The Most Famous Landmarks in Amsterdam

Are you looking to visit Amsterdam? Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and a popular tourist attraction site in North Holland. It has a lot of attractions and beautiful landmarks that you should visit when in the city. Let’s explore Amsterdam’s fascinating heritage.

Dam Square

Located on River Amstel’s mouth, the large dam was constructed in the 13th century and a sight to behold. Not only does it demonstrate state-of-the-art engineering skills, it also stands out as a national monument and landmark. You can walk from Central Station and enjoy viewing the settlements on either side of the river. Carry a camera and take photographs of the pigeons that pitch at Dam Square.

Weeping Tower

Popularly known as the Schreierstoren, the Weeping Tower is the remains of Amsterdam’s stone city from the middle ages. It is among the oldest monuments in the city and is famous as it is where Henry Hudson begins his journey to discover Northern America. 

At the same place, the sailors’ wives watched them leave, and they wept. For this reason, the place earned the name Weeping Tower. Today, the Weeping Tower has a few cafes and outdoor terraces where you can take some snacks and beverages with your friends and family. Find it on Prins Hendrikkade 94-5.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is a crucial landmark in Amsterdam. Besides the historical heritage it holds, the palace has a beautiful sight to behold. It was used as a city hall for magistrates in medieval times and had all the ancient furniture. 

While at the palace, you will see King Napoleon’s bedroom, the Magistrates’ chamber, the Secretary’s office, and the Citizen’s hall. While on the balcony, you can see the medallions and other beautiful features of the ancient palace. It is located at the Dam, Amsterdam 1012 RJ.

Anne Frank House

While it began as the most departed residences, Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam’s heritage. There is a statue of Anne Frank outside dated 1929 to 1945. It would be a perfect place to take some photographs. 

Anne Frank hid in this house together with her family during the Second World War. They hid from the Nazis with her family, and Anne began writing her diaries. They stayed there for two years, and this is now among the respected places. 

Today, it is a museum and attracts a lot of tourists. In the museum, you will get Anne Frank’s diaries and other notebooks. The landmark is located in Westernmarkt 20, 1016 GV in the Netherlands.

Van Gogh Museum

The museum was opened in 1973 in honour of Vincent Van Gogh, a famous Dutch post-impressionist artist. It contains the largest collection of Vincent’s original work. While visiting the facility, you get to see over 200 paintings, more than 500 drawings, and over 750 letters that he wrote in his life. 

The artist’s work is hung in a perfect arrangement for five periods. Besides the museum’s beautiful architectural plans, the museum is the most popular one in the Netherlands and attracts over 2.1 million visitors every year.

Conclusion

These are but a few landmarks that should be on your Amsterdam bucket list. These landmarks also have a couple of activities that you can have fun with your friends and family. Most of these landmarks are museums, parks, canal belts and galleries.

By Max Lang Orsini

What Are Must-See Attractions In Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is one of the most diverse and culture-rich cities in the world. Although Amsterdam is only small, this city is still bursting with plenty of museums and galleries to explore, whilst also boasting wonderful canal walks and outside spaces to unwind and relax in too. Famous for its liberal attitudes, Amsterdam attracts millions of tourists from all over the globe each year. Here are some of the must-see attractions in Amsterdam.

Rijksmuseum

This museum is a great place to start your trip. Here you can discover everything you need to know about Dutch history, dating back from 1200 to the present day. Along with original works by Vermeer and Rembrandt, this museum also hosts regular one-off exhibitions too, so there is always something new to see and enjoy.

Anne Frank House

The story of Anne Frank and her diary is famous throughout the world, and here at the Anne Frank House, visitors have the opportunity to see the main house belonging to Otto Frank, where the Frank family hid with two other families in the annex. Here you can also read extracts from Anne’s original diary and see personal objects that once belonged to the Frank family. The Anne Frank House also acts as an educational resource, making it the perfect place to visit for all ages.

Van Gogh Museum

Vincent Van Gogh is famous for his Post-Impressionist landscapes, portraits and self-portraits, and the Van Gogh Museum houses many of his most famous works. Along with paintings, here visitors can also enjoy reading Van Gogh’s letters which give a unique glimpse into the man behind the art.

For those who love Dutch art, current modern artist and designer Max Lang-Orsini have an exciting and emotive collection of artwork which can be viewed via his online portfolio for those looking to explore how Dutch art has evolved since Van Gogh.

Dam Square

As one of the most central points of Amsterdam, Dam Square provides a focal meeting point and is home to some of Amsterdam’s most notable and famous buildings.

Built during the 13th Century, here you can enjoy views of the Koninklijk Palace, also known as the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk, which often hosts a variety of exhibitions, along with the Dam Square monument, which commemorates those who perished during World War II. Dam Square is also a great place to shop for souvenirs and relax in one of its traditional bars and cafes.

Vondelpark

Named after the poet Vondel and opened to the public in 1865, the Vondelpark is the biggest park of its kind in Amsterdam and boasts over 10 million visitors a year. Located close to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, this park is the perfect place to unwind and relax. Aside from its natural beauty, the Vondelpark also hosts concerts and open-air theatre performances in the summer months and has a restaurant, pavilion and a children’s playground, making it the ideal place to enjoy with all the family.

Top 5 Places To Visit In Amsterdam

In this article, Max Lang-Orsini, a resident in Amsterdam, will show you the top 5 best places to go and see when you visit Amsterdam!

Places To Visit In Amsterdam

Amsterdam has made its mark not just in the Netherlands, or even Europe, rather worldwide. Its stunning 17th-century architecture has become one of the most notorious tourist locations and rightfully so. With one of the largest collections and variations of history, Anne-Frank to Van Gough, day trips to Amsterdam become very worth your money.

Van Gogh Museum

With huge demands from all over the world, Van Gogh’s artwork has all been placed in a museum dedicated to him and his artwork. The famous artwork Almond Blossom are hung here alongside other famous pieces such as; The Bedroom. You can visit this museum on Museumplein 6, 1071, DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, right next to the Stedelijk Museum & Moco Museum. Once you’re done visiting Van Gogh’s Museum, there are others right next door such as the Stedelijk Museum.

Outside view of Van Gogh Museum

Anne Frank House

One of the most famous and talked about World War II victims has an entire history based on their running and hiding from the Nazis. She and her family hid in hiding spots they built from behind bookshelves to walls everywhere in their home. 

She lived in Amsterdam where they were trapped by the Nazi Germans all the way back in 1942. Her family was caught and since they were arrested and transferred, Anne wrote diaries often documenting her experience and what was going on around her for the following months until she was later captured.

You can visit her journey and how she was extremely clever in hiding at the historic Anne Frank House. You can see photos, videos, iconic items, hear audio tapes and quotes from her in this dreadful time. Prinsengracht 263 – 267, Westermarkt 20, 1016, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Have a look at Anne Frank’s timeline and see what you can learn.

Outside of The Anne Frank House

Rijksmuseum

For those who are into artwork, the Rijksmuseum is for you. If the Van Gogh museum wasn’t good enough, The Rijksmuseum is full of artwork from various famous past artists. With over 200 paintings This museum presents itself with many famous titles, such as; Johann Vermeer, Jan Willem Pieneman, Vincent Van Gogh and Jan Asselihn, these are just a few to name. Rijksmuseum is located in Oud-Zuid; Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Outside of the Rijksmuseum

A’dam lookout

A’dam Lookout is an observation deck platform that gives you a birds-eye view of everything in Amsterdam. Its unrealistic beauty does make it unique with its eye-popping views of the historic city centre, the famous canals and canal cruises, the stand-out royal palace alongside the incredible landscape. Everything stands out here at A’dam Lookout, giving you all the more reasoning to book on one of the highest swing decks in Europe.

A panoramic view from the A'dam Lookout

IJ-Hallen Market

Located behind the Dam Square (Town Centre) you will come across one of Europe’s largest flea markets! 5 minutes away from Dam Square, you can get many bargains from hundreds of stalls. They sell a huge variety of items and products, from souvenirs to vintage clothing, this place you can get big value for your money, there’s no reason not to go!

People at the Amsterdam Flea Market