Many tourists rush to Amsterdam to experience the walk through the Red Light District, or an erotic museum; while others come to see the famous tulips and windmills. The Netherlands is also famous for another thing that only locals and experienced travellers pay attention to: the Dutch art culture. Amsterdam city has a strong presence of art, thanks to its large collections of art museums, galleries, exhibitions, and sources of inspiration for artists. Read on to understand why the Dutch capital is the place to be for art-lovers in Western Europe as well as activities not to miss if you are an art lover!
Check out Europe’s best art museums here!
The Dutch capital is the home to some of the finest museums in the world. They offers a wide variety of excellent choices for visitors: from masterpieces of art to even alcohol, porn, and drugs. Located in the Museum District, the top museums to check out are the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum. The Van Gogh museum has the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s artwork in the world. This post impressionist painter left a big influence on the 20th century art history with his talent of using vivid colours. The Rijksmuseum offers a large collection of paintings from the Golden Age, and the Stedelijk Museum is the largest Dutch museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
If you thoroughly enjoy visiting museums, why not purchase a Museum Card? These cards costs around 60 EUR (roughly 65 USD) each, and you can access around 32 museums throughout the city. Otherwise, a single entrance to most museums will cost you around 15 EUR (roughly 16 USD). Another savvy way to explore almost all of the museums in Amsterdam, is to get an Iamsterdam City Card that can be valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
Spend time in your ideal art galleries and exhibitions

Amsterdam also has galleries for every type of interest: from amazing collections of handbags, photography, to archaeology and many more. Some of the best independent art galleries in town to check out include: the ArTicKs Gallery, KochxBos Gallery, and Arti et Amicitiae along with many others. Located within few minutes walk from the Central Station next to one of the typical Amsterdam’s canals, the ArTicKs Gallery exhibits the latest collection of street art by some of the most famous street artists from the city.
Get affordable art at the Public House of Art

Dutch people are very creative as they have come up with a way to make art affordable. Check out the Public House of Art on Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 39 in the Spiegelkwartier. With the strong belief that art is for all, they exhibit and sell paintings as well as photographs in limited edition, unique one-off sculptures, and a variety of paintings. These artworks are verified and signed by the artists from different parts of the world. You can see the collection for free before deciding to buy the artwork, either with or without the predesigned frame.
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Appreciate art for free at the Amsterdam’s Light Festival
Another rare way to see art in Amsterdam for free is to come here between late November and mid January. During this time of every year, the Amsterdam Light Festival brings together dozens of light artists from all around the world. The 2015 - 2016 theme revolves around friendship. Many of the works are also dedicated to the unifying symbol of European countries. You can take a Water Colours canal cruise or simply walk around the canals to admire these amazing works at night.
Getting around Amsterdam
Getting around Amsterdam is easy with the metro, tram, and buses. A single ticket costs almost 3 USD. I recommend taking a day ticket or a UV travel card that you can load money onto. It’s also possible to just explore the city centre by walking around.
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