Rijks Museum

Rijksmuseum is a beautiful museum in the Netherlands that is renowned for its collection of Dutch art, culture, and history. Situated in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, this Sutch national museum displays the art and history of the city through more than 8000 unique art objects created by renowned artists like Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, and much more. With Thrillophilia's amazing Europe holiday packages people are drawn towards this attraction to see The Night Watch by Rembrandt, along with several other artworks by the Golden Age Dutch masters. Besides paintings, you can explore the giant collection of pottery, artworks, and history books in the Rijksmuseum.

One of the must-see attractions of the Rijksmuseum is the Marten and Oopjen, which is a beautiful pair of Rembrandt paintings jointly bought from France and the Netherlands in 2016. You can also admire the beauty of The Milkmaid and The Night Watch in the beautifully lit halls of Rijksmuseum. The museum also includes The Cuypers Library, which showcases an expansive collection of art history texts from the Netherlands. It is indeed a paradise for both art and book lovers. The garden of the Rijksmuseum is also an admirable attraction as it constitutes different sculptures, delicate topiaries, beautiful water features and prismatic flower beds, and a giant wingnut tree hanging over the play areas.

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• Enjoy some of the beautiful paintings created by famous artists in the Rijksmuseum, including Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Frans Hals, and much more.
• Go back about 800 historic years of Dutch art through 8000 objects in 80 different galleries in the Rijksmuseum.
• Relish the intricate details of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch in a gorgeously lit hall.
• Adore the collection of ship models, weapons, and combat-used weapons in the Rijksmuseum.
• Witness the beautiful Dutch masterpieces in Rijksmuseum, like Vermeer’s Milkmaid and Van-Gogh’s Self-Portrait.
• Admire the massive collection of pottery, paintings, artworks, and historical books in the Rijksmuseum.
• Browse through different history books in The Cuypers Library and enjoy the vastness of the collection.
• Walk around the sculpture-filled gardens of the Rijksmuseum and observe the delicate topiaries, beautiful water features and prismatic flower beds, and a giant wingnut tree hanging over the play areas.
• Watch out for the installations and temporary exhibitions displayed in the gardens of Rijksmuseum.

As the museum remains open throughout the year, there is no such best time to visit this place. Another surprising fact is, Rijksmuseum is also open on holidays, even on Christmas, New Year’s etc. However, as spring is the ideal time to visit Amsterdam to enjoy the vibrant tulips and of course Keukenkof, Rijksmuseum also becomes overfilled during this time. 

Another overcrowded time is during the rainy season. So, it is recommended to visit the place in summer days before 11 AM and after 3 PM, if you want to peacefully experience the historic cultivation. Also, try to avoid visiting on holidays such as Queen’s Day, Liberation Day, Boxing Day, etc.

If you have an online ticket, you can easily walk up the gates. But then you will have to wait in another queue, which you can escape by taking a guided tour in exchange for some extra bucks.

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History of Rijksmuseum

Constantly relocating the museum had been challenging itself. In order to carve out an identity, the museum was opened to the public in 1800 with around 200 historic objects including paintings of the Dutch stadtholders and the national leaders. After five years of its public appearance, the museum was moved to The Hague and then in 1809, relocated to Amsterdam Royal Palace.

This year is also remarkable as the famous painting ‘Night Watch’ by Rembrandt was added to the collection. After serving for around nine years, in 1817, Rijksmuseum got shifted to Trippenhuis and then to Mauritshuis after a gap of three years. Finally, in 1885, the museum got settled in its current building.

The Gothic-Renaissance-theme based structure of this building was done by Pierre Cuypers, who won the design contest in 1876. In 2003, the museum authority decided to renovate the building, which took almost ten years.

The renovation was done based on the design by Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz, the Spanish architects at a cost of 375 million euro. In 2013, on April 13, the renovated building was reinstated by Queen Beatrix, the princess of the Dutch royal family.

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Architecture of Rijksmuseum

The current building of Rijksmuseum, reopened in 2013, was built based on the design by two Spanish architects - Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz. The previous version of the museum since 1885 was designed by Pierre Cuypers, who was the winner of the design contest reckoned for the museum.

The building consisted of a library and a fragment building then, and an Asian Pavillion became its part in 2013. The fragment building is dedicated to the history of Dutch architecture with a brand name of Philips wing and the library contains more than 400,000 volumes of periodicals and books. Rijksmuseum is a national heritage site and also listed in the ‘Top 100 Dutch heritage sites’.

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Things to Do Near Rijksmuseum

1. Shopping and eating at Canal Belt

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Grachtengordel or the Canal Belt is a 400-year old site. Canal Belt has a lot of shopping places, restaurants, bars and a number of events also take place in this area throughout the year. People can shop, eat and drink at this place and enjoy walking all through the day.

2. Wander around the Rijksmuseum Garden

The garden is a part of Rijksmuseum, spreads across 14.5m² area that includes fountains, flowerbeds, summerhouses and a playground for children. You can also experience a special monumental work by Henry Moore in this garden. Have some time to spend in the garden after finishing a tour in the museum.

3. Night View From 15th Bridge

The bridge between Reguliersgracht and Herengracht offers a picturesque view at night. You can see six arched bridges consecutively with your back to Thorbeckeplein, while on the opposite side the other six. Turning left, you will find out the rest of two bridges and standing on one will make the count to total 15.

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Places to Visit Near Rijksmuseum

1. Van Gogh Museum

Another popular museum at the museum square, Van Gogh Museum is specifically dedicated to the works of Van Gogh and some of his contemporaries. It preserves the largest collection of this world-renowned Dutch painter cum influential figure. Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience - the exhibition by the museum is a masterpiece that you must experience at the place.

2. Vondelpark

The scenic beauty of Vondelpark in the heart of the city can offer you peace amidst the buzz. You can walk or relax on the grass, cycle around, eat your food on the benches beside the lake - can enjoy the breeze relaxing here.

3. Body Worlds

Located in the heart of the city, Body Worlds exhibits 200 exclusive plastinated bodies that make you understand the subject of anatomy. Moreover, it also offers a free body check-up that will show your own anatomy.

4. Keukenhof

If you are planning to visit Amsterdam in spring, do not miss Keukenhof. The Garden of Europe covers an area of 32 hectares, which places it in the list of world’s largest gardens. The springtime is defined by tulips, what you can find here in an enormous amount besides various flowers like daffodils, roses, hyacinths, etc.

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By Bus: There is a direct bus service between Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Airport, which operates every day, every 15 minutes. From the airport, bus B15-19 takes around 30 mins to reach Rijksmuseum.

By Train or Subway: Unfortunately, there is no direct train service available between the two places. Visitors have to take a train to the Zuid station. From Zuid, Metro 52 will take them to Vijzelgracht, from where Rijksmuseum is at a 10-min walking distance away. The whole journey takes approximately 25-30 minutes. 

By Road: By road, there are two motorways - A4 and A10, between Schiphol Airport and Rijksmuseum. Via A4, the journey takes the minimum time, as it is the fastest route. You can reach in around 20 mins to Rijksmuseum by cab or taxi.

However, it is recommended to visit the place by public transport for two reasons. One Museumplein is a busy area, finding a parking place will be hectic and another is taxi and parking fare in the Netherlands is high.

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