Amsterdam Top Attractions

Rijksmuseum
The largest and most popular museum in the Netherlands was opened in 1885 and has grown steadily ever since. The highlight is the ‘Masterpieces' collection with the work of many European artistic luminaries including the Dutch cultural giants Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and the former's seminal Nightwatch. They also stage a variety of temporary exhibitions.

Jan Luijenstraat 1
Tel: (020) 674 7000.
Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 0900-1800, Fri 0900-2030.
Admission charge: Y. 

Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House)
The queues can be horrendous at the small but very popular Anne Frank House, which annually attracts up to 1 million people. It is the historic home where Anne Frank, her family and four other Jewish people hid from the occupying Germans during WWII, after fleeing their native Germany. Finally caught by the Nazis, after two years in hiding, they were taken off to concentration camps, where Anne eventually died. However, her father survived and published her diary, which has been translated into 50 languages.

Prinsengracht 267
Tel: (020) 556 7100.
Website: www.annefrank.org
Opening hours: Daily from 0900 until 1900-2200 depending on time of year.
Admission charge: Y. 

Van Gogh Museum
This spacious museum houses a permanent display of 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 700 letters by Van Gogh (making it easily the largest Van Gogh collection in the world), as well as works by Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. They also stage a variety of temporary exhibitions.

Paulus Potterstraat 7
Tel: (020) 570 5200.
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 1000-1800, Fri 1000-2200.
Admission charge: Y. 

Sub-Culture Museums
Amsterdam is infamous for its Sex Museum, but it also boasts the dubious charms of the Hash Museum and the Torture Museum. The extremely tacky Sex Museum is full of erotica (objets d'art, photos, prints, paintings and videos) dating from the Roman era to about 1960, although somehow manages to be totally devoid of eroticism. The Hash Museum is of interest to those visitors who come to Amsterdam in search of coffee shops and would like to learn a little more about the hallowed weed, while the Torture Museum caters to another sub-group of society altogether. Nevertheless, it is tongue-in-cheek enough to be of interest to all. The three museums are all within walking distance of each other in the city centre.

Hash Museum
Oudezijdsachterburgwal 148
Tel: (020) 624 8926.
Website: www.hashmuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2300.
Admission charge: Y. 

Sex Museum
Damrak 18
Tel: (020) 622 8376.
Website: www.sexmuseumamsterdam.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-2330.
Admission charge: Y. 

Torture Museum
Singel 449
Tel: (020) 320 6642.
Website: www.torturemuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
Admission charge: Y. 

Museum Het Rembrandt Huis
This museum, a charming three-storey house, built in the early 17th century, is where Rembrandt lived for nearly 20 years. It is home to a comprehensive collection of 250 of the artist's etchings and self-portraits. Many visitors find the odds and ends that he accumulated during his lifetime, such as Roman busts and turtle shells, every bit as colourful and illuminating as his paintings. The work of Rembrandt's teachers and students is also on display, which adds depth and dialogue to Rembrandt's own work.
Jodenbreestraat 4
Tel: (020) 520 0400.
Website: www.rembrandthuis.nl
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y. 

Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum)
Housed in a former orphanage that dates back to 1524, the museum is filled with paintings, prints and archaeological finds, and shows how Amsterdam grew from a small medieval town into a modern city. One of the most interesting exhibits is an 18th-century coach without wheels. According to council regulations (and to reduce the noise of wheels on the cobbled streets), wealthy Amsterdammers had to travel by sleigh, even in summer. The entrance fee to the museum includes free entry to the Civic Guards Gallery, a glass-roofed ‘street' between Kalverstraat and the Begijnhof, which is lined with 15 massive portraits of the Amsterdam Civic Guards, dating from the 17th century.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 357
Tel: (020) 523 1822.
Website: www.ahm.nl
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat-Sun 1100-1700.
Admission charge: Y. 

Heineken Experience
The award-winning Heineken Experience is a self-guided, multimedia delve into the workings of the world's largest beer exporter. There is plenty of information on the company's rich history and also the chance to bottle your own beer. At the end of the tour, there is, of course, the chance to sample the brew.

Stadhouderskade 78
Tel: (020) 523 9222.
Website: www.heinekenexperience.com  
Opening hours: Daily 1100-1900.
Admission charge: Y. 

Hermitage Amsterdam
Housed in the historic Amstelhof and recently opened in 2009, this new cultural mecca has strong links to its sibling of the same name in St Petersburg. The main permanent collection focuses on artistic and cultural links between Russia and the Netherlands, with exhibits brought in from St Petersburg. There are also a wide range of temporary exhibitions, as well as a section on the heritage of the historic home of the museum itself.

Amstel 51
Tel: (020) 530 8751.
Website: www.hermitage.nl
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y. 

Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace)
The Royal Palace, designed by Jacob van Campen, was built in 1648, as Amsterdam's city hall. When King Louis Napoleon arrived in Amsterdam in 1808, he had the city hall turned into a palace. The large collection of Empire-style furniture, chandeliers and clocks all date from this period. Although the palace is still the official royal residence, the royal family lives in The Hague. However, Queen Beatrix does host official functions here and the interior has recently been brought back to its best. Guided tours need to be booked two weeks in advance.

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147
Tel: (020) 620 4060.
Website: www.paleisamsterdam.nl
Opening hours: Daily 1200-1700 except for Royal events, check website for calendar.
Admission charge: Y. 

NEMO Museum
The funky and modern NEMO Museum is an unmistakable sight on the banks of the IJ. Just a short stroll away from Centraal Station, this museum attempts to defy the crusty image of some traditional museums by offering plenty of hands-on exhibits to stimulate young minds and keep them occupied, as well as provide more information on science and technology for older visitors. This bright, relaxed venue is a good antidote to Amsterdam's other, perhaps stuffier museums, especially for younger visitors. The rooftop has a beach area, a surreal place to take in the rays on a sunny day.

Oosterdok 2
Tel: (020) 531 3233.
Website: www.e-nemo.nl
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.