Top 10 Best Tourist Attractions In Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. Amsterdam is also the country’s primary cultural center, with over 40 museums, academies, and research organizations, as well as numerous theatres and entertainment venues.

Furthermore, the city is well-known for its many well-preserved medieval homes. These well-preserved heritage buildings are laid out in a pattern of concentric segments in the shape of a fan and are erected on piles driven through an upper layer of mud into the firm, sandy bottom up to 18 meters below.

Here are the top 10 best tourist attractions in Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum

Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum (National Museum), one of Amsterdam’s most famous attractions — and unquestionably its most important art repository — was founded in 1798 to hold the country’s vast collection of rare art and antiques.

The museum’s outstanding collection includes a million cultural artifacts ranging from the 13th century to the present day, including over 8,000 important paintings dispersed throughout 250 rooms of this huge structure.

Aside from its paintings, the Rijksmuseum has a well-stocked library with over 35,000 books and manuscripts, as well as other fascinating exhibits about the evolution of art and culture in the Netherlands. Its collections of traditional handicrafts, medieval sculpture, and modern art forms are particularly noteworthy.

There are several themed English language guided tours available. Try the amusing art history canal cruise, which takes in many of the sites depicted in the Rijksmuseum’s exhibits, or reserves a seat at the museum’s Michelin-starred restaurant.

Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House is located on the Prinsengracht (Anne Frank Huis). This is the real home in which Anne’s family hid for much of WWII, dedicated to the all-too-brief life of one of the world’s most well-known Holocaust victims.

The Franks were Jewish refugees from Frankfurt, Germany, and it was here that Anne started the diary that went on to become a worldwide bestseller after the war. It was released only a few years after her death at the age of 15, only two months before the war ended.

Much of the house has been preserved as it was during Anne’s reign, serving as a touching memorial to a horrible chapter in history.

Van Gogh Museum

Van Gogh Museum

The stunning Van Gogh Museum, a must-see for art lovers and historians, has been one of Amsterdam’s top attractions since it opened in 1972.

This modern Gerrit Rietveld-designed structure is home to the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and artifacts, much of it donated by his brother, Theo, and other family members. It is dedicated to the often troubled life and extraordinary artistry of one of the country’s most revered painters.

The collection, which includes 200 paintings, 500 etchings and drawings, and 700 letters written to (and by) friends and family, is divided into key periods of the artist’s life: his realistic works (1880 to 1887), including the famous The Potato Eaters, and his Impressionist period (1887 to 1890), which saw the creation of perhaps his best-known work, Vase with Sunflowers.

The stunning “Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience,” a fascinating multimedia exhibition of the painter’s life and times through lifelike digital reproductions of his work, is a highlight of a visit.

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Jordaan Neighborhood

Jordaan Neighborhood

Jordaan is Amsterdam’s most popular neighborhood, famed for its mix of residential homes with garden courtyards, vibrant markets, and expensive retailers and cafés.

The neighborhood also has a lot of enjoyable things to do, such as taking a stroll down one of the numerous scenic streets or spending time at one of the many top-rated tourist attractions.

Although most known as the site of the Anne Frank House, the region also contains lesser-known treasures such as the Woonboots Museum, a floating museum dedicated to houseboats, and the intriguing (honestly!) Amsterdam Cheese Museum.

Lindengracht transforms into a massive open-air market on Saturday mornings, where you can purchase local crafts, food, flowers, and treats fit for a picnic basket.

On Monday mornings, Westerstraat is filled with 200 vendor stalls, this time selling a diverse range of things in a flea-market-style bazaar. Jordaan’s eateries and cafés have become popular spots for people-watching and listening to traditional Dutch folk music.

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Vondelpark

Vondelpark

Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s largest and most visited park, spans 120 acres and offers a plethora of entertaining activities.

The park features a stunning rose garden with over 70 distinct species of flower, as well as swaths of green area sprinkled by quiet ponds and crossed by wide trails.

It also features several sculptures and statues, playgrounds, and other recreational facilities, such as rollerblade rental and the Vondelpark Open Air Theater, which is open from May to September and serves as a venue for musical and stage events.

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Dam Square

Dam Square

Dam Square is one of Amsterdam’s most popular tourist destinations, and with good reason. The 17th-century Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace), the previous residence of the Dutch royal family and current venue for royal functions, is its most conspicuous feature.

Top tourist attractions in Dam Square include the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), Madame Tussauds wax museum, and the National Memorial Statue, which is dedicated to Dutch troops who died in World War II.

This massive public area is naturally bordered by a plethora of cafés, restaurants, and shops, and it is usually teeming with sellers selling food and souvenirs. Visitors will also find a Ferris wheel, which is ideal for providing a fresh perspective, as well as plenty of entertainment, ranging from street performers and buskers to first-rate music festivals.

Royal Palace of Amsterdam

Royal Palace of Amsterdam

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam), formerly the Town Hall, serves as the King’s home when he visits the city. When construction began in 1648, it was a huge operation that needed the sinking of 13,659 piles to sustain the massive building.

The outside is classical, while the interior is superbly equipped, with its apartments filled with a profusion of reliefs, decorations, marble statues, and friezes. Check out the amazing ceiling paintings by Rembrandt’s disciples Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck.

Among the other highlights are one of the world’s greatest furniture collections and the City Treasurer’s room, which features a marble fireplace and ceiling paintings by Cornelis Holsteyn.

The Council Hall, the largest and most significant room, is sumptuously furnished and one of Europe’s most beautiful staterooms.

West Church (Westerkerk)

West Church (Westerkerk)

Amsterdam’s West Church (Westerkerk), located near to the Anne Frank House, is one of the city’s most popular churches to visit. It’s undeniably one of the most beautiful.

This magnificent Renaissance church, completed in 1630, is notable for its numerous interior and external Gothic characteristics. Its 85-meter-tall tower, colloquially known as “Langer Jan” (tall John), is the city’s tallest structure.

A massive copy of the emperor’s crown is set at the apex of its spire in memory of Emperor Maximilian of Austria. A carillon inside the tower announces the hours.

Other features include a beautiful 1622 organ and an impressive marble column erected in Rembrandt’s honor in 1906. The famous artist was buried outside the church at first but was eventually moved inside. On-site, there is a gift shop.

Rembrandt House Museum

Rembrandt House Museum

Rembrandt and his wife Saskia spent the happiest (and most successful) years of their lives in the Jodenbreestraat residence, which is now home to the Rembrandt House Museum (Museum Het Rembrandthuis). It was in the Jewish Quarter that he sought models for his Biblical themes and painted scenes from his many canal excursions.

Rembrandt lived in this house for 20 years, and it has been furnished in 17th-century style, with countless etchings and personal artifacts. There are English-language guided tours available.

It was the first Protestant church built in Amsterdam following the Reformation and was designed by architect Hendrick de Keyser, who is also buried here.

It is now a focus for local cultural activities and events after considerable renovation. Rembrandt Square, which houses several cafés and restaurants as well as a statue of the great painter, is another Rembrandt-related attraction in the city.

Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam

Hortus Botanicus

In the middle of the city, Amsterdam provides a surprise dose of nature. Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, the city’s botanical garden, is one of the oldest in the world and should surely be on your tourism list.

This popular attraction began as a small herb garden for doctors and apothecaries in 1638. It now has uncommon plants and trees, exotic flowers, and a vast hothouse embracing various tropical zones.

Exploring the wonderful ancient pavilion, a hexagonal construction dating back to the late 17th century, as well as the 1870s Orangery, are highlights of a visit. The Palm House is also noteworthy, especially for its architectural style.