Yello’s Mini City Guide: Five Top Sights to See in Amsterdam
by Karen Rollins Jan 21, 2019
Planning a trip to the capital of the Netherlands? Not sure what attractions you should add to your sightseeing agenda?
Don’t worry, we’ve found five top attractions that are high up on the ‘must-do’ list and have to be seen on any trip to one of Europe’s most popular cities.
One of the most visited museums in the world, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is dedicated to Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Featuring well-known works from famous Dutch artists including Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals et al, the museum has been recently renovated to include new public facilities and a revamped garden.
Make sure you grab a map and an audio guide, or download the museum app, to ensure you don’t miss anything!
The Van Gogh Museum, located in Museum Square, is just a short distance from the Rijksmuseum and the city’s Royal Concert Hall.
It houses the largest collection of Van Gogh’s work in the world including 400 drawings, 200 paintings, and 700 letters along with the famous ‘Sunflowers’ still-life. The third floor also showcases work by Van Gogh’s contemporaries such as Paul Gaugin.
Last year, 2.3 million people came through the doors, making it the most visited museum in the Netherlands.
The largest city park in Amsterdam is a favourite with tourists and locals as the perfect place to explore and relax.
Conveniently found close to most of Amsterdam’s major attractions, including the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, the 45-hectare park itself has a rich history after first being opened to the public in 1865.
Stroll around on foot or take part in a bike tour and if you go along in the evening you might even catch a free open-air concert at the park’s bandstand.
A moving and heart-wrenching landmark but still a ‘must-see’ on any visit to Amsterdam, Anne Frank House is a museum dedicated to the memory of Holocaust victim and diarist Anne Frank.
Located on a canal called the Prinsengracht, close to the Westerkerk, in central Amsterdam, there’s usually a queue to get into the building which is where Anne and her family hid for two years during World War II.
Every year at least a million people take a tour of the house, which starkly reveals the small space where Anne and her family and four other Jews stayed until they were eventually found by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps.
One of the most well-trodden areas of Amsterdam, the Jordaan District, is known for its original shops, restaurants and unique houses.
Bring your walking shoes and your camera as there are plenty of photo opportunities while you navigate through narrow alleys and catch your breath at the various ornate bridges overhanging canals that give Amsterdam its title ‘Venice of the North’.
Popular streets in the Jordaan including the Westerstraat, Haarlemmerstraat and the Prinsengracht. If you visit on a Monday, you should also try to take in the flea market at Noordermarkt.
Sources: Lonely Planet / Fodor’s Travel
