The National Monument in Amsterdam was built in 1956 as a memorial to those killed and injured in World War II.
The Netherlands
Throwback Thursday: The National Monument, Amsterdam
The Dutch Resistance Museum, Amsterdam
The Dutch Resistance Museum, or Verzetsmuseum, is directly opposite Amsterdam Zoo which made it very convenient to visit. It focuses on the Netherlands in World War II exploring briefly what life was like before the war and then on to the different ways the Dutch people survived and fought back whilst under Nazi occupation.
ARTIS Royal Amsterdam Zoo
ARTIS Royal Zoo is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, founded in 1838 for members only and then opened to the public in 1851. The zoo is in the centre of Amsterdam, in a nice quiet leafy neighbourhood and far larger than I had been expecting.
100 Highlights Cruise, Amsterdam
You can’t really go to Amsterdam without taking a cruise along the canals and I picked the 100 Highlights Cruise as it was included in the I amsterdam card and would allow me to see parts of the city I wouldn’t be visiting on this trip.
Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam
This museum in Amsterdam is in the house where Rembrandt lived for nearly twenty years from 1639 to 1656. The collection at the house does include some of Rembrandt’s etchings and paintings but the interior is reconstructed rather than original and the belongings in the house are also reconstructions based on what Rembrandt had to auction when he went bankrupt in 1656.
The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is another place that was on my must visit list (also included in the I amsterdam card) and I ended up visiting it straight after the Van Gogh Museum (they are located very close together). Originally I’d planned to visit the Rijksmuseum later in the day as the museum states that lunchtime is the busiest time of day but seeing as it was very hot but raining buckets I decided to go in at lunchtime anyways so as to be out of the rain and found that I could walk straight in without having to queue after all.
The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
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.