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Things to Do in Amsterdam

Reviews and photos of Amsterdam attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Amsterdam sightseeing.
Local Time 1:00 pm Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Rijksmuseum: Rijksmuseum III - Beautiful child portrait.
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  • Updated By breughel on July 8, 2007
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  • Girl dressed in Blue
    Girl dressed in Blue" on the
    Rijksmuseum facade.
    by breughel, 1 more photos
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    I discovered this portrait from Johannes Cornelsz. Verspronck "Portrait of a Girl dressed in Blue" (1641) at my first visit at the Rijksmuseum at the beginning of the nineties. I got very much impressed by her gentle somewhat melancholic smile. This girl about ten years old must be of a wealthy family according to her dress and jewels. It should be noted that in that time children were considered as mini adults and girls dressed like adult women. J. Verspronck, as always in his portraits, painted with a perfect depiction of the tissues and the details. Look at the very fine blond hair of the girl, the dark blue eyes and the red cheeks. I always found that this portrait expressed much tenderness and emotion. When I saw that the museum curator had chosen a large reproduction of my favoured portrait of a "Girl dressed in Blue" to hang on the façade of the Rijksmuseum building I felt very pleased. I don't know who she is.

  • Address: Stadhouderskade 42
  • Phone: +31-20-6747047
  • Website: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl

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    Rijksmuseum: Rijksmuseum - The Masterpieces I - Ground Floor
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  • Updated By breughel on March 3, 2008
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  • Model of Dutch
    Model of Dutch "Man-of-War"
    1698
    by breughel
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    It should be said that during the works at the Rijksmuseum (until 2012 according to last press news) only a small part of the collections are on display. On my previous visits the full collection did take me all the day, now with only 400 pieces the visit took me less than 3 hours. On display are only the highlights of the Dutch Golden Age (17th. c.). The two first rooms on the ground floor show the history of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces and the growth of the country to a world power thanks to its trade and fleet. As example of this maritime power is a 4 m. long model from 1698 of a 74 gun warship the "William Rex". (photo 1) Room 3 shows the famous Doll's Houses, rooms 4 and 5 show silverware and Delftware. Remembering my previous visits, what is now on display is less than 20% of the original historic and decorative arts collections.

  • Address: Stadhouderskade 42
  • Phone: +31-20-6747047
  • Website: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl

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    Amsterdam Historic Museum: Amsterdam Historisch Museum - II. Civic Guard
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  • By breughel on July 15, 2007
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  • "Compagnie van kapitein Joan
    Huydecoper" G.Flick
    by breughel, 1 more photos
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    Militia guilds were first formed in the Middle Ages by the civic authorities to be called out in emergencies. Members of the civic guard were well-to-do burghers. They had to buy their own equipment and arms. They held firing practice in shooting galleries known as 'doelen' (= targets). Each civic guard was named after its weapon. There were crossbowmen and longbowmen, and harquebusiers. The latter carried firearms, the harquebus or 'klover' in Dutch. The militias regularly commissioned group portraits, so-called militia paintings. Today some 125 militia paintings survive. Amsterdam and Haarlem were the major centre of production. The famous "Night Watch" of Rembrandt is one among many but is unique because it shows a Civic Guard Company moving, marching on, while the others are mainly static. The members of these civic guards had to pay to be portrayed. It is known that in Haarlem the price was about 60 Florin of that time per person. For the "Night Watch "the price was about 100 Florin per person. In the 17th c. a weaver earned about 200 Florin per year. Ordinary guardsmen did not appear in a civic guard painting. Having to pay for their own weapons was enough. 15 huge paintings of the Amsterdam Civic Guards are on (free) display in the "Schuttersgalerij" Civic Guards’ Gallery which is a glass-roofed walkway (closes at 17 h). Best known is "De Compagnie van kapitein Joan Huydecoper" (1648) by Govert Flick.

  • Address: Kalverstraat 92
  • Phone: +31-20-5231822
  • Website: http://www.ahm.nl

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    Van Gogh Museum: From a novice to a master.
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  • Updated By breughel on November 17, 2007
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  • "The Harvest" Arles 1888
    by breughel, 1 more photos
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    No doubt this museum has the largest Van Gogh collection but… - here I might sound somewhat iconoclast - the dark paintings of his early period in Den Haag or Drenthe are not necessarily his highlights. Not everybody has to be fond of his potato subjects. It is clearly written in the welcome leaflet of the museum: "His evolution from an inept but impassioned novice into a truly original master…" and "as a painter, he was largely self-taught." This is evident from this chronological exhibition. Van Gogh experimented a lot and his experiments were not necessarily successful. His art improved when Vincent reached Paris and assimilated the style of the Impressionist trend. It appears that the talent of Van Gogh developed in the same proportion as the intensity of the sunlight. The summit is reached under the sun of the Provence. The highlights of this Van Gogh collection are therefore to be found in the works of Arles (1888-89), Saint-Rémy de Provence (1889-90) and Auvers-sur-Oise where he committed suicide in July 1890. Among the best works here on display are the "Yellow House", "The Bedroom", the 3 orchard paintings and my favoured ones "The Irises" and the quiet and peaceful landscape "The Harvest". Impressive and disturbing is that extraordinary "Wheatfield with Crows" painted shortly before his dead (*). On the second floor there was a temporary exhibition which was without interest. On the third floor are a good number of French impressionists among which Monet and Pissarro. There are often queues and crowds at this museum which is on the list of group visits. There are separate fast lanes for e-tickets and museum cards (free). As this was my second visit I arrived around 17 h. when there was no queue anymore and I rushed through the early period of van Gogh to concentrate on the best paintings from the Provence period. (*) The artist's final piece "The Fields" (1890) was put on auction for the first time on the Sotheby's sale of Nov. 7, 2007. Remarkable is that the painting went unsold!

  • Address: rkable
  • Phone: +31-20-5705252
  • Website: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl

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    Rijksmuseum: Rijksmuseum - The Masterpieces II - Paintings.
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  • Updated By breughel on July 8, 2007
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  • Still life by Willem Claesz. Heda - Amsterdam
    Still life by Willem Claesz.
    Heda
    by breughel
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    Paintings are on the first floor; only the 17th. c. Golden Age is on display. The 15th, 16th and 18th c. paintings have been left aside. Also the 19th. c. Dutch school is stored somewhere what is a real pity because the Romantic school landscapes (Koekoek, Springer) and the excellent Dutch Impressionist Den Haag and Amsterdam schools (Maris, Mauve, Breitner, Israëls) are not shown. The favourites are the Rembrandts, the "Night Watch" of course and two more rooms with paintings from him. Frans Hals and Jan Steen are present. My preference goes to the Vermeers and Pieter de Hoogh with his so called "keyhole views". Some of the best Dutch Landscapes and Still Life paintings are on display. I always liked the still life with cheeses, a genre which was called "ontbijtgen" (breakfast) as well as the famous still life with gilt goblet from Willem Claesz. Heda. (The -sz. found in Dutch names of that time is an abbreviation for -szoon = son of). Again remembering my previous visits it seems to me that not more than 25% of the original collection of paintings is now on display. It is an opportunity to visit the Amsterdams Historisch Museum where there is a good collection of Dutch paintings.

  • Address: Stadhouderskade 42
  • Phone: +31-20-6747047
  • Website: http://www.rijksmuseum.nl

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    Amsterdam Historic Museum: Amsterdams Historisch Museum - IV. Anatomy.
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  • Updated By breughel on July 16, 2007
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  • "Anatomy lesson by Dr. F.
    Ruysch" Adriaen Backer
    by breughel
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    Room 11 shows 5 anatomy lessons painted by some of the best Dutch painters. In the 17th century, Amsterdam and the United Provinces were among Europe’s foremost scientific centres. The quest for knowledge and for anatomical knowledge in particular, was not seen to be in conflict with religion. Even so, the dissection of a human body was not seen as a natural act. Permission was granted only sparingly, and only to well-known members of the universities, who would be allowed to perform dissections for teaching purposes or as public demonstrations. We can see "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Jan Deijman," (1656) by Rembrandt van Rijn. Famous are the anatomy lessons of Dr. Frederik Ruysch by Adriean Backer (1670) and another of a child by Jan Van Neck. Ruysch a prominent surgeon, obstetrician, and anatomist was the chief anatomist of the Amsterdam surgeons' guild. Impressive these anatomy lessons!

  • Address: Kalverstraat 92
  • Phone: +31-20-5231822
  • Website: http://www.ahm.nl

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    Amsterdam Historic Museum: Amsterdam Historisch Museum - I. Generalities
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  • Updated By breughel on March 3, 2008
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  • "The Gouden Leeuw", Willem
    van de Velde (Younger)
    by breughel, 4 more photos
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    This is a quite interesting museum especially now that the Rijksmuseum shows only one fifth of its collections. The Historic Museum combines history and arts over 3 periods in 24 rooms of the former Civic Orphanage: Period 1350-1550 at rooms 1-3 showing the story of the small settlement on the river Amstel. Surprising are the excavated objects found in cesspits such as clay pipe fragments. The AHM has 200.000 archaeological objects of all kinds found in Amsterdam. Period 1550-1815 is certainly the most interesting with rooms 4-12 who show a large number of art works of this period which includes the Golden Century. Most interesting are models of shipyards and maritime paintings showing the Dutch maritime power of that age. Famous is the painting of Willem van de Velde the Younger "The Gouden Leeuw on the IJ at Amsterdam", (1686). This was once the former flagship of Admiral Cornelis Tromp. Interesting is the model (1742) of an eastindiaman from the VOC (Dutch East India Company) being transported on a ship's camel. These were long caissons that encased the ship's hull. When full of air they raised the ship out of the water. The Amsterdam harbour was difficult for deep vessels to enter due to sandbanks. From this period are also on display a large number of good paintings with landscapes, winter landscapes, town views, church interiors, still life and the famous civic guard paintings on which I will come back. Period 1815-2000 with rooms 13-24 starts at the end of the French rule under Napoleon. The visitor will find here a beautiful doll-house as well as paintings from the very good Dutch Impressionist School. It shows the happy times as well as the drama's (the terrible winter of 1944) of the modern Amsterdam. There is a grand tour and a short one of the highlights. Open: Monday to Friday 10 - 17 h Saturday and Sunday 11 - 17 h Price : 7,00 € (65+ 5,25€) (6-18 yr. 3,50€) Free with museum card (can be bought here). Photos are allowed.

  • Address: Kalverstraat 92
  • Phone: +31-20-5231822
  • Website: http://www.ahm.nl

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    Heineken Brewery / Experience: What A Difference 38 Years Made
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  • Updated By Ciambella on May 23, 2007
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  • Glass stairs in Heineken Brewery - Amsterdam
    Glass stairs in Heineken
    Brewery
    by Ciambella,
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    Charles is fond of telling the story about his first visit to Heineken Brewery. In 1969, he spent ten days in Amsterdam and visited Heineken Brewery many times. At that time, it was still a working brewery and there was no admission fee. The free guided tour took visitors throughout the brewing process, and at the end, beer and cheese were offered free of charge in a large drinking hall. Being a starving college student/young tourist, Charles returned for the free beer and free cheese -- repeatedly. On the third day, the staff recognized his face and thanked him for his multiple visits. Upon finding out it was his birthday that day, they presented him with a Delft blue mug, which he treasured for years until the handle broke off. Over three decades later, the brewery is no longer a functional one and there is a second name on the building: Heineken Experience. Admission is now €11, the drinking hall has been replaced by two sophisticated bars, and there is no longer free cheese with beer. Nevertheless, Heineken Experience is still a fun thing to do if you like beer and have a couple of hours to spare. In exchange for the entrance fee, visitors receive three large beers and a gift. On our visit, the gift was an aluminum replica bottle of Heineken with a bottle opener inside. The three glasses of beer is worth the price of admission already, so it's not a bad deal, especially since the renovated old brewery is full of fun things to see and do. The glass staircase, the copper vats, the theatre, and the studio to make your own video and mix your own music are just some of the attractions included in the tour. By the way, the same vintage Delft blue mug that was given to Charles as a birthday gift 38 years ago is still available at the Heineken gift shop. The price is €27 now!

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  • Address: Stadhouderskade 78, Amsterdam
  • Phone: +31 20 523 96 66
  • Directions: Take trams, 16, 24 or 25, get off at Heinekenplein.
  • Website: http://www.heinekenexperience.com/
  • Other Contact: info@heinekenexperience.com

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    Dam Square: Dam Square
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  • By sue_stone on February 16, 2004
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  • Dam Square - Amsterdam
    Dam Square
    by sue_stone
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    Although you will pay the dearest prices in town, why not have a drink or meal at a cafe on Dam Square, Amsterdam's main square, and do some people watching. We had breakfast at one of the cafe's and noted that all the locals there just had a beer for their breakfast!!

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  • Address: Dam Square
  • Website: http://www.damsite.nl/

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    Events: Aalsmeer Flower Parade
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  • By sue_stone on April 20, 2004
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  • watching the Flower Parade - Amsterdam
    watching the Flower Parade
    by sue_stone
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    On the 1st Saturday in September there is a Flower Parade through the city of Amsterdam. We were lucky to get a seat outside at a cafe in Dam Square to watch the colourful procession go by.

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  • Phone: 31 29 732 5100
  • Directions: Aalsmeer to Amsterdam city center Finishes in Dam Square
  • Other Contact: corso.aalsmeer@inter.nl.net

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