Netherlands attractions

Amsterdam’s Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes) shopping area offers more than just retail. Spanning nine side streets, the pedestrian neighborhood dates back to the 17th century and boasts historical architecture and the capital’s first photography museum. Boutiques, cafés, and fine dining restaurants line the cobbled pavements, creating a boho vibe that draws the city’s fashionable crowd. Other claims to fame include a houseboat museum and the world’s first monument to gay rights.

Amsterdam’s oldest and largest flea market, Waterlooplein Market dates back to 1893. The market, spread between the Leprozengracht and Houtgracht canals in the former Jewish quarter, has long been at the center of Amsterdam’s bohemian culture. Held from Monday to Saturday, it remains a prime gathering spot for the city’s youth.

By far the coolest bar in Amsterdam, the Xtracold Icebar is kept at a chilly 14°F (-10°C) and everything from the walls and stools to the cocktail glasses are made entirely out of ice. A visit takes you on a drinking adventure based on Dutch explorers’ 1590s expeditions in search of the Northeast Passage.

Founded by members of Dutch tulip-farming families, the small but informative Amsterdam Tulip Museum traces the history of the nation’s tulip obsession from the height of 17th-century Tulip Mania, when bulbs changed hands for astronomical prices, to today’s multibillion-dollar industry. If you’re looking for unique tulip-themed gifts or rare bulbs, the museum shop is the place to go.

One of the most historic zoos in the world, ARTIS has roots dating back to the 1830s. What began with just a few birds and monkeys has grown into a sprawling, sustainability-minded zoological park featuring conservation programs and animal residents ranging from the bat-eared fox to the turquoise dwarf gecko. Visitors can appreciate the world’s stunning biodiversity without ever leaving the Dutch capital.

Our Lord in the Attic Museum (Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder) is a meticulously preserved 17th-century canal house from the Dutch Golden Age in the heart of Amsterdam. A marvel is in the attic:xa0 an entire outlaw church where Catholics of the Dutch Reformed Church worshiped in secret.

Located on the outskirts of Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District, the Venustempel Sex Museum is the world’s oldest sex museum, dating back to 1985. Housed in a striking 17th-century building, it chronicles the evolution of human sexuality throughout the ages through an extensive collection of items relating to sex and eroticism.

Amsterdam’s 17th-century canals are both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. The historic Amsterdam Canal Ring (Grachtengordel) is also the subject of the aptly named Museum of the Canals (Het Grachtenhuis), housed in an elegant period home along the banks of the Herengracht. Visitors can learn about the development of one of the world’s most famous canal networks, as well as peek inside a characteristic canal house.

Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue is one of the most significant sites of Jewish history in the city. Built in the 17th century, the synagogue is part of a complex that houses the rabbinate, a mortuary, and the UNESCO–listed Ets Haim (Tree of Life) library, which is home to a valuable collection of Sephardic Jewish manuscripts. Visitors come to admire the architecture and centuries-old religious treasures, and sometimes to see a candlelit concert.

Set within four former Ashkenazi synagogues, the Jewish Museum (Joods Museum) is the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated solely to Jewish culture and history. The museum’s collections celebrate past and present Dutch Jewish life, while temporary exhibitions present diverse stories about the Jewish experience. A connected children’s museum explores Jewish culture and traditions in a fun and interactive way suitable for the little ones.

The New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) is among the most important churches in Amsterdam, though these days the predominantly neo-Gothic structure serves not as a house of worship but as a museum and exhibition space. In addition to hosting exhibits and organ performances, it's also used by the Dutch Royal Family for investitures and weddings.

The Amsterdam outpost of the Madame Tussauds wax museum empire is filled with painstakingly sculpted, life-size look-alikes, from Dutch royalty to internationally known figures in film, music, sports, and politics. Displays evolve with the times, but you can expect to see plenty of familiar faces, from musical icons like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift to movie stars such as George Clooney and Ryan Gosling.

Amsterdam’s Dutch Resistance Museum (Amsterdams Verzetsmuseum) explores how Dutch people resisted the German occupation during World War II through strikes, protests, underground newspapers, and hiding the persecuted. The museum brings the German occupation to life through recreated street scenes, clever dioramas, and more than 130 personal stories.

Home to one of the Netherlands' most celebrated collections of modern and contemporary art, the Stedelijk Museum contains works ranging from iconic Andy Warhol prints and impressionist paintings by Matisse and Cezanne to Rodin sculptures. One entire gallery is devoted to Dutch Art Nouveau (De Stijl).

Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ acclaimed but somewhat macabre exhibitions have been traveling the world for 20 years, visited by more than 40 million people. Now, he has set up a permanent home in Amsterdam’s city center for Body Worlds: The Happiness Project, which highlights the benefits of happiness and exercise to the human body.

Combining theater and special effects to bring centuries of gruesome history to life, the Amsterdam Dungeon is far from your typical museum experience. Expect a light-hearted spin on macabre subject matter, whether you’re being taunted by the Grim Reaper or learning how Amsterdam fared during the Bubonic Plague. Dungeon shows are also known for their appropriately spooky ambience. If you suffer from claustrophobia, give this one a miss.

Regarded as Rotterdam’s main church, the 16th-century Church of St. Lawrence—also called the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk—is the only late Gothic medieval building still standing in the city. Beautifully restored after heavy World War II bombing, the church symbolizes Rotterdam’s long history and its resilience to adversity.

The National Holocaust Memorial (Hollandsche Schouwburg), once a grand theater, now functions as a memorial to the many Jews deported from Amsterdam during the Second World War. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945, Jewish people were held at the theater before being taken to transit camps and eventually concentration camps.

A visit to Amsterdam’s Museum Van Loon offers a fascinating glimpse into 19th-century aristocratic life. Originally built in 1672, the extremely wealthy Van Loon family purchased the house in 1884—lavishly decorating the interior with Louis XV furniture, fine porcelain, and family portraits. Now a living museum, the interior of the canal house has remained largely intact since the 1800s.

The Netherlands is known for its many windmills, and the De Gooyer Windmill, as its tallest, is one of the country’s most famous. This National Monument is one of the few remaining wooden windmills within the city of Amsterdam, and was moved to its current location in the early 19th century. While you can’t enter the structure, it’s probably the easiest windmill to see without visiting Zaanse Schans or Keukenhof.

Rotterdam’s bold Central Station (Centraal Station) is a showstopper and fitting introduction for arriving visitors to the city’s famously edgy architecture. Renovated in 2014, the midcentury station stands out for its unique design with a glass-fronted facade topped by a futuristic stainless-steel roof that soars high above the building.

Amsterdam’s 19th-century Royal Concertgebouw (Concert Hall) boasts neoclassical architecture, three performance spaces, and an annual program of concerts and cultural events. Renowned for its acoustics, the hall has hosted many legendary performers over the years and is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The Ripley’s Believe It or Not franchise is known for displaying astonishing information and objects you simply have to see to believe. Outrageous items on display at this Amsterdam museum include a 23-foot (7-meter) tall robot made of car parts, a shrunken head from the Amazon rain forest, and an ancient T-Rex skull.

Amsterdam'sMuseum Willet-Holthuysen houses a wonderful collection of fine paintings, antique furnishings, and decorative pieces. Owned in the 19th century by the Willets, a wealthy family of avid art collectors, today it showcases one of the best examples of 19th-century style and decoration in the city.

Since opening in 1864, the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam has amassed 175,000 objects from Dutch colonies, making it one of the largest museums in Amsterdam. Divided into eight permanent exhibitions, the museum is designed to provide insight into the daily lives and diverse cultures of people from all over the globe.

Linking north and south Rotterdam across the River New Meuse, the Erasmus Bridge (Erasmusbrug is one of the city’s most notable landmarks. Opened in 1996, it’s striking for its single, angled pylon, which lends it the nickname “The Swan” (De Zwaan and makes it a must-see for visitors.

Microscopic organisms take their turn in the spotlight—or, rather, under the microscope—at Micropia, the first museum in the world devoted entirely to microbes. Part of Amsterdam’s ARTIS Park, Micropia’s main goal is to enlighten visitors on the positive role microbes play in daily life. The interactive exhibits offer engaging activities for both young and old and will challenge the worldviews of even the biggest germophobe.

Amsterdam has been nicknamed the “City of Diamonds,” and the Diamond Museum Amsterdam is here to tell visitors why that is. Founded by the diamond polisher Ben Meier (who once polished a diamond watch for Queen Juliana of the Royal House of the Netherlands), the wide-ranging museum explores the gemstone’s billions-year-old roots, cutting and polishing techniques, and Amsterdam’s history as a world-renowned diamond capital. Expect to see plenty of sparkling rocks, both real and replica.

Built using funds donated by American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Peace Palace (Vredespaleis) is one of The Hague’s best-known landmarks. The grand neo-Renaissance building is home to the UN’s International Court of Justice, which hears legal disputes between states.

Amsterdam’s Museum Het Schip is dedicated to the early 20th century Amsterdam School style of architecture. Located inside the Het Schip–a massive social housing project designed by Michel de Klerk that resembles the outline of a ship–the Museum tells the history of the building through the social and political context that led to its need.