Rijksmuseum, North Holland Province, The Netherlands

5Em 5:00 PM Dec 17, 2022

Huge collection of state-of-the-art masterpieces from first-class artists
This is a huge place, stretching over 3 floors packed with amazing artefacts and masterpieces from Roman times to modern day, focused on the Netherlands and Dutch artists, plus a temporary exhibition of artefacts from all over the world. The museum offers guided tours and audio tours (for extra charge), as well as a free downloadable plan. Next to the most iconic pieces, there are cards (in Dutch and English), which provide a deeper explanation on the work and the context. Be aware that Rembrandt's famous "Night Watch" is currently undergoing restoration, so the painting is only visible from afar and behind a Plexiglas barrier (though a smaller copy is helpfully hung just next to it!). I'd recommend arriving early, and planning at least half a day for this museum, in order to see and experience it all. There is much to see and read, and one could easily spend a couple of hours at the "Gallery of Honour" alone. It also closes realtively early in the evening, so be prepared for that.

4Mellowsg 5:00 PM Oct 12, 2022

Renaissance Renders and the Rijks
Fronting the Museumkwerter of Amsterdam stands the majestic building that is the Rijksmuseum. I was visiting the city for business and spent a couple of hours here. The home of famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, and a host of others fill the 2.5 floors of the modern building. They advertise Van Gogh, but it was just one self portrait … probably good to hit the Van Gogh museum for your fix. You are first struck by the large atrium, flanked on one side by a series of ants crawling across the large glass windows. I paid for the audio device for Eur5, and was useful if you don’t want to read the small print of the accompanying placards. Furthermore, it is crowded, so go off hours to enable you to stand and enjoy the pieces without feeling pressured to move on. The layout is by numbers, so follow that dutifully and you walk through Dutch history through the eyes of the artists. Was recommended to start at level 2 and work your way downwards to level 0. I did have one suggestion for the museum to add more commentaries for the pieces shown as perhaps only 10% were covered in the audio. This would make it more enriching given the crowd and small fonts on the placards. Do visit this museum, even if you aren’t an art fan like me. A good summary of the history of Holland and can’t hurt to look a little more learned ;) Top tip: look out for the amazing model of the Dutch galleon … made by actual shipbuilders!