Netherlands attractions

While most famous for its sex work scene, Amsterdam’s Red Light District (De Wallen) also houses UNESCO–listed canals, bustling restaurants, bars, and plenty of shopping opportunities. While this controversial neighborhood may not be for everyone, its winding cobblestone streets and narrow alleys evoke Amsterdam’s rich history and laid-back culture.

Set in a sprawling 17th-century building, H’ART Museum showcases revolving exhibitions of works drawn from major art collections around the world. It initially focused on pieces from Russia’s Hermitage under the name Hermitage Amsterdam, but split from its Russian parent after the invasion of Ukraine. Today, the museum partners with other international institutions, including the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Centre Pompidou.

Three principal canals make up Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canal Ring, and the Emperor’s Canal (Keizersgracht) takes the center spot. The widest of the city’s canals, the Emperor’s Canal flows through the heart of Amsterdam’s bustling Canal District, passing many of the city’s top attractions. A highlight of boat cruises, it’s lined with elegant 17th-century canal houses, beautiful bridges, and scenic tree-lined promenades.

Amsterdam is home to over 150 canals, and Brouwersgracht is one of the prettiest. The name means “Brewers’ Canal” in Dutch, so called because breweries boomed along the waterway during the Dutch Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries. Tucked away in the quiet Jordaan neighborhood, this is a great spot to admire the city’s house boats and colorful townhouses without elbowing your way for a view.

Centuries before it was rechristened Rembrandt Square in honor of the Dutch painter, this area was better known as Butter Market because of the dairy farmers peddling their products. A cast-iron statue of Rembrandt went up in 1876, and the square got a new name. Today, Rembrandt Square is better known for its nightlife scene than its artistic legacy, with multiple bars, dance clubs, and pubs lining the busy streets.

Amsterdam’s main city square is one of the best-known locations in all of the Netherlands. Situated in the historical center of the city, just south of Amsterdam Central Station, Dam Square is home to many notable buildings, such as the grand Royal Palace Amsterdam and the National Monument. Major events frequently keep the square busy, whether they’re demonstrations or festivals, including National Tulip Day.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live aboard a houseboat, then the Houseboat Museum will answer all of your questions. Houseboats first became popular with Amsterdam residents as a cheaper alternative to rising housing costs; today, they’re no longer cheap, but they’re still a unique and ubiquitous part of the city. The Houseboat Museum lets you step on board and get a rarely-glimpsed view from inside these vessels.

Once a moat that encircled medieval Amsterdam, the Singel is now the innermost canal in Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed ring of canals. The Singel is one of Amsterdam’s top sights, thanks in part to its picturesque bridges, historic canal houses, and proximity to Amsterdam’s most popular neighborhoods, including the picturesque Bloemenmarkt floating flower market.

Much like London’s Picadilly Circus, Leiden Square is one of Amsterdam’s most vibrant entertainment and shopping districts, famous for its packed pubs, brand-name retailers, and international restaurants. It’s also the hub for multiple tram lines. Visitors will find plenty to keep them busy in Leiden Square; whether you’re looking to shop, eat, party, or just passing through, it’s hard to resist the square’s energy.

Looming over the busy Muntplein (Mint Square) at the meeting point of the Amstel River and the Singel Canal, the Mint Tower (Munttoren) is one of Amsterdam’s most prominent historic landmarks. Originally built in 1487, the tower sits atop the last remaining part of the city’s medieval city wall. In fact, most of the tower seen today was rebuilt in the 17th century, when it briefly served as a royal mint—hence the name.

Edam cheese is known around the world as one of the Netherlands’ most famous exports, and wheels of the mild, semi-hard cheese hail from this historic town, situated along the banks of the IJsselmeer. With museums, a church, a fortress, and a wealth of water- and cheese-related activities, Edam is a popular day trip from Amsterdam.

The Netherlands’ largest science museum, NEMO Science Museum, features four stories of interactive exhibits and hands-on experiments, as well as an ever-popular roof terrace. It is housed in one of the city’s most interesting structures. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the NEMO building looks like a green, copper-clad ship rising out of Amsterdam’s eastern docklands.

In the center of Amsterdam, the 17th-century Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis) is the official state palace of King Willem-Alexander. When dignitaries aren’t using it for state visits and gala dinners, it opens to the public for tours of its lavish rooms. Opulent chandeliers and marble statues, including a 6-meter (20-foot) statue of Atlas holding a globe, recall the city’s Golden Age.

The Amsterdam Museum offers a crash course in the city’s fascinating history and culture. While its usual home is undergoing renovation, this smaller, temporary museum shows some of the exhibitions and highlights of the permanent collection. With interactive multimedia exhibits and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, the space is designed for visitors of all ages.

Built in 1611, the Zuiderkerk (Southern Church) was Amsterdam’s first Protestant church and remains one of its most prominent historical landmarks, crowning the Groenburgwal canal in the heart of the city. Its picturesque Renaissance-style facade and distinctive bell tower have long inspired artists and photographers: Monet famously painted the Zuiderkerk, and three of Rembrandt’s children are buried there. Today, the spire is a much-photographed emblem of the city.

Amsterdam’s oldest church, the Old Church (Oude Kerk), is a curious sight. Consecrated in 1306, the triple-nave Gothic church is surrounded by the window brothels, coffee shops, and bars of the city’s notorious red-light district. Inside are an impressive baroque organ, some scandalous medieval carvings, and a floor built of gravestones. The historic church often serves as a venue for contemporary music and art installations.

Named for the Prince of Orange, Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal) is the outermost and longest of Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage–listed canals, and the site of the Anne Frank House and Westerkerk church. One of the liveliest canals in the city, this 2-mile (3-kilometer) waterway is also notable for its myriad colorful houseboats, celebrated by the Houseboat Museum.

Portraits, fashion, travel—if you can photograph it, it’s likely been featured at the FOAM Photography Museum Amsterdam. As the leading photography museum in the city, if not the Netherlands, FOAM is devoted to photography in all its forms, hosting a diverse portfolio of international photographers and upcoming artists. Housed in an old 18th-century warehouse along the Emperor’s Canal, its temporary exhibitions cover just about every theme imaginable.

Moco Museum Amsterdam showcases an array of over 100 modern artworks and immersive digital installations by internationally renowned contemporary artists, including Banksy, Andy Warhol, and Yayoi Kusama. The museum is housed within a classic Dutch mansion, which sits among the cluster of museums on Amsterdam’s Museumplein.

Located in the center of Amsterdam’s historic district, steps from Rokin canal, the Begijnhoff is an enclosed courtyard with roots dating back to the 14th century. The beghinage was once home to the Beguines, a Christian order of unmarried or widowed women who devoted their lives to spiritual devotion. Today, it’s a tranquil residential district (still home to only women, but not nuns) where visitors can catch a glimpse of a bygone community’s monastic way of life.

Rotterdam’s new market hall is also the largest indoor market in the country. Architecturally striking, the building is designed with apartments flanking a horseshoe-shaped arch. Inside the glass facade is a covered public square and market hall, with more than 100 food stalls, eight restaurants, and 15 shops, and one of the Netherlands’ largest artworks on its ceiling.

In the heart of Amsterdam, New Market Square (Nieuwmarkt) is a bustling central square that has long been a popular hangout spot. It’s served as a market (hence its name) since the 17th century, but it has also seen some of the darker moments of European history: in World War II, the Nazis used it as an assembly point for Jews who were being sent to concentration camps.

Housed in a massive former naval storehouse, the National Maritime Museum (Het Scheepvaartmuseum) showcases 500 years of Amsterdam’s maritime history. Highlights include the full-size replica Dutch East India Company ship Amsterdam moored alongside the museum and the interactive The Tale of the Whale exhibit. Adults and children alike will discover how the sea has shaped and influenced Dutch culture, including the part colonialism played in this chapter of history.

Twenty-two floors above ground, the A'dam Lookout observation deck offers 360-degree views of Amsterdam’s historic center, its canals, and unique polder landscape—as well as the chance to swing over the edge, 328 feet (100 meters) above the city. There’s also a bar, three restaurants (one revolving), and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as a virtual reality (VR) roller coaster that sends you whirling through the city’s highlights.

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.

At the eastern end of Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam, the National Monument is the Netherlands’ most important World War II memorial. Inaugurated in 1956, it’s a striking landmark featuring a 72-foot (22-meter) high pillar of white travertine adorned with a poignant relief that symbolizes peace, victory, and liberation. It serves as the centerpiece for the country’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony.

With a library of some 60,000 films spanning all genres alongside countless posters, photographs, and other movie memorabilia dating from 1896 to the present day, Amsterdam’s EYE Film Institute ranks among the world’s best cinema museums. Whether exploring film-themed exhibitions, watching a movie at the four cinemas, or gazing out over Amsterdam’s IJ river from the glass-front Eye Bar, it’s a must-do for movie buffs.

Take a break from urban Amsterdam in Vondelpark—an English-style green space in the heart of the city. Opened in 1865, the 116-acre (47-hectare) park boasts an open-air theater, a rose garden, and a statue of the Dutch poet, Vondel, plus the title of the capital’s largest city park. Several cafés, restaurants, and museums ensure Vondelpark is a year-round attraction.

Amsterdam’s most important Roman Catholic church, the Basilica of Saint Nicholas was finished in 1887 and is one of the city’s most recognizable icons—even though public Roman Catholic worship had been banned there for centuries. An intricate rose window, lavish white-and-red marble, vibrant stained glass, and works by Dutch painter Jan Dunselman enrich the dark and moody interior.

Located among the picturesque canal houses of central Amsterdam, the Rembrandt House Museum (Museum Rembrandthuis) pays tribute to the Dutch artist famous for works such as The Night Watch and The Storm on the Sea of Galilee. Today, Rembrandt’s former home is a museum dedicated to his life and works, featuring a nearly complete collection of his etchings.