The historic Dutch city of Amsterdam is packed with museums and art galleries. Here are details of just five of them.
1. The Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam’s most famous museum, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, is currently undergoing major restoration work, so you can only see a few of its 7 million exhibits. However, it’s still worth visiting the museum to see its “Masterpieces” collection, which is housed in the Philips Wing, and includes Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” and Vermeer’s “The Love Letter”. The renovations are due to be completed in 2013.
2. Anne Frank House – More than 1 million people visit Ann Frank House each year to explore the Secret Annex in which Anne Frank and her family hid between 1942 and 1944, when Amsterdam was occupied by the Nazis. It was in the Secret Annex that Anne wrote her now famous diary, and the original is now housed within the museum.
3. The Stedelijk Museum – The Stedelijk Museum is Amsterdam’s famous modern art gallery, but unfortunately it’s currently closed for renovations and isn’t due to reopen until 2011. However, a “Temporary Stedlijk Museum” is due to open on the 28th of August 2010, and will be used to house art exhibitions and special events.
4. Amsterdam Tulip Museum – This small museum includes exhibits relating to the history of Amsterdam’s tulip industry. There is also a museum shop, where you can buy a range of tulip-themed items and, if you fancy growing tulips or other fresh flowers at home, you can choose from a range of bulbs, which you can take with you or arrange to be shipped to your home.
5. The Van Gogh Museum – Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s works. You can see famous works such as “Sunflowers” (1889), “Irises” (1890), The Yellow House (1888) and The Potato Eaters (1885), as well as many other paintings by Van Gogh. The museum also has a collection of works by other 19th century artists, such as Gaugin, Monet and Seurat.
Image: Beatriz Busaniche
Tags: Amsterdam, Amsterdam Tulip Museum, Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum
I’ve never been to Amsterdam but I heard so much about the Rijksmuseum. My friend told me that it is a must see museum.