Travel bucket list idea:
Amsterdam , North Holland, Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum, an Amsterdam must-see, is one of the world’s great art galleries
Credit Shutterstock.com/Mo Wu
One of the world’s great art collections, the Rijksmuseum is packed with Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, showcasing the finest works of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer alongside memorable dolls’ houses and Delftware.
A total of 8,000 exhibits are displayed in 80 rooms – including an Asia Pavilion – tracing 800 years of Dutch art and culture.
The Rijksmuseum is also one of the world’s oldest state museums. It first opened in 1800 before moving in 1885 to its current location in a grand neo-Renaissance building, designed by Pierre Cuypers.
The must-see masterpiece at the Rijksmuseum is Rembrandt’s massive Night Watch. Other notable works to track down include Vermeer’s immediately recognisable The Milkmaid and some stunning 19th-century portrait photographs by Willem Witsen.
Take time out at the Grand Café in the museum atrium, which serves a huge selection of flavoured jenever, or Dutch gin.
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Experience
A platoon of musketeers emerge from darkness into light. Or do they? The sharp, strange contrasts of gleam and shadow in Rembrandt’s masterpiece have baffled critics for centuries. But its sheer beauty makes it a pleasure to untangle for yourself.
Good for age: 18+
Duration: -
The Rijksmuseum is close to the Van Gogh Museum, on the corner of Museumplein, and visitors often tackle the two museums in one day – though beware cultural overload. There is an audio tour in English, which definitely enhances the experience.
Buy tickets in advance via the website, to avoid the long queues. If you want to just turn up, the queues are normally shortest first thing in the morning and after 4pm. The Rijksmuseum Gardens, Rijks Shop and cafe are also open to visitors without a ticket.
On a sunny day, the lawns on Museumplein are a nice place for a post-museum picnic – there’s a well-stocked supermarket on the southern side.
The museum is open all year round, seven days a week (including all national holidays).
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