Amsterdam has many attractive canals and waterways, and is a vibrant, fun loving city which has a rich cultural and artistic past. There are literally hundreds of different museums, art galleries and performance venues in Amsterdam , and this combined with the lively bars, nightclubs and cafes means that visitors will be spoilt for choice. The peak season here is late spring through to early autumn, when the weather is warm and sunny, but even in the winter when it gets cold and rainy there are so many things to see and do visitors still flock to the city, so expect crowds at the popular attractions and entertainments throughout the year.

Top Attractions Amsterdam include:

Rijksmuseum – this excellent museum is one of the best in Europe, and has a number of stunning famous works by great masters from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer and Franz Hals. A new wing is also being added to extend the museum even further, and this is due for completion in 2013.

Anne Frankhuis – the house of Anne Frank has been turned into a small museum, which commemorates the plight of the Jewish people living in Europe during the Second World War, and also tells Anne’s own personal story as recorded in her famous diary, which has now been translated and published into 50 different languages. This is a very popular attraction, and you will find very long queues all year round, so it is a good idea to get here early.

Van Gogh Museum – Vincent Van Gogh is one of the world’s most recognisable great masters, and this lovely museum celebrates his life and works, with over 200 paintings on display by Van Gogh himself, as well as works by other contemporary artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin.

Scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands Maritime Museum) – Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands has a rich maritime history and this museum celebrates this, with exhibits including the round the world voyages of the Dutch East India Company, and a replica of one of the companies impressive sailing vessels ‘The Amsterdam’ moored just offshore.

Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art – modern art is well represented in Amsterdam, and this museum has one of the best collections in Amsterdam (in a temporary location whilst the Museumplein is being renovated), with excellent displays from the later part of the 19th Century onwards including pieces by Picasso, Cezanne, Monet and Lichenstein.

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