Visit the Rijkmuseum and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Things to Do Tips

This is the one museum in Amsterdam that everyone should visit while staying in this beautiful city. The Rijkmuseum holds the most important collection of Dutch painting in the world. It a great gallery to visit in order to be introduced to works of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer. It also has an important and large collection of decorative arts that is also worth a visit.
Of note, the museum was holding the exhibition called "The Glory of the Golden Age" during my visitation, hence it was a very special visit with a larger than normal display of the old Dutch masters but this should not mean that you should not visit when there is not such an important exhibition on display. The collection is always very strong.

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Phone: +31 (0) 20 6747047
Address: Stadhouderskade 42,1071 ZD Amderstam
Directions: The Museumplein. It can be reached by trams 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 20.
Website: www.rijkmuseum.nl

After the Rijkmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum is probably the most important museum in Amsterdam. In fact the popularity of this artist is so enormous that the Van Gogh Museum is most likely to be the premiere attraction for many travelers visiting Amsterdam.
That said the Van Gogh Museum does not dissappoint. The collection which covers all the periods in Van Gogh's life and is a great place to learn more about the artist than you probably ever wanted too. Unlike museums throughout the world dedicated to a particular artist(the Picasso Museum for example), the Van Gogh Museum features some if not most of his best works. One cannot help but be astonished by his talent and to feel melancholy about his tortured life.
My only criticism of the museum is that it is incredibly crowded. I visited first thing in the morning and the museum was packed in no time. A final tip: Do not attempt to see both the Rijkmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in the same day. You may find this too exhausting.

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Address: Paulus Potterstraat 7, Amsterdam
Directions: Just south of the Rijksmuseum. It can be reached by trams 2, 3, 5, 12, 16, or 20.
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl

The Anne Frank House is one of the sites in Amsterdam that I think that all should visit as a moral obligation. It was here from July 1942 to their discovery by the Nazis in August 1944, that Anne Frank, a young teenage girl, and her family hid in very cramp conditions. While in hiding, Anne Frank recorded her impressions of her life here for the two year period in a now famous diary.
The rooms in which here eight family members lived in are largely left as they were back during World War II. As you tour the building you can get a vivid idea on how difficult the conditions were for Anne Frank and her family and for the thousand other Jews that were being hidden from the Nazis throughout Europe. As we must always remind ourselves where unbridled hatred leads to, I think that this museum should be a must-see for all. Today the house is a museum dedicated to the Frank Family and to those who died during the Holocaust. There is an addition to the house where there are multimedia exhibits about the Holocaust and a word of warning about any resurgence of such catastrophes
As for the Frank Family, they were betrayed in August 1944 and sent off to various concentration camps in occupied Europe. Anne herself died of typhoid in Belsen in March of 1944 just two weeks before the camp was liberated by the British Army. Only here father survived imprisonment.
One word of warning. This is a very popular attraction, as it should be, therefore there are very long lines to enter and to pass through the museum

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Phone: +31-20-5567100
Address: Prinsengracht 267
Directions: The Anne Frank House is located in the western section of the canal quarter of Amsterdam
Website: http://www.annefrank.nl

Visiting this museum was a true pleasure. This is not only for the fact that I love the works of this great artist but I have been fascinated by his life. This ten room house is an excellent testament to the extraordinary and at times very sad life of the genius, Rembrandt van Rijn. Each room was restored in 1999 to look like it did back the mid 1600's when Rembrandt lived here for 19 years. In each room, there are placks that chronical life of Rembrandt and his financial woes. He would eventually go bankrupt as he suffered from the tendency to spend more than he earned. Rembrandt was quite the collector of art and other brickbrack like stuffed animals and religious icons. There are rooms full of these pieces that you gaze at as you tour the house. There are also recreations of his shop included demonstrations on how he created his sketch art. As for his sketch art, attached to the old house is a new building which houses many of examples of his fabulous etchings. These works are often overlooked in favour of his paintings but they should not be as they are superb.
The museum is opened on Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun and holidays 1-5pm.

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Phone: +31-205200400
Address: Jodenbreestraat 4
Directions: Behind Waterlooplein
Website: http://www.rembrandthuis.nl

The Old Church of Amsterdam is officially known as the Sint-Nikolaaskerk (St. Nicholas's Church). It was constructed in 1250 in the late Gothic style but the beautiful clock tower was actually not built until 1566. The interior of the church is very bright because of the whitewashed walls. Otherwise it is unremarkable except perhaps for the astonishing organ.
Interesting enough the Old Church is located in Amsterdam's Red Light District, sitting at it's Northern edge. In fact as I went to visit the church, I saw the local police bust a young man for what I assume to be a drug related crime. This involved an exciting footchase where a local pedestrian assisted the police by giving the feeling felon a solid bodycheck that would of done Scott Stevens of the NHL proud. Just a stones through from the church you can see numerous scantly clad young lasses sell themselves from the storefront windows.
The church is open on Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.

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Phone: +31-20-6258284
Address: Oudekerksplein 23
Directions: The Northern periphery of the Red Light District
Website: http://www.oudekerk.nl

The Nieuwe Kerk is in fact not all that new as it was built in the early 15th century in the Gothic style. Hence it has a high ceiling held up by pillars. The church has been damaged several times by fires but each time it was restored. The Nieuew Kerk is not quite as interesting as the Olde Kerk but it is still worth visiting. This is because the Calvinists covered over with whitewash much of the original decor of the church when they took possession of the church in the late 16th century. It is has since been restored to resemble some of its previous splendor.
The highlight of a visit to the church is the tomb of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, the 17th century admiral which is accompanied by some over the top baroque carving. Today the church is still used for state functions such as the crowning of Queen Beautrix in 1980.

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

The Centraal Station is one of the more interesting train stations in Europe. It is also a traffic hub like no other in importance. It seems to be actually impossible to travel to Amsterdam without passing through it at least a couple of times. Virtually every train in the Netherlands connects through the Centraal Station while outside most of the cities tram lines pass by. There is also a metro stop here.
The Centraal Station was built between 1884 and 1889 and was designed by Petrus Josephus Hubertus Cuypers in style that is best described as neo-Renaissance. It was built on three artifical islands with 30,000 piling to support it.
It is fun to hang out here for a bit while waiting for your train. There is probably no better place to people watch as commuters travel back and forth while buskers perform in the passage ways and outside. There is suppose to be problem with pickpockets here but I did not notice it myself.

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Website: http://www.ns.nl

The Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) is something of a monstrosity of a building. I did not think that it was pretty in any way but this is not to deny the fact that it is a very important attraction and should be seen.
The building was originally intended as a town hall when it was designed by Jacob van Campen in the mid-17th century. This was at the height of Holland's Golden Age and the structure was suppose to represent the glory of Holland during this period. Hence it was designed in a neo-classical style. The interior has very regal halls and chambers designed with Italian marble columns and ceiling paintings. I thought some of the statues and artwork a bit over the top but the place does overwhelm just the same.
Ironically it was not the Dutch who turned the palace into a royal residence but a foriegner, Louis Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon. Napoleon made him the Dutch monarch in 1808 and he was the first to live in the palace. When the Dutch House of Orange regained control five years later, they continued to use the palace as a royal residence. In fact the palace is no more than place to hold official receptions as the royal family of the Netherlands does not really live here.
The Koninklijk Paleis is open from 11am to 5pm daily. Admittance is 4.50 Euros.

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Phone: +31-20- 6204060
Address: Dam 1
Directions: On the westend of Dam Square
Website: http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl