Amsterdam, which is called the Venice of the North is the capital and the most populous city of the Kingdom of Netherlands. The area of Amsterdam is 219.4 kilometers square with a population of 1,174,000 (2023). The city is rich in history, full of museums and vibrant culture, and conducts immersive art exhibitions. The city contains the smallest houses in Europe and is ruled by bikes. You can cycle through the picturesque streets of Amsterdam and explore the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and multiple parks and museums.

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Must-Visit Places in Amsterdam

The following are the must-visit places in Amsterdam: 

• Vondelpark
• Amsterdam Canal Ring
• Jordaan
• Anne Frank House
• Dam Square
• Verzetsmuseum
• Van Gogh Museum
• Leidseplein
• Keukenhof
• Rijksmuseum

1) Vondelpark

Vondelpark is the most famous and the largest city park in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Vondelpark is a public urban park covering 120 acres (47 hectares ). It is located west of the  Museumplein and Leidseplein and is part of the Amsterdam-Zuid borough. The park first opened in 1865 and was initially known as Nieuwe Park ( New Park), but it was later renamed after the playwright and poet Joost van den Vondel of the 17th century; now it is officially known as Vondelpark. The park receives approximately 10 million visitors every year. The park has a playground, an open-air theater,  and many food service businesses.

Both locals and visitors to Amsterdam enjoy sunny days, jogging, dog-walking, people-watching, running, listening to music, and just lounging in the grass. There are no charges for the outdoor theater and open-air concerts. 

2) Amsterdam Canal Ring 

Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ city, is home to about 100 kilometers of canals, 1,500 bridges, and approximately 90 islands. The Grachtengordel is a concentric belt around the city formed by the three main canals (Prinsengracht, Herengracht, and Keizersgracht) dug in the 17th century in the Dutch Golden Age.

There are 1550 monumental buildings beside the main canals. Amsterdam is known as the “Venice of the North.” This 17th-century canal ring area includes the Keizersgracht, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Jordaan. In  2010, this area was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An early Sunday morning is ideal for exploring Amsterdam, walking around the canals, and enjoying the city’s unique ambiance. There is a canal cruise boat that offers the best views of the city’s architecture.

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3) Jordaan

The Jordaan is a neighborhood in the middle of Amsterdam. The water of the Brouwersgra, the Prinsengracht, the Leidsegracht, and the Singelgracht form the boundaries of the Jordaan. In 2011, the Jordaan contained about 12,670 houses, accommodating almost 19,000 people. These are primarily small apartment structures constructed in the 19th century or during the revitalization of cities in the 1970s and 1980s. This area has a population of 19,545 as of 2023. 

The Jordaan had eleven canals: Palmgracht, Lindengracht, Anjeliersgracht, Goudsbloemgracht, Egelantiersgracht,  Rozengracht, Bloemgracht, Lauriergracht, Looiersgracht, Elandsgracht, and Passeerdersgracht. However, today’s small canals and streets of popular Jordaan have been lined with cozy pubs, indie boutiques, and hip cafes. The Noordermarkt Square market has stalls selling jewelry, clothing, organic cuisine, and antiques. 

In addition, Antiques Centre Amsterdam exhibits vintage pottery and artwork, while smaller local galleries engage in innovative contemporary art. The Amsterdam Cheese Museum and the Houseboat Museum are among the other attractions. Beautifully designed Wester is the window number 43 of the Canon of Amsterdam.

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4) Anne Frank House

Anne Frank House is the biographical and residential museum of the Jewish writer/diarist Anne Frank. The museum is situated in the Dutch city of central Amsterdam, near the Westerkerk, on the Prinsengracht (canal). When the Netherlands became occupied by Germany in World War II, Anne Frank with her family and four other people sought refuge from Nazi persecution in secret apartments situated in the back building of the 17th-century canal house; later, that was called “the Secret Annex”.

Despite her death during the conflict, her wartime diary was made public in 1947. Ten years later, the Anne Frank Foundation was founded to safeguard the land from developers who intended to destroy the block. The full museum takes up three adjacent buildings (263 to 267) on the streetfront of Prinsengracht. In 2017, the museum received 1.27 million guests, making it the third most visited museum in the Netherlands, following only the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum.

5) Dam Square

Dam Square is a city square in Amsterdam. It is one of the most well-known places to visit where the city’s iconic buildings and major events are organized. Dam Square is situated about 750 meters to the south of the central railway station in the historic district of Amsterdam. The Royal Palace Amsterdam is a classical building located at the western edge of the square. The building served as the town hall from 1655 until 1808, until the royals acquired it. 

Furthermore, Dam Square is surrounded by De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) dating back to 1408, the shopping mall “the Bijenkorf “, Hotel Krasnapolsky, Madame Tussauds, and several other restaurants and shops. The National Monument is across from the Royal Palace. Dame Square connects many streets.

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6) Verzetsmuseum

Verzetsmuseum (The Resistance Museum) is located in the Plantage neighborhood of Amsterdam. It is one of the top historical museums in the Netherlands and tells the story of the Dutch people who witnessed World War II. Nazi Germany controlled the Netherlands from May 14, 1940, until May 5, 1945.

The museum’s unique exhibits show the ambiance of Amsterdam’s streets during the  German occupation in World War II.  Old posters, big pictures, films, items, and sounds from the time are all used to recreate the scene. The visitor can also see the historical context of the Holocaust. This exhibition portrays everyday life and World War II activities contextualized within bigger historical events. It also shows the various forms of opposition to the Nazi occupation by the Dutch population, including their Dutch collaborators.

7) Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is an art museum, one of the most popular museums in the Netherlands. It shows the work of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) and his fellows. It was opened on June 2, 1973, and is located in the Museum Square along with the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam South. The buildings of the museum were designed by  Kisho Kurokawa and Gerrit Rietveld.

The largest collection of Van Gogh’s drawings and paintings in the world is found in the museum. In 2017, 2.3 million tourists visited the museum, which made it the Netherlands’s most-visited museum and the 23rd-most-visited art museum worldwide. In 2019, the Van Gogh Museum presented the Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience, a driven-by-technology immersive exhibition about the life and work of Van Gogh that has traveled the world. The total collection of the Van Gogh Museum contains 500 drawings, 200 paintings, and more than 750 letters. 

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8) Leidseplein

Leidseplein, with its central location, serves as a true hub between West, Zuid, and  Amsterdam Centrum. It borders Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen, the Marnixstraat , and the Singelgracht . The square was built during the Fourth Expansion of the canal system in 1660. The Leidseplein was named after the Leidsepoort, which existed here until 1862 and marked the start of the road to Leiden. The square was designed as a “carriage square,” where tourists may leave their carts from outside the city before entering into city. 

The Leidseplein is a famous nightlife attraction place in Amsterdam with terraces, cinemas, live music stages, theatres, clubs, and restaurants. The area serves as a meeting place both for visitors and locals, and you will find many street artists there. In the winter, there is an artificial ice rink on the terrace.

9) Keukenhof

Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, also known as the Garden of Europe. It is located in the municipality of Lisse. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park comprises 32 hectares (79 acres), with around 7 million flower bulbs planted every year. Keukenhof is famous for its tulips, but it also has daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, carnations, roses, and irises. 

Keukenhof is situated in the “Dune and Bulb Region” of the province of South the Netherlands, southwest of Amsterdam and south of Haarlem. You can go by bus from Schiphol, the train stations in Haarlem and Leiden. Keukenhof is only accessible to the public for its world-famous eight-week tulip display from mid-March to mid-May, with maximum gazing occurring near mid-April, depending on growth season weather on an annual basis.

Keukenhof received 1.5 million visitors in 2019 i.e. 26,000 people every day. In contrast, 14,000 people visit the Efteling, and 8,000 people visit the Rijksmuseum on average each day. 

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10) Rijksmuseum

There are 16 national museums in the Netherlands, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The collection contains pieces by 17th-century Dutch artists like Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals and displays a broad perspective of Dutch history and art. In 1808, Louis Napoleon ordered the museum to be relocated to Amsterdam and opened in 1809. Since 1885, the museum has been situated in the Rijksmuseum building, which was built by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers. 

The vacant rooms were utilized for contemporary art exhibitions, such as the 1939–1940 show “Our Art of the Present”. A significant portion of the Rijksmuseum collection was kept in storage in April 1942 in a specially constructed vault located in the Sint-Pietersberg tunnel close to Maastricht. The museum gained its autonomy in 1995. Formerly, it was a national museum staffed by government employees. Since 1995, the museum has been run by the foundation Het Rijksmuseum. The state owns the building and a portion of the collection.

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Conclusion

The capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful and best cities in Europe. It is famous for its world-famous museum which sustained its rich history including World War II, the Holocaust, and many other historical events, Van Gogh Museum is famous around the world, and millions of tourists visit the museum to see the arts, drawings, and letters of Van Gogh. Similarly, the Canal Ring, Jordan, and this area have been added to the list of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other than that, Dam Square, Keukenhof, and Leidseplein are the best meeting places for the locals and visitors. They can enjoy their dinners, meetings, movies, and a lot more with their families at these best places in Amsterdam. 

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