Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.
Built on reclaimed land, Amsterdam is a feat of ingenuity, and still crackles with the ambition, cultural tolerance and enterprise that drove the 17th-century Golden Age when the Netherlands led the world in trade, maritime power, culture and economic might.
This is the city of Rembrandt, Anne Frank, the Red Light District, Johan Cruyff, and the Dutch East and West India Companies; there’s a world of fascinating stories, spellbinding art and architecture that has stood the test of time.
The Netherlands is packed with an endless number of pictures just waiting to be taken. Tulip fields, an enchanting maze of canals cutting through cities, some of the oldest windmills in the world, and unending bicycle paths through towns and countryside and just some of the incredible sights.
While Amsterdam is usually at the top of the list for visitors to the Netherlands, small towns such as Zaanse Schans and Volendam offer a rare glimpse into much older areas where history is still alive. This is also where many of the best photography opportunities exist.
Whether you’re in the Netherlands searching for adventure, history, or architecture, there’s beauty everywhere here and lots of amazing things waiting to be photographed.
Amsterdam is one of the most visited cities in Europe and for good reason. With 16 million people flocking to the dutch capital each year for its tulips, cheese, windmills, and a notoriously open approach to everything it is no wonder that it is also one of our favorites.
Yes, Amsterdam is probably most famous for its coffee shops and Red Light district but it is its Golden Age mansions, enchanting canals (which outnumber those in Venice), and historic landmarks that made us fall in love with this once medieval fishing village on the Amstel River.
