Places to visit in Amsterdam for travel snobs In 2021

The largest art museum in the Netherlands, Rijksmuseum is itself a history book. Now located in the borough of Amsterdam South at the Museum Square, this Dutch national museum was founded on November 19, back in the year 1798, but in The Hague. After two times of relocation within ten years, as well as a ten-year renovation, the current building of the Rijkmuseum, was opened to the public in 2013.

Claimed to have a total collection of one million objects, owned by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, they are all pertinent to the Dutch art and history. The spectacular museum also houses the masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael and Vermeer, the Dutch Golden Age painters. Some of the attractions of Rijksmuseum are the paintings of ‘Night Watch’ by Rembrandt and ‘The Milkmaid’ by Vermeer.

Consisting of a tunnel entrance, a beautiful garden, a library and a restaurant –  the museum building has been a heritage site since 1970. Pertaining to its location, the museum is located at the Museumplein, just a few minutes away from the Van Gogh Museum, Moco Museum and Stedelijk Museum.

After reopening in its current form, this 200 years old museum was the most visited museum in the country for two consecutive years, 2013 and 2014, with the footfall count touching 2.2 million and 2.47 million, respectively. Apart from the paintings and objects, another attraction of this place is the Rijksmuseum Research Library, which is a part of this museum.

Visit the Totalitarian Art Gallery

This place has the feel of an old curiosity shop from a different era. It’s actually a very eclectic collection of propaganda, including paintings, signs, toys and other memorabilia collected from countries with very dark pasts. There are also some random oddities thrown into the mix. The Totalitarian Art Gallery might not be for everyone but it definitely makes an interesting stop in the Jordaan area especially if you’re a history fan.

Anne Frank House

This is one of the most popular Amsterdam tourist places. There cannot be a trip to this city without a visit to this house first. Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who lived at the time of the Second World War. While hiding from the Nazis she left a diary that describes the hardships her community went through. This museum contains the building where Anne’s family remained in hiding. For a memorable vacation in Netherlands, do make a visit to this attraction in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s West Church

When looking for churches in Netherlands, Amsterdam’s West Church should definitely be added to your itinerary. This became one of the most famous Amsterdam tourist attractions after the wedding of the Queen Beatrix in 1966. The church has reflections of Renaissance architecture in its constructions as well as certain elements of Gothic design. The tower is the highest in the city with a height of 85 metres. The tip of the tower has a copy of Austria’s emperor Maximilian’s crown.

While away a few hours in Nieuwmarkt

This large square is one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam. It’s overlooked by an attractive looking castle complete with gates and turrets known as De Waag. Although located in the middle of the Red Light District, it has a more relaxed vibe than other central parts of the city. Nieuwmarkt has everything from funky bars and cafes to Buddhist temples and even – unusually for this area – a convent. If you are looking for things to do in Amsterdam there is also a daily market, an organic food market on Saturdays and an antique market on Sundays. Although the real reason you should visit is to sit with a coffee or a beer and people watch for a few hours.