public transport, admission to over 70 museums and attractions, a canal cruise, and one day bicycle rental.Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket: One to three days of unlimited travel on bus, tram, metro, and train in Amsterdam and the region, without admissions.Getting ThereFrom Schiphol Airport, trains run to Amsterdam Centraal Station. ICE trains from Frankfurt and Cologne also terminate there.

    Accommodations in Amsterdam

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    Nearby

    Zaanse Schans

    Zaanse Schans

    The Zaanse Schans is a living open-air museum on the River Zaan north of Amsterdam: green wooden houses, craft workshops, and a series of working windmills show what the oldest industrial area of the Netherlands once looked like. With around 1.9 million visitors annually, it is one of the most visited destinations in the country.Between 1961 and 1974, many historic buildings from the Zaanstreek were moved here and reconstructed. On display are a paint mill, sawmills and oil mills, a clog workshop, a cheese factory, and the Zaans Museum covering the region's industrial history.
    Haarlem

    Haarlem

    Haarlem is the capital of the province of Noord-Holland and is located just 19 kilometers west of Amsterdam – a canal city with a Gothic main church on the Grote Markt, picturesque 17th and 18th-century residential courtyards, and the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Many visitors combine it with a day trip from Amsterdam or with the beach, as the North Sea coast is only about seven kilometers away.The city on the Spaarne River has a population of around 169,000. In 1839, the first train in the Netherlands departed from here for Amsterdam; today's station building from 1908 is the country's only Art Nouveau train station.
    Volendam

    Volendam

    Volendam is a former fishing village on the IJsselmeer north of Amsterdam, known for its harbor with old fishing boats and for the traditional costume with its high, pointed bonnet. Visitors have been coming here for this reason since about 1875.The village originated in 1357 when the citizens of the neighboring town of Edam built a new harbor and dammed up the old one. It belongs to the municipality of Edam-Volendam, has around 22,700 inhabitants, and, unlike its surroundings, remained Catholic during the Reformation. The pop music that originated here is also named after the Dutch word for eel, the "Palingsound."
    North Holland

    North Holland

    Noord-Holland is the peninsula between the North Sea and the IJsselmeer and, with Amsterdam, the most visited province of the Netherlands. Besides the capital, it features Haarlem, the cheese city Alkmaar, the old port towns Hoorn and Enkhuizen, and the Wadden Island Texel.More than half of the province consists of reclaimed polders. Behind the dunes of Kennemerland stretches flat geestland, north of Amsterdam the watery Waterland, and in the southeast the forests and heathlands of Het Gooi.
    Lisse & Keukenhof

    Lisse & Keukenhof

    Keukenhof near Lisse is the most famous flower park in the Netherlands: Every spring, 32 hectares bloom with around seven million hand-planted flower bulbs, including 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties. It is open only eight weeks a year – during this time, around 1.4 million visitors arrive, about 80 percent of them from abroad.The park was established in 1949 as a spring flower show for bulb growers. Its name, 'Küchenhof', dates back to the 15th century, when Jakobäa von Bayern had herbs grown here for the castle kitchen. Lisse is located in the province of Zuid-Holland, in the middle of the flower bulb growing region.