Amsterdam

Amsterdam Highlights

Amsterdam has an appeal that is absolutely unique. It’s a vibrant place, a treasure-trove of extraordinary artistic riches, and the living embodiment of 900 years of history, during which it rose to become the centre of a huge global empire. After a period of decline, it matured into today’s relaxed and tolerant modern metropolis. Elegant and serene, Amsterdam also has its seamy side, and this too is part of its character, as much as its famous network of canals.
Whatever you are looking for, this small city packs a big punch.


Canals and Waterways
Amsterdam’s canals, in particular, the elegant ring of three 17th-century canals known as the rachtengordel – are its defining feature. With their delightful views, pretty bridges (1,281 in all), idiosyncratic gabled houses and relaxed waterside cafés, Amsterdam’s 75 km (47 miles) of canals are great fun to explore: full of interest and perfect for a leisurely stroll. They are a constant reminder that the Netherlands is the world’s flattest country, half of which has been reclaimed from the sea with the aid of dykes, canals and, more recently, huge tidal barriers. Before you start exploring Amsterdam’s canals on foot, however, you should take a boat tour  for a fascinating overview.

 

Rijksmuseum

The country’s largest national museum houses an unrivalled collection of 17thcentury Dutch art, and much besides. The magnificent national museum of the Netherlands possesses nearly seven million works of art, only a fraction of which is on display. It was established by King Louis Napoleon in 1808 in the Royal Palace on the Dam, moving later to the Trippenhuis on Kloveniersburgwal. In 1865, the architect P J H Cuypers designed a new home near the Vondelpark; the Rijksmuseum opened in 1885. The main building is being renovated (until 2013), and only the Philips Wing is open.

  

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum houses simply the most comprehensive collection of the artist’s work to be seen anywhere in the world – including some of his most famous paintings. The collection also includes works by other 19th-century artists. The most comprehensive collection in the world of Van Gogh’s work was amassed by his art dealer brother Theo, and is housed in this museum. It includes more than 200 of his paintings, over 500 drawings and hundreds of letters, as well as his Japanese prints and works by contemporaries – though not all are on permanent display. Gerrit Rietveld’s airy building, opened in 1973, sets off the paintings to perfection. The display follows Van Gogh’s development from the murky peasant scenes of the early 1880s to the anguished final works. An ellipse-shaped extension designed by Kisho Kurokawa was added in 1999.

Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder

Things are not always what they seem, and that is certainly true of this gem of a 17th-century house in the Red Light District: tucked away on its upper floors is a rare example of a perfectly preserved hidden Catholic church. The rest of the museum is fascinating, too – the interior has changed little since the Golden Age. Contrasting sharply with its surroundings in the shabbiest corner of the Red Light District, this lovely 17th-century house has a surprise in store. Concealed in its upper floors is a hidden church, Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic), a rare, perfectly preserved example of the many clandestine churches that were built after the Alteration (see facing page). Local Catholics worshipped here from 1663 to 1887, when nearby St Nicolaaskerk was built. Its little-changed interiors transport you back in time to the Dutch Golden Age.

Begijnhof

A haven of peace, the Begijnhof was built as a refuge for the Beguines, a lay Catholic sisterhood. Amsterdam’s oldest house is here. Away from the bustle of the city, this bewitching sanctuary of elegant houses around a tranquil green was founded in 1346 for the members of a lay Catholic sisterhood, the Beguines, the last of whom died in 1971. Although none of the original buildings survive – nor the early design in which the courtyard was surrounded by water – there is a fascinating example of a 15th-century wooden house, a lovely church of the same period, and an appealing hidden chapel. Visitors are asked to respect the privacy of the current residents.

Amsterdams Historisch Museum

Housed in the old city orphanage, this vibrant collection traces the history of Amsterdam from the 12th century. The Historical Museum houses the city’s most fascinating collection of artifacts, archaeological finds, clothes, jewellery, maps, paintings and sculptures. Originally a convent, in 1580 it became the city orphanage. Handsome extensions were added by Hendrick and Pieter de Keyser before Jacob van Campen’s magnificent rebuilding of 1634. The orphans moved out in 1960, and in 1975 the museum moved in. Its stunningly presented exhibits and interactive displays chart Amsterdam’s growth and metamorphosis over the centuries.

Oude Kerk

This great Gothic  basilica preserves a number of its treasures, despite being stripped of its paintings and statuary during the Iconoclasm. The city’s oldest monument and first parish church stands on the site of an early 13th-century wooden chapel that was destroyed by fire. Rebuilt as a small stone hall church in the 14th century, over the years it expanded into a mighty Gothic basilica, now in the heart of the Red Light District. The interior is stark, stripped of its Catholic treasures during the Iconoclasm of 1566, but it boasts some exquisite stained glass, rare ceiling paintings and a world-famous organ. It is dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of the city.

Museum Van Loon

Visitors to the Van Loon family residence on the Keizersgracht, lovingly restored in the style of the mid-18th century, have a rare opportunity to see behind the façade of a grand canal house – and to wander freely about it. Step back into the 18th century at this delightful canal house on Keizersgracht, which has been the property of the prestigious Van Loon family (co-founders of the Dutch East India Company, later bankers and royal courtiers) since 1884. In the 1970s, the family opened it to the public, having painstakingly restored it to its appearance in the 1750s, when it was owned by Dr Abraham van Hagen and his heiress wife Catharina Trip. It is beautifully furnished with Van Loon family possessions throughout.

 

Anne Frank Huis

The hiding place of Anne Frank and her family, before they were discovered, arrested and sent to their deaths, is today a deeply moving museum. This deeply moving museum tells a tragic story. When in 1942 the Germans began to round up Jews in Amsterdam, the Frank and Van Pels families went into hiding. For 25 months, they hid in a secret annexe in the Anne Frank Huis. In August 1944, they were betrayed and deported. Only Otto survived. The diary of his daughter, Anne, who died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945 at the age of 15, has made her one of the most inspiring figures of the 20th century.
The museum celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010.

 

Dam Square

This is where it all started: Amsterdam’s main square is on the site of the dam on the Amstel around which the city grew. Now it hosts markets, events and all shades of city life. The very heart of Amsterdam, Dam Square – or “the Dam”, as the locals call it – marks the site of the original 13th-century dam on the Amstel river. An architectural parade spanning six centuries includes the glorious Nieuwe Kerk and the Koninklijke Paleis. By the 17th century, with the town hall here and the Exchange nearby, the Dam had become the focus of Amsterdam’s political and commercial life. The passage of years may have eroded some of its grandeur – but certainly none of its colour or its vitality.

Canals and Waterways

With their delightful views, pretty bridges (1,281 in all), idiosyncratic gabled houses and relaxed waterside cafés, Amsterdam’s 75 km (47 miles) of canals are great fun to explore: full of interest and perfect for a leisurely stroll. They are a constant reminder that the Netherlands is the world’s flattest country, half of which has been reclaimed from the sea with the aid of dykes, canals and, more recently, huge tidal barriers. Before
you start exploring Amsterdam’s canals on foot, however, you should take a boat tour.

Top 10 Canals and Waterways

1 Herengracht
2 Keizersgracht
3 Prinsengracht
4 Entrepotdok
5 Reguliersgracht
6 Amstel River
7 Brouwersgracht
8 Bloemgracht
9 Leidsegracht
10 Singel

Herengracht

Stateliest canal of the Grachtengordel  the Herengracht is famous for its Golden

Bend – a grand but rather lifeless stretch of mansions built for the richest merchants. A more beautiful stretch lies between Huidenstraat and Leidsestraat, best viewed from the east side.

Keizersgracht

The central canal of the Grachtengordel has fine stretches between Brouwersgracht and Raadhuisstraat, and again between Runstraat and Leidestraat.
Prinsengracht
The outermost canal of the Grachtengordel, designed for warehouses and artisans’ housing, has a breezy, laidback air. It is peppered with cafés, art galleries and houseboats. Cycle its 3 km (2 mile) length, or explore
short stretches on foot.

 

Entrepotdok

An imposing stretch of former dockland has been restored to provide offices and apartments, with outdoor
cafés overlooking colourful houseboats.

Reguliersgracht

Much loved for its pretty houses and hump-backed bridges, Reguliersgracht was
cut in 1664.

Amstel River

Until the construction of the Grachtengordel pushed it out of focus, the river Amstel was the city’s raison d’être. It is still used by barges to transport goods to the city’s port.
Brouwersgracht
The happy-go-lucky feel of the “brewers” canal’ makes a pleasant contrast to the sophisticated elegance of the Grachtengordel.
Bloemgracht
A charming canal crossed by cast-iron bridges, Bloemgracht is known locally as “the Herengracht of the Jordaan”, because of its elaborately gabled houses.

 

Leidsegracht

This lovely – and exclusive – canal was cut in 1664, when it was the main barge route from Amsterdam to Leiden.

Singel

Once a fortified moat, the Singel is now home to Bloemenmarkt, the domed Ronde Lutherse Kerk and the soaring Neo- Gothic Krijtberg church.