AMSTERDAM MUSEUMS — Enjoy the Best Art in the Netherlands

Amsterdam has been a bustling center of activity for nearly one-thousand years, and we have always felt the energy and the vibe that characterize New York City pay homage to its Dutch history. Yes, you can still find that vibrancy by visiting The Netherlands during the winter and spring. If you are young in age, or young at heart, Amsterdam is perhaps more exciting than ever. This is a great destination for friends, and also for families and couples with diverse interests. For the tourists traveling alone, you will not be lonely for very long.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a small country, compared to most tourist destinations, and that is another PLUS!  With its friendly, multi-lingual residents and highly functional transportation options, The Netherlands should be near the top of your list for that perfect get-away from December through June.  {High Season for tourism in The Netherlands begins from March 15^th through May 15^th when the tulips are in full bloom.}

In preparation for this article we visited Amsterdam more than once and stayed overnight at hotels in different parts of the capital city, as well as in an airport hotel at Schiphol, and in the smaller city of Delft.  Additional time was spent in neighboring Belgium, visiting Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Leuven, and Brussels.

Amsterdam – Cultural Highlights for
Art Lovers

The Hermitage Amsterdam

If you are curious about history and looking for a different kind of museum experience, check out “Love Stories — Art, passion and tragedy” through January 8, 2023 at the Hermitage Amsterdam — the St. Petersburg museum’s largest satellite gallery — which opened in Holland in 2009.  This exhibition features over 100 portraits from the National Portrait Gallery in London. Though small and slightly expensive at 19.50 euros for adults {7.50 for students}, we recommend a visit to enjoy the classical building from 1681, formerly known as the Amstelhof, housing this museum on the banks of the Amstel River.

From Centraal Station, the Hermitage Amsterdam can be conveniently reached using Metro lines 51, 53 or 54 to the Waterlooplein, or take Tram # 14.  By water, get off the “hop on hop off” Canal Bus at Museumboot.  We strongly recommend taking the Metro because it is so quick and easy. You should try to visit in the morning when the museum is at its quietest.  After enjoying your visit to the temporary exhibition, please take some relaxing time off from the typical touristic route to find your own beauty in Amsterdam through a self-guided walking tour at your own pace in this serene and charming area.  The Hermitage is open daily from 10:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon (17:00 hours). If you have any questions please send your enquiries to the following email address: mail@hermitage.nl. Your walk might take you to the Begijnhof courtyard, near Spui, to see the oldest wooden house in Amsterdam (# 34) and the chapel (below, right) where Beguines and Catholics attended services in secret until 1795.

 Rijksmuseum

Art lovers must head over to the Rijksmuseum in 2023 to see the “VERMEER” exhibition from February 10 through June 4, 2023, when about 28 paintings by Johannes Vermeer are expected to be on view. Unlike Rembrandt van Rijn, Vermeer left an unusually small body of work, about 35 to 37 paintings. Several Vermeers from the Frick Collection in New York will be included in this show, and “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” will be displayed through March 30.

Van Gogh Museum

A simple 5-minute walk along the Museumplein — from the Rijksmuseum to the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum — will take you into one of the greatest museum quarters in the world! Hosting the world’s largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, the Van Gogh Museum is currently presenting an exhibition entitled “Golden Boy Gustav Klimt, Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse…” through January 8, 2023.

To enjoy this special exhibition, you will enter the fantastic modern space designed by Kisho Kurokawa and completed in 1999, whereas groups enter the Van Gogh Museum through the main building housing the permanent collection which was designed by Gerrit Rietveld and opened to the public in 1973. 

When “Klimt — Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse…” closes at the Van Gogh Museum on January 8, it will travel to Vienna for its presentation at the Belvedere Museum from February 3 through May 29, 2023. After you see this Klimt exhibition in Amsterdam, plan to spend an additional two or more hours enjoying the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum. For your convenience, we have included highlights from the collection at the very end of this article.

Stedelijk Museum

Directly next door to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum of modern and contemporary art is showing ongoing exhibitions “YESTERDAY TODAY” — art and design from 1880 to 1950 including DeStijl, Bauhaus, CoBrA and other movements; “EVERYDAY, SOMEDAY AND OTHER STORIES” (1950 – 1980); and “TOMORROW IS A DIFFERENT DAY,” highlights of their collection from 1980 until the present day, plus many original smaller temporary exhibitions. Future presentations include “GENERAL IDEA” organized in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada, opening in March 2023; and “NAN GOLDIN: THIS WILL NOT END WELL” a retrospective of Goldin’s work as a film-maker which will be presented in September 2023 in cooperation with the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

All three museums may be reached via Tram # 2 and Tram # 12 from Amsterdam Centraal Station, and by Tram # 5 from the direction of the Leidseplein. Metro 52 stops at “Vijzelgracht” and Tram # 3 stops at “Museumplein.”

Art Lovers Tip: The best time to see tulip fields in bloom in 2023 will be from mid-April to early May.

Popular Hotels in Amsterdam

Hotels have grown increasingly expensive in major cities throughout The Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam. In recent years, we stayed in 3 properties which you can find on the Marriott.com website.  Those of you arriving at Schiphol Airport for a brief stay may choose the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel.  Recommended by more than 85% of its guests, this uniquely-situated Sheraton is not as fancy as downtown hotels, but it is certainly convenient.  With its central location right inside the airport, a 5-minute walk from your plane (or train) leads you directly into the Sheraton’s lobby, passing a supermarket, shops, buses, and trains along your route.  The hotel’s Club Lounge is adequate, though not special. Centraal Station is 20 to 25 minutes away by train.

The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel at Kattengat 1 is a most convenient lodging if you are arriving by train at Amsterdam Centraal and wish to walk directly to your hotel in less than 15 minutes.  About 90% of guests recommend the Renaissance, which offers a fitness center and efficient Concierge services.  For example, one may be able to buy a public transportation card from the Concierge at no extra charge.  The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel is large, offering many styles of rooms, but the surrounding area is quite cozy; a 10-minute walk will take you to the Anne Frank House and the beautiful, quiet Jordaan neighborhood.  If you want to be close to the center, but not in the midst of the action, the Renaissance is a perfect choice, especially if you enjoy quiet evening strolls along the canals.

Across from the Leidseplein, a prime option for museum lovers is the Amsterdam Marriott Hotel, at Stadhouderskade 12.  If you want to be near the best dining choices and major museums, this is the place to stay!  An easy 10-minute walk from the Marriott will lead you to the Rijksmuseum, high-end shopping, Vondelpark and the Van Gogh Museum.  If you choose a rate with “M Club Lounge” access (or as a free amenity for Bonvoy Titanium- and Platinum-level members), you will definitely enjoy the Marriott even more.  The lobby itself and standard rooms are not the major attraction, but the friendly staff and “Location, Location, Location” will WOW you! Schiphol Airport is less than 14 km. (8.3 miles) from the hotel, with an estimated taxi fare of 50 euros. Over 90% of guests recommend this hotel, which may be reached by Trams # 2 & # 12 from Centraal Station.  We recommend you consider taking Bus # 397 to and from the Airport; at a cost of less than 10 euros each way, the 40-minute bus ride will leave you outside the Marriott’s door.

The Amsterdam Hilton is a pleasant surprise, and a favorite hotel of ours. We stayed in at least a dozen different Hilton properties in recent years and this hotel provided the classiest experience, with lovely renovated rooms, nice views, and a relaxing ambiance. Though farther from the Jordaan and tourist attractions, and a 20-minute walk from the museums, the Hilton is located in a more residential, leafy and authentic part of Amsterdam. Minutes away on foot one finds The Royal Concertgebouw (considered among the world’s finest concert halls) and, if you cross the canal on the way to the Museumplein, the Cornelis Schuytstraat will charm you with its amazing beauty and fine dining.  Also check out the Beethovenstraat to look for books, antiques or a cozy cafe. The Amsterdam Hilton is the hotel made famous in 1969 by the Lennon-Ono “Bed-In” for peace, an experimental non-violent protest against war mentioned in the Number 1 Hit “The Ballad of John and Yoko.” Hotel guests are entitled to use an excellent gym for free, and you should definitely take in the spectacular views from the Executive Lounge. Though the Hilton looks like a behemoth from the street, do not allow that to dissuade you; the interior proportions, classy bar and each room’s large glass windows will delight you. If you choose the superior buffet breakfast on the main level, take a table to the left of the bar for a better (quieter) experience. Tram # 24 to Gerrit van der Veenstraat from Centraal Station will leave you within a pleasant walk to the Hilton. 

Affordable alternatives

If the hotels mentioned above are outside your price range, do not be discouraged.  The Bilderberg Hotel Jan Luyken for example, at Jan Luijkenstraat 58, offers simple accommodations at reasonable prices on a lovely street a very short distance from the Museumplein.  Also, the family-run Hotel Asterisk, Den Texstraat 16, may be reached using Tram # 24 or Metro 52 from Centraal Station and is a pleasant 10 to 15-minute walk to the museums.  You may also consider hotels outside the major cities.

Delft

If you plan to spend one week (or more) in The Netherlands, why not explore the smaller cities?  We purchased train tickets from Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport for roughly 5+ euros per person and then used the Airport as a base to explore other destinations.  A round-trip train fare from Schiphol to Delft, the birthplace of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), costs between 20 – 25 euros.  The canals in Delft are just as charming as any Dutch city’s, and you will find the peacefulness a refreshing change from the overly touristed parts of Amsterdam.  Explore the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church, completed in 1496) located in the Delft Markt (Market Square) and, if the famous (and expensive!) Blue Delft china inspired your visit here, head over to the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, open daily.  History buffs should undoubtedly go to the Museum Het Prinsenhof, a palace from the Middle Ages (near the Oude Kerk, founded in 1246), before enjoying a simple meal of fantastic Indonesian food at “Toko Idola” located on Brabantse Turfmarkt 32a (the Prinsenhof and restaurant are closed on Mondays).  Perhaps you will choose to skip the porcelain factory (that is what we always do) and take photos instead!  In addition to picturesque Delft, other small cities deserving your time include Breda and Den Bosch.  Each of these 3 cities has a population between 100,000 and 150,000 residents and offers a charming window into The Netherlands’ past and present.

The Hague

Mauritshuis & Kunstmuseum Den Haag

While Amsterdam can become chaotic with hordes of tourists and densely-populated quarters, The Hague exudes a special dignity and deserves a few days in your itinerary. The Kunstmuseum Den Haag is presenting an exhibition highlighting the haute coutour in black of the Spanish fashion designer Balenciaga through March 5, 2023. In addition, their impressive holdings of MONDRIAN & DE STIJL are always on view!

Before you say goodbye to The Netherlands, take time to visit the famous Mauritshuis with its amazing collection of paintings by Rembrandt, Hans Holbein the Younger, Jacob van Ruisdael, and Vermeer’s “View of Delft,” and to see “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” before or after it is exhibited in Amsterdam.

Collection Highlights from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

Please let us know about your experiences touring The Netherlands, and if you have favorite museums or hotels you wish to share with our readers. Please tell us which cities you most want to visit in the future in Europe and in the USA.

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