Vondelpark & Museum Quarter

The Vondelpark is Amsterdam's most popular park — 47 hectares of greenery in the middle of the city, named after the poet Joost van den Vondel. In summer, the park becomes the city's open-air living room: picnicking, jogging, inline skating, street musicians, and the legendary Open-Air Theater (Openluchttheater) with free concerts from June to August.

The Museum Quarter (Museumkwartier) borders directly on the Vondelpark and unites the three major museums in close proximity: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum (modern art). On the Museumplein in between stands the famous "I amsterdam" sign (the original was removed in 2018, but there is a new location at Schiphol and pop-up versions). In winter, the square becomes an ice rink.

Stedelijk Museum

The Stedelijk Museum is Amsterdam's temple of modern and contemporary art. The collection includes works by Mondrian, Malevich, Warhol, Lichtenstein, and De Kooning. The new building (the "bathtub" building) is architecturally daring. For art fans: plan at least 2 hours.