I headed out to Amsterdam in June for a three night stay and as usual managed to take in a lot of interesting places. All of the museums etc. I visited I did with the I amsterdam city card which I would recommend if you’re the kind of person who likes to fit a lot in when they travel. The Van Gogh Museum was my first stop and was probably my favourite of the museums. (It’s worth noting that even with the I amsterdam City Card you have to book timed tickets in advance and as you get towards the summer months the harder it is to find a good time slot). I went first thing in the morning which worked out very well for me.
The museum opened in 1973 and is the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world. I do like Van Gogh and have been lucky enough to see his works on display in London, Paris and Oslo but it wasn’t until visiting Amsterdam that I truly appreciated the scale of his output; I spent far longer here than I’d expected because there is so much to see and read.
Obviously photos are not allowed inside (except for a few designated selfie spots) so this is a more photo light post than usual. The temporary exhibition when I visited was about Van Gogh and Japan which really was fantastic. I had had no idea that Van Gogh was so interested in or influenced by Japanese art and it was fascinating to see not only some of his own collection of Japanese prints but also side by side comparisons of his work next to that which had inspired him.
The whole museum is well laid out and though certainly busy never felt too overcrowded although there was a steady stream of visitors the entire time I was there. Definitely one of Amsterdam’s must visit museums.
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