Amsterdam, one of Europe's smaller capitals, has many attractions for visitors. The town's most famous sight is the system of canals ("grachten"), that spreads over the whole city centre.

Museums

Nemo museum in Amsterdam

• The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands.
• The Erotic Museum, museum about sex and history of the Red Light Districts.
• The Van Gogh Museum specialises in works by Vincent van Gogh.
• The Stedelijk Museum specialises in modern art.
• The Rembrandt House Museum specialises in works by Rembrandt van Rijn.
• The Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht 263.
• The Hermitage Amsterdam, a dependency of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
• The Tropenmuseum, anthropological museum.
• The NEMO (museum), the science museum in a building that looks like a sinking ship.
• The Burcht, National Trade Unions Museum built by Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
• The Verzetsmuseum, the Amsterdam resistance museum.
• The Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Amsterdam's historical museum.
• The Allard Pierson Museum, Archaeological Museum of the University of Amsterdam.
• The Bijbels Museum, where the Bible, art and culture meet in a monument full of history.
• The Filmmuseum, Holland's museum for cinematography.
• The Joods Historisch Museum, The Jewish Historical Museum collects objects and works of art associated with the religion, culture and history of the Jews in the Netherlands and its former colonies.
• The Museum Van Loon, a home on the canal. The double-sized canal house dates from 1672.
• The Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum, museum about Dutch maritime history. Due to renovation closed from January 2007, probably until June 2009.
• The Pianola Museum.
• The Handbag Museum.
• The Kattenkabinet, museum about cats.
• The Universiteitsmuseum, the Amsterdam university museum.
• Het Schip, museum about the Amsterdam School architectural movement of the early 20th century.
• The Amsterdam Dungeon, a unique combination of a museum, theatre and an attraction park.
• Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen, a mansion on the Herengracht, with four period rooms and a nice garden.

Churches

The Westerkerk

• Oude Kerk (ca. 1400).
• Nieuwe Kerk (1490).
• Zuiderkerk the city's first church built specifically for Protestant services (1603-1611).
• Noorderkerk (1620-1623).
• Westerkerk, finished in 1638 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser.
• Oosterkerk, construction was completed in 1671.
• Ronde Lutherse Kerk, first round Lutheran Church- Reformed Church in the Netherlands with a copper dome.
• English Reformed Church, Amsterdam, one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, situated right in the centre of the city.
• Sint Nicolaaskerk, neo-Renaissance and Baroque church in Amsterdam.
• De Duif.
• "Onze Lieve Heer op Zolder" - Museum Amstelkring (a church hidden in an attic).
• De papegaai, located in the busy Kalverstraat.The neogothic church was built in 1848.
• Mozes en Aäronkerk.
• Posthoornkerk.
• Amstelkerk.

Bridges

• The Magere Brug is probably the most famous draw bridge in Amsterdam.
• The Blauwe brug, which connects the Rembrandtplein area with the Waterlooplein area.
• The Python Bridge, bridge connects Sporenburg to Borneo Island and won the International Footbridge Award 2002.
• The Jan Schaeferbrug, built in 2001, straight through warehouse De Zwijger, after a design by architect T. Venhoeven

Buildings

Houses in amsterdam

• Royal Palace (Amsterdam), former city hall, built in 1648.
• Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
• Kalvertoren, shopping mall located in the busy Kalverstraat.
• AEX, stock trading building.
• Beurs van Berlage, was designed as a commodity exchange by architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
• Centraal Station, Neo Gothic building.
• De Waag, part of the city fortifications was buit in 1481-1494.
• Montelbaanstoren, the tower was built in 1512 as a part of the city fortification.
• Munttoren, the tower was built in 1619-1620 and it is the southern tower among all other ones in Amsterdam
• Pakhuis De Zwijger, built in 1933-1934 after a design by architect J. de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk, this was a warehouse for cooling perishables.
• The house with the waterfall, at the Zuiderkerkhof.
• Nieuwe Wereld, by architects Meyer and Van Schooten. The name goes back to the 1980s when squatters lived here and called their place 'End of the World'.
• Barcelona Building, building from 1993 by architect B. Albert on the Levantkade.
• Emerald Empire, building on the far end of KNSM Lane by architect J. Coenen.
• The Magna Plaza, a former post office dating back to 1899 and it was converted to a shopping mall in 1990
• The Whale, mega-apartment building by architect F. van Dongen. It took five years to complete (1995-2000).
• Skydome, 60 meter tall towerblock was designed by architect W. Arets and has 3 vertical dents.
• Lloydhotel, was built between 1917-1920 to serve as an emigrants hotel.
• Oost-Indisch Huis, Since 1606 till 1798 former headquarters of VOC (The United Dutch East Asia Company), a 17th Century Dutch trading giant.
• Rembrandt Tower, a 135 metres high skyscraper.
• Bijlmerbajes, a prison in Amsterdam near the Amstel station.

Amsterdam in winter

• Amsterdam ArenA, a football stadium in Amsterdam home to football club Ajax.
• Begijnhof, Amsterdam, one of the oldest inner courts in Amsterdam.
• The Portuguese Synagogue, impressive building was founded in 1670 by the Sephardic Jewish community.
• El Tawheed Mosque, a mosque in Amsterdam, founded in 1986.
• Homomonument, a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam commemorating all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their sexual orientation.
• Millennium Tower (Amsterdam), a 97.5 metre tall (24 floor) office building in Amsterdam.
• Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam), was built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics. It was designed by the architect Jan Wils.
• The Amsterdam Metro, a three main lines in the metro system.
• Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Public Library) by architect J. Coenen on Oosterdokseiland, next to Central Station. Has a wonderful view over the city.

Concert halls

• The Concertgebouw is home to the world-class symphony orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest.
• Stopera, Cityhall and Opera.
• Heineken Music Hall.
• Paradiso.
• Melkweg.

Red-light districts

There are three red-light districts in Amsterdam:

• de Wallen, which is located about the Oude Kerk
• The Singelgebied, located around the Singel and north of the Nieuwe Kerk,
• Some isolated windows along the Ruysdaelkade in the de Pijp district, west-southwest from Albert Cuypmarkt.

Squares

Waterlooplein

There are many squares (suffixed with plein) in Amsterdam. Here is a partial list of some of the better-known ones:

• The Dam, the central square of Amsterdam, where stands the Royal Palace on the Dam and the Netherlands National Monument.
• Koningsplein.
• Leidseplein, a plaza on the southwest end of the Leidsestraat.
• Muntplein, at the intersection of Kalverstraat and Rokin, a town square centered on the old Tower of the Mint (Munttoren).
• Museumplein, southwest of the Rijksmuseum, holds the Stedelijk Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
• Rembrandtplein.
• Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
• Markenplein, a place which holds Netherlands Film and Television Academy (NFTA), close by the Waterlooplein.
• Azartplein, is the end of the Java Island walk, crossing this square will lead to KNSM Island.

Open-air markets

Entrance of the Amsterdam Zoo

• Albert Cuyp markt, great open-air food marked in the borough De Pijp.
• Waterlooplein, south of the Rembrandt House Museum, the site of an open-air market.
• Dappermarkt, open-air food and cloths market in the borough Dapperbuurt.
• Noordermarkt, Saturday market for organic food.
• Tsaar Peter Markt, small daily marked in the Tsaar Peter street.
• Bloemenmarkt, the famous and only floating flower market.

Breweries

• Heineken Brewery, located in the borough De Pijp. Now a museum.
• Brouwerij 't IJ (Brouwerij 't IJ), located in the beautiful De Gooier windmill.

Zoos

• Artis, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.
• Diergaarde Bljidorp, the most popular zoo in the Netherlands. Rotterdam Zoo

Periodic events

• April - 420.
• April - Koninginnedag, Queen's day, 30 April, former Queen Juliana's birthday, also the day Juliana transferred her title to her daughter Beatrix.
• June - The Amsterdam Roots Festival, last week of June, international music festival.
• June - Holland Festival is an international festival for theater, music, dance, opera, film and art, throughout the month of June.
• August - Amsterdam Pride, first weekend of August, gay pride weekend.
• August - Hartjesdag, 3rd weekend in August.
• August - Uitmarkt, last weekend in August, the start of the cultural season.
• August - Amsterdam Tournament, late August, International Football tournament hosted by AFC Ajax.
• August - Sail Amsterdam, a five-yearly event, when tall ships from all over the world can be visited; next event 2010.
• October - Amsterdam Marathon, mid-October.
• October – The Bokbier Beer Festival in the Beurs van Berlage (Old stock Exchange).
• October – Grachtenrace (Canal Race), 25km rowing race, 2nd Saturday in October.
• October - Amsterdam Dance Event. An international conference for the electronic and dance music industry. Also a clubfestival with 600+ acts/dj's performing at 40 locations!
• November - Shadow Festival of Documentary Film.
• November – December The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
• November - Cannabis Cup, mid-November annual cannabis competition, hosted by High Times.