Amsterdam is one of Europe’s great cities and hosts one of the continent’s best collections of museums. Guests on our Leiden Untour spend much time in Amsterdam, on a hosted walk with UnTours staff, and exploring on their own.
The museums are a highlight of their time not just in Amsterdam but of their whole Untour in the Netherlands.
In fact, there are so many museums in Amsterdam, our museum guide is too long to publish in one entry. So we present volume 1: Art Museums in Amsterdam. Here is our overview of what Dutch Untourists and art lovers should not miss in Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum
There are many rijksmuseums in Holland, but this is THE Rijksmuseum, one of the greatest art galleries in Europe, and the best collection of 17th century Dutch paintings in the world. At least twenty Rembrandts are on display, including his most famous and most valuable painting, erroneously named The Night Watch because it was, for many years, covered with soot. If the museum reminds you of Amsterdam Centraal Station, it’s because they were both designed by the same architect.
Stedelijk Museum
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is an international museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art & design, highlighting works from major movements like Bauhaus, Pop, De Stijl, and Neo-Impressionism. Look for works by all the big names of modern art, plus evocative video and sculptural installations, and change exhibits that highlight the best of modern and contemporary art.
Van Gogh Museum
Amsterdam’s top tourist attraction, probably because Vincent Van Gogh is the most popular, most reproduced and most fascinating of all modern artists, and this is the largest collection in the world of his paintings. The museum represents a broad and comprehensive survey of this most prolific painter’s works and is a must for anyone who is drawn to the artist’s bold colors and intrigued by his life and works.
Hermitage Amsterdam
Hermitage Amsterdam is the largest remote branch museum of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on the banks of the River Amstel, in the former Amstelhof, classical style building from 1681, housing a small collection form Tsar Peter the Great. It hosts ambitious visiting exhibitions of all types of art. Be sure to check its upcoming exhibits before your trip.
The Rembrandt House Museum
The house where Rembrandt lived and worked after leaving Leiden at age 34, and the inner courtyard where the famous Night Watch was probably painted, has been refurbished with artifacts from Rembrandt’s day. The museum includes a large display of his etchings, as well as some paintings by his students and contemporaries.
The Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam (MOCO)
The Moco wants to make a wide range of modern and contemporary art available to the general public. With exciting exhibitions and high-profile guest curators, Moco brings thought-provoking contemporary art to a mass audience.The museum is located in Villa Alsberg, which is set in the middle of the Amsterdam Museumplein. This townhouse was designed in 1904 by Eduard Cuypers, cousin of the renowned Pierre Cuypers who was responsible for the Rijksmuseum, which is on the opposite side of the square.
Amsterdam is within easy day trip distance from the Leiden Untour, a rail trip covered with the Dutch rail pass included on the Untour
Stay tuned for our next installment, a survey of the Amsterdam museums that cover Dutch Life and Culture. And start planning your Holland Untour now!