| For many, Amsterdam is synonymous with | | | | lesser-known - but wonderfully talented - artists. |
| debauchery and is most famous for its Red Light | | | | 3. The Van Gogh Museum - Most major art |
| district and its lax attitude about recreational | | | | museums in large cities around the world have at |
| drugs. This is unfortunate, since this enigmatic city | | | | least one work of art by Dutch Post-Impressionist |
| is home to many incredible cultural attractions. | | | | painter Vincent van Gogh, but none boasts a |
| Although it's interesting to take in a bit of | | | | larger collection than Amsterdam's Van Gogh |
| Amsterdam's seamier side, the real fun lies in | | | | Museum. Sketches and paintings by the intriguing |
| exploring the educational opportunities that it has | | | | artist are on display here, along with several |
| to offer. A brief overview of the top five cultural | | | | works from many of his contemporaries. |
| sites in Amsterdam is outlined below. | | | | 4. The NEMO - If you're looking for a bit of |
| | | | hands-on fun for the whole family when in |
| 1. The Anne Frank House - The world's most | | | | Amsterdam, you can't do much better than the |
| famous diarist, Anne Frank, hid in the house at | | | | NEMO. The popular science museum - which is |
| Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam with her family | | | | shaped like a sinking ship - is within walking |
| during the Second World War. It was here that | | | | distance of many prime Amsterdam hotels. |
| young Anne penned her famous diary; today, | | | | Exhibits featuring chain reactions, DNA - and the |
| visitors can see the space where the persecuted | | | | ability to perform your own science experiments - |
| family hid. Only by seeing the place in person can | | | | make it a must-see cultural attraction. |
| one truly appreciate how difficult the | | | | 5. The Oude Kerk - Get a feel for the |
| circumstances must have been. | | | | extraordinarily long history of Amsterdam by |
| 2. The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam - A visit to the | | | | visiting its oldest church, the Oude Kerk. |
| Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the | | | | Consecrated in 1306, some of its highlights include |
| Netherlands, is always a smart idea. This topnotch | | | | the largest medieval wooden vault roof in |
| museum is best known for housing several | | | | existence and a floor that's made out of |
| exceptional works from the Dutch Golden Age. | | | | gravestones. Best of all, it's relatively close to |
| Works by masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer | | | | many hotels in Amsterdam, making it easy to |
| can be taken in here, along with the art of many | | | | include on any tour of the city. |