Venture off and discover Amsterdam’s essential cultural sites
July 11, 2025
As the Dutch capital celebrates its 750th anniversary this year, there has never been a better time to explore all that Amsterdam has to offer. Beyond world-renowned institutions like the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Anne Frank House, the city has a rich and varied network of cultural spaces waiting to be explored.
H’ART Museum
Founded in 2009, H’ART Museum brings together artworks and stories ranging from antiquity to the present. Its historic building first opened in 1683 as a care home for widows of the Eighty Years’ War and, later, a church and festival hall visited by Winston Churchill in 1946.
Their current program is the result of art partnerships with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the British Museum in London, and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., among others. “We enjoy working with international partners, telling stories and reaching across international borders […] to treat our visitors to the greatest, finest art,” explains director Annabelle Birnie.
Their current exhibition, From Rembrandt to Vermeer, features Dutch Old Masters from The Leiden Collection. Highlights include Portrait of a Young Woman (1633) by the famed Rembrandt van Rijn and Boy Offering Grapes to a Woman (c. 1675-82) by the lesser-known but no less skilled painter Maria Schalcken. These works and more are featured in the Take a Closer Look audio tour, which invites you to slow down, look closely, and discover hidden details.
Rembrandt House Museum
To discover more about the 17th-century Dutch master, visit the Rembrandt House Museum, where the artist Rembrandt van Rijn lived and worked from 1639 to 1658. “Here, he experienced joy and sorrow. Here, he collected art and rarities from all over the world, educated his students, and received his customers. Here, he looked out over a rapidly changing city,” says director Milou Halbesma. “Here, he made his masterpieces.”
The building had fallen into disrepair by the 20th century, but was restored with period furnishings and art objects, opening as a museum in 1911. In touring the house, visitors can see Rembrandt’s studio, his private art collection, his teaching space, and the family living room. The museum also holds an extensive collection of Rembrandt’s etchings, which helped establish his European reputation during his lifetime.
Joods Museum
Housed in a former synagogue complex, the Joods Museum was founded in 1987 as a place to learn about Jewish religion, culture, and customs, and how these traditions are kept alive today. This history is told through personal stories, unique objects, and artworks.
Highlights from the Joods Museum’s permanent collection include an 18th-century Scroll of the Book of Esther; Isaac Israels’ Portrait of Dr Aletta Jacobs (1920), the first female doctor in the Netherlands; and a child’s liberation ceremony dress from 1944. Their current exhibition, on view until January 2026, documents the pioneering street photographers who captured everyday life in New York City from 1936 to 1951.
The museum also includes the Knowledge Centre, where visitors can access historical archives recording Jewish art and heritage in the Netherlands from 1600 to the present.
Portugese Synagoge
At the heart of the old Jewish quarter in Amsterdam, the Portugese Synagoge is preserved as it was in the 17th century – when it was the largest synagogue in the world.
With hundreds of candles illuminating its original pews and Hechal (cabinet where the Torah is kept), this cultural landmark remains a house of prayer on Jewish holidays and commemoration days. Visitor favorites include the Treasure Chambers, which house ceremonial objects and Torah scrolls dating back to the 14th century, and Ets Haim, founded in 1616 and now the oldest working Jewish library in existence.
Beyond the Portugese Synagoge and Joods Museum, the Jewish Cultural Quarter also includes the Hollandsche Schouwburg and National Holocaust Museum. Together, these institutions highlight over 400 years of Jewish life in the Netherlands, and they can all be explored on Bloomberg Connects.
De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam
One of the most popular exhibition venues in the Netherlands, De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam provides a unique setting for the display of art, photography, and culture. Their current exhibition, on view until 21 September, presents the winners of the prestigious World Press Photo Contest 2025.
Consecrated as a church in 1409, De Nieuwe Kerk has hosted “kings and queens, crusaders, Dutch East India Company merchants, sailors, writers, and ordinary Amsterdammers,” says director Annabelle Birnie. No longer used for religious functions, it still plays a role in civic life, hosting royal ceremonies and official gatherings. Remarkable architectural features include Baroque tombstones, a 17th-century brass choir screen, and the largest historic organ in the Netherlands.
Eye Filmmuseum
The Eye Filmmuseum is a national repository of over 54,000 films from all genres – from classics and blockbusters to cult favorites. Housed in a newly designed building on the banks of the IJ, the Eye is a resource for film history and cutting-edge developments alike.
“Eye has gained praise for its pioneering program, with exhibitions on the crossover between cinema and the visual arts,” says managing director Sandra den Hamer. The Eye collection dates back to 1946 and includes films from 1896 to the present, alongside movie posters, historic cameras, and projection equipment. Visitors can view highlights from the collection, place themselves in a scene via a green screen, or catch a film in the Eye cinema.
There are plenty of cultural attractions to discover in Amsterdam, which you can explore by searching the city’s name in Bloomberg Connects. You can also learn more about its landmark anniversary and celebratory events in the Amsterdam 750 guide.