Anne Frank House and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

Yes, it's one of the most popular and crowded tourist attractions in the city, but for some reason, I felt compelled to visit. It's amazing and sobering to think about how Otto Frank (Anne's father) found a place to hide in a small house right in the heart of Amsterdam. Eight people hid here for nearly two years in virtual silence, until the Germans tragically found them during a raid and sent them to concentration camps.

To cope with the utter boredom, Anne kept a diary that his since been translated and published into many, many languages and is read worldwide. Sadly, only Otto survived the war.

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Phone: +31-20-5567100
Address: Prinsengracht 263
Directions: Next to Westermarkt
Website: http://www.annefrank.nl
Other Contact: 6.50 Euros/adults

If Amsterdam's core is a bicycle wheel (which is appropriate considering its shape and the number of bikes you'll see here), then Dam Square is the hub. It's a great central place to meet up with friends and it's also a major transportation hub. You'll find the Royal Palace here and this National War Memorial that was built after World War II.

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Address: Dam Square
Directions: All roads lead to Dam Square . . . Five minutes on foot south of Centraal Station

The Royal Palace was built in the mid-17th century and at the time was the largest non-religious building in the world. It was originally built as a Town Hall and then in the early 19th century, Napolean Bonaparte's younger brother converted it into a palace. It is full of Italian marble and can be visited outside of the winter months. I have never been inside, but its massive facade is great to look at from Dam Square.

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Phone: +31-20- 6204060
Address: Dam 1
Website: http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl
Other Contact: 4 Euros/ adult

Nieuwe Kerk, in Dutch, was originally a Catholic edifice, but was converted into a Protestant building in the late 16th century. There was an art expo going on here when I visited so I had to pay a few bucks, but nevertheless, it was still great to see the amazing stained glass windows and impressive altar. It is also the place where Dutch royalty are coronated, married and/or given grandiose, elaborate public displays of affection.

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Phone: +31-20-6386909
Address: Dam 34-38
Website: http://www.nieuwekerk.nl

The State Museum, in English, houses the world's largest collection of paintings by Dutch masters. It began in 1798 in the Hague as the National Art Gallery to display the riches of the Golden Age. After a few moves, it ended up in this massive building and ranks as one of Europe's great museum. Like the Louvre, the British Museum and the Uffizi, the Rijksmuseum is best seen on multiple visits since it's far too massive to take in all at once.

The most popular rooms are probably the Golden Age rooms featuring masters such as Rembrandt and what is probably the single most famous piece of art here, The Night Watch.

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Phone: +31-20-6747047
Address: Stadhouderskade 42
Website: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl
Other Contact: 8.50 Euros/adults

I spent only about an hour in the Van Gogh Museum. It was too crowded for my taste and I got tired of trying to fight through crowds in order to take a closer look at the paintings of Van Gogh. The museum is arranged in chronological order and traces the masters career as he moved from the Netherlands to Paris to Arles and other places in France.

The building's architecture is decidedly modern and attempts to be spacious, but still, I found it overcrowded. And don't even try to get into the gift shop on premises!! There's another gift shop a few hundred yards away toward the Rijksmuseum, where you might have a bit more space.

Opening hours
Museum: daily 10-18.00, Friday 10.00-22.00
Ticket office: daily 10-17.30, Friday to 21.30
Shop: daily 10-17.45, friday to 21.45
Restaurant: daily 10-17.30, Friday to 21.30, kitchen to 21.15
Library Museumplein 4: Mon to Fri 10-12.30 and 13.30-17.00
Closed 1 January

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Phone: +31-20-5705252
Address: Paulus Potterstraat 7
Website: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Other Contact: 9 Euros/ adults

Just to the east of the Red Light District, you'll find Chinatown, which doesn't strike the same authentic tone with me as do Chinatowns in other cities, but it's still a good place to grab an inexpensive bite to eat or find stores selling herbal teas and other items you'd expect in this type of neighborhood.

A few minutes after I snapped this photo, it started to snow, so I didn't stick around long.

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The Concert Building is one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world and is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The concert season runs from September through March and tickets run anywhere from about 15 to 100 Euros. Check out the website below for ticket information and performance schedules.

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Phone: +31-20-6718345
Address: Concertgebouwplein 2 - 6
Website: http://www.concertgebouw.nl/

The Music Theater is a modern venue to see not only musical performances, but also ballet and modern dance. It's located on the eastern end of town. If you look at this picture, you'll notice that the sky looks pretty ominous. Well, only a few moments after I took this picture, it began to hail. What's up with the weather in Amsterdam?!!

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Phone: 020 - 551 8117
Directions: Take the metro to the Waterlooplein station and you're there
Website: http://www.muziektheater.nl/

The Municipal Theatre is a beautiful building located in the bustling Leidseplein area. It is a great venue for plays and even shows them in English. You'll also find a bunch of great places to eat around here, including all kinds of ethnic joints nearby.

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Address: Leidseplein 26
Website: http://www.stadsschouwburgamsterdam.nl/