Things to do in Amsterdam

This website is your guide through the many attractions in Amsterdam.

Boat Tour
Amsterdam has a great variety of architecture. The best way to see the stately canal houses, the colourful houseboats is during a cruise on a sightseeing boat along the canals. Previously the canals in Amsterdam were built to transport goods. Today, the canals offer you a wonderful view of the architecture and the oldest buildings of the Netherlands. You have beautiful city sights. Boats depart from Central Station, along Prins Hendrikkade, the Damrak and along the Rokin.

Dinner cruise
A dinner evening cruise through the canals and harbour of Amsterdam is quite an experience. The combination of a cruise along the illuminated canals with the delight of a deluxe dinner.

Museums
Amsterdam has a large number of museums and galleries. Many are housed in buildings of historical or architectural interest. The Rijksmuseum is exhibited the work of Rembrandt. The Amsterdams Historisch Museum has a wealth of historical information. In the Van Gogh Museum hangs Van Gogh’s Self-portrait with Straw Hat (1870). The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum is a maritime historical museum.

Koninklijk Paleis
This royal palace on the Dam is a former town hall (1648) and is still regularly used by the Dutch royal family on official occasions.

Waag
The Waag is the city’s oldest surviving gatehouse (1488). Public executions were held here. In 1617 it became the public weigh house. Peasants had their produce weighed here and paid tax accordingly. Now a days it is a restaurant.

Oude Kerk
Originally the Oude Kerk was a wooden church built in the early 13th century. Today the church has a Gothic Structure from the 14th century and has grown into a basilica.

Oost-Indisch Huis
The Oost-Indisch Huis was build in 1605 and was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company.

Rembrandthuis
Rembrandt worked and taught in this house from 1639 until 1660.

Schreierstoren
The Schreierstoren (weepers’ tower) was a part of the former city walls (1480). Later on women came here to wave their men off to sea.

Begijnhof
The Begijnhof was originally built in 1346 as a sanctuary for the Begijntjes, a Catholic sisterhood who lived like nuns. Though there is a wooden-fronted house, dating from around 1420, most of the Begijnhof houses were built after the 16th century. The Begijnhof houses are still occupied by single women.

Artis Amsterdam Zoo
This zoo includes also a planetarium.

Other historical cities (guide)
The Hague, Delft and Leiden (attractions).