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    Tourist Attractions in Amsterdam

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Amsterdam. Photos and a brief description.

    Amsterdam
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    About Amsterdam

    Amsterdam is very different, it cannot be described in a few words. Every tourist comes here for something of his own and it is this “his” that he finds. Contrary to the popular opinion of many foreigners, the city boasts not only the world-famous coffee shops and the Red Light District. Such great masters of the brush as Van Gogh and Rembrandt lived and worked here, as well as other representatives of the Flemish school of painting – one of the best in Europe.

    Moreover, Amsterdam is the famous floating flower market “Bloemenmarkt”, luxurious neighborhoods covered with a network of canals, cheerful Dutch people on bicycles in any weather and a completely unique atmosphere of freedom. True, very often freedom crosses the border of permissiveness, but that’s exactly what it is – Amsterdam.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Amsterdam

    Rijksmuseum

    A huge art museum that stretches along the embankment of one of the canals for a whole block. The museum's expositions tell about the history of art in the Netherlands. The most important place is given to painting. Most of the museum's collection consists of paintings that were created on the territory of Flanders (Southern Netherlands) and the Northern Netherlands. Paintings for the Rijksmuseum began to be collected in the XIX century.

    Rijksmuseum
    Keukenhof

    Keukenhof

    National Flower Park near Amsterdam. Every year this amazing place opens for just a couple of months – for the flowering period. Hundreds of varieties of tulips, daffodils, lilies, hyacinths, rhododendrons and other types of flowers grow here. The alleys of the park are decorated in various shades. Many tourists Keukenhof resembles a "paradise", from where they do not want to leave at all.

    Amsterdam Canals

    The total length of the canal network within the city limits is approximately 75 km, there are 165 waterways in total. Only small pleasure craft and private boats use them. More than 1,500 bridges of different sizes connect the channels to each other. The very first riverbed was excavated in the middle of the XV century and was used as a city moat. Now it is one of the main channels of the city called Single.

    Amsterdam Canals
    Maderslot Castle

    Maderslot Castle

    This harsh Romanesque fortress of the XIII century has reached our days almost in its original form. The thing is that in the Middle Ages it was used as a customs point, and not as a military fortress, so it was never besieged. There is a legend about the ghost of Count Floris V (one of the former owners of the castle), who still wanders through the dark corridors. The count was betrayed and killed by his own vassals, and his spirit finds no rest.

    Royal Palace

    The official residence of the royal dynasty of the Netherlands, where official events are held: ascension to the throne, weddings, receptions of foreign delegations. The palace was erected in the XVII century for the needs of the city hall and for court sessions, but was later transferred to the jurisdiction of the monarchs. The structure rests on a foundation, which in turn is reinforced on 13660 piles.

    Royal Palace
    Dam Square

    Dam Square

    Amsterdam's central square, located on a 13th-century causeway. It is known that a third of the area of the Netherlands is below sea level. For the construction of residential buildings, streets and laying communications, the Dutch built dams and drove piles into the fragile soil hundreds of years ago. "Dam" in Dutch means "dam". Over time, the square became the commercial center of Amsterdam, for a long time the stock exchange functioned here.

    Madame Tussauds Museum

    A branch of the famous wax figure exhibition, located in Amsterdam (there are 19 branches worldwide). Madame Tussauds Museum has gained popularity in all corners of the Earth. Here you can admire the exact copies of real and fairy-tale characters, made with precision and great skill. Madame Tussauds herself was an extraordinary and restless person. She devoted her whole life to the collection.

    Madame Tussauds Museum
    Vincent Van Gogh Museum

    Vincent Van Gogh Museum

    A museum telling about the work and life path of one of the brightest representatives of Dutch painting. In addition to the works of Maestro Van Gogh himself, paintings by Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, Seurat are exhibited here. The artist's path was short, difficult, but very productive — he started painting after the age of 30 and created more than 800 paintings until he shot himself at the age of 37. The museum was organized in 1973.

    Rembrandt House Museum

    The museum is organized in a house on Jodenbreestraat Street, where Rembrandt lived for some time. The collection includes 260 engravings by the master's hand, paintings by his students, as well as those artists who were influenced by Rembrandt's work. The museum was opened in 1911 in the presence of the reigning Queen. The exhibits appeared due to gifts from private collectors and the purchase of works at auctions.

    Rembrandt House Museum
    Museum of Shipping

    Museum of Shipping

    The Dutch have always been considered skilful and brave sailors. Their life has been connected with the sea since the emergence of the first settlements on the territory of the Netherlands. The history of the development of navigation and shipbuilding can be found in the special Museum of Shipping, where collections of maps, ship rigging and tools are exhibited. Prior to the opening of the museum, the Admiralty of Amsterdam was located in the building.

    NEMO Museum

    A modern interactive museum where the achievements of modern technologies are widely used. It was created in 1997 in order to demonstrate to people the relationship between art, science and nature. Complex physical phenomena are presented here in an accessible form. Visitors are allowed to conduct experiments on their own, to set up experiments in order to understand the essence of a particular phenomenon.

    NEMO Museum
    Amsterdam City Museum

    Amsterdam City Museum

    A gallery containing an impressive collection of contemporary art. The first building (old) was built in 1895. The status of the State Museum of Modern Art was obtained in 1938. After 1973, part of the collection was moved to a new building. In the gallery you can admire the canvases of Cubists, Fauvists, Expressionists and Impressionists. 29 paintings by K. Malevich are kept here.

    Diamond Factory

    One of the oldest diamond-cutting factories, established in the middle of the XIX century. She has a museum where you can get acquainted with the precious exhibits. Among the curious items are diamond skulls by the British master Damien Hirst, a gold tennis racket worth $ 1 million, a copy of Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night" decorated with several hundred diamonds, and the queen's crown.

    Diamond Factory
    Anne Frank House Museum

    Anne Frank House Museum

    Memorial house of the Jewish Frank family, who suffered from the Nazis during World War II. This is an old mansion of the XVII century, where Otto Frank, who emigrated from Germany, found temporary refuge. Anna was his daughter. All the time the family was hiding in the house, the girl kept a diary. The recordings were published in 1947, after which the public became interested in this place.

    Nieuwekerk Church

    The name of the temple is deceptive (translated from Dutch "Nieuwekerk" means "new church"), since it is a building of the XIV-XV centuries. Representatives of the ruling family of Nassau-Oransky, as well as famous military, cultural and political figures are buried under the arches of the church. The structure is crowned by a spire with a height of more than 100 meters. Lightning struck it twice, resulting in a fire and damage to the temple.

    Nieuwekerk Church
    Oudekerk Church

    Oudekerk Church

    The oldest temple of the city at the beginning of the XIV century ("old church" in Dutch). Over the centuries of its existence, the church has been repeatedly raided by robbers and religious fanatics, but the original stained glass windows, wall paintings and ceiling have reached us. At the end of the XVI century. Protestants took the church for themselves and began to hold services according to their rite. Nowadays, organ concerts are regularly held on the territory, where an antique organ from 1658 sounds.

    Westerkerk Church

    Protestant church of the XVII century. It is famous for the fact that Rembrandt was buried here in a common grave for beggars. The tower of the bell tower is decorated with a stone copy of the crown of Emperor Maximilian I (the same crown is depicted on the coat of arms of the Netherlands). It is believed that the ruler allowed his crown to be placed on the spire in gratitude for the money loan that local bankers gave him.

    Westerkerk Church
    St. Nicholas Church in Amsterdam

    St. Nicholas Church in Amsterdam

    Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of the capital of the Netherlands. It also protects all sailors, merchants, travelers and fishermen. It was in honor of this saint that a Catholic church was erected, which later became an ornament of Amsterdam. Unlike numerous Protestant churches with more strict architecture and interior, the Church of St. Nicholas looks more elegant.

    Weight Chamber

    The former city gate of the XV century, where the town hall, museum, theater and depot were located in the past. From the XVII to the XIX centuries, the city weighing chamber worked here, in which the reference weight of goods was determined. For Amsterdam, this institution played an important role, since by that time the city was already a major center of European trade. The upper floors housed the offices of various professional guilds.

    Weight Chamber
    Coin Tower

    Coin Tower

    The structure, preserved after the fire at the city gate of Regularspurt in the early XVII century. As a result of the restoration, 4 hour dials were strengthened on the facade and an octagonal spire appeared on the top. The tower houses a carillon (a system of bells that acts as one musical instrument) of 38 bells. The bell rings once a week on Saturdays. At this time, you can hear a real "concert".

    Berlage Exchange

    The Art Nouveau building, which at the beginning of the XX century served as an exchange, and nowadays hosts various meetings and conferences. The architecture of the Berlage Exchange served as a model for other buildings erected in a similar manner. Its creator Hendrik Petrus Berlage is the creator of the original architectural style. He brought national elements and his author's conceptual vision to the traditional Art Nouveau.

    Berlage Exchange
    Amsterdam Arena Stadium

    Amsterdam Arena Stadium

    The home stadium of the Dutch football club Ajax. The arena was opened in 1996. More than 140 million euros were spent on the work. At the time of construction, this stadium was considered the most progressive in the world, as it had a sliding roof. Amsterdam Arena is also used for concerts, during which about 70 thousand spectators can fit into the stands. It also hosts an annual electronic music festival.

    The line of Amsterdam's fortifications

    A military defensive line consisting of 45 forts and many hydraulic structures. It was built at the junction of the XIX and XX centuries to protect Amsterdam from the military threat. If the triggers were activated, then within an hour and a half the lowlands around the city could quickly fill with water. In 1996, the defensive line was included in the UNESCO Heritage List.

    The line of Amsterdam's fortifications
    Artis Zoo

    Artis Zoo

    The zoo, founded at the beginning of the XIX century, is considered one of the best in Europe. To date, it contains several thousand animals. On the vast territory there is a botanical garden, aquariums, a museum of geology, a planetarium. Most of the animals live in open enclosures, which are separated from visitors by moats (that is, the most natural habitat conditions have been created for them).

    Vondela Park

    Landscaped green area, adapted for recreation, walking, cycling and picnics. There is a cinema museum and a summer theater on the territory of the park. Vondela Park is open around the clock, admission is free for everyone. Locals love this place for its silence, tranquility and the opportunity to isolate themselves from the hustle and bustle of noisy and crowded Amsterdam at least for a while.

    Vondela Park
    Zaanse-Schans

    Zaanse-Schans

    The museum is an open-air exposition, where a typical Dutch landscape is recreated – mills, village houses, a farm, craft workshops, where they still work using old technologies. 30 types of real Dutch houses were transported here from all over the country. In the village of Zanse-Schans there are real residents who are in the constant focus of attention of numerous tourists.

    Floating Flower Market

    There is such a landmark only in Holland. The market operates on one of the main Singel channels. Its history began in the XVII century, when traders from boats began to offer passers-by to buy flowers. Now the barges are moored to the shore and are no longer sailing anywhere, but the flower fair continues to be called "floating". Here you can buy any flowers, tulip bulbs, seeds and souvenirs.

    Floating Flower Market
    Flea Market Waterlooplein

    Flea Market Waterlooplein

    A small "flea market" near the city hall, where they sell all kinds of rarities. Here you can find original clothes, African jewelry, products of young unknown designers, books and souvenirs. Regular customers of the market are collectors, directors, costume designers, as well as numerous "freaks" in search of something as shocking as possible.

    Amsterdam Coffee Shops

    In the Netherlands, light drugs are legalized and there are even special places where they can be used – these are world-famous coffee shops. A considerable part of tourists seek to Amsterdam precisely for the sake of going to such establishments. They offer hashish, marijuana and other narcotic drugs, but alcohol is banned. There are several hundred coffee shops in Amsterdam, and there are enough customers for everyone.

    Amsterdam Coffee Shops
    Red Light District

    Red Light District

    A quarter populated by "priestesses of love" who live and work here absolutely legally. Moreover, they pay decent taxes to the city treasury. Prostitution in Holland has been legalized for a long time, local "prostitutes" have a trade union and a powerful system of social guarantees. There are countless sex shops, erotic shows and museums of relevant subjects in the Red Light District.