AmsterdamAmsterdam has several excellent museums and two of the best are next to each other. The Van Gogh Museum is a must for anyone interested in the artist’s work. It house’s some of his most famous masterpieces beginning with his time in Holland to the period of his death in France. On the same square is the 250-room Rijksmuseum, which contains among its treasures a handful of exquisite Vermeers and one of the best Rembrandt collections in the world. "The Night Watch" is exhibited in the Hall of Honor and is most definitely a "work of art". Astonishing is only a portion of the original painting which had to be cut down to fit its intended spot in the city’s old town hall. There is a copy of an uncut version of the painting hanging in the room just before the Hall of Honor. The excellent Stedelijk Museum displays contemporary art including traveling exhibits from other countries. Museum Amstelkring also known as "Our Lord in the Attic" is set in a 17th-century merchant house. It contains a secret Catholic church on the top floor. The house has its original furnishings giving a good idea of what life at that time was like. [Note: the Stedelijk is currently closed for renovations - February 2004] If time permits take a look a Rembrandt’s house near the Waterlooplein (the artist lived there 1639-1657). And the church where he is buried at the Westerkerk, (you’ll walk passed it on the way to The Anne Frank House). Have a look for the crown on top of the church given to Amsterdam by Maximilian I in 1489 and you can also climb the spire for a great view of the city. There are also a number of other Rembrandt-related sites: the 13th-century Oudekerk (Amsterdam’s oldest church), where Rembrandt’s wife Saskia is buried. The 15th-century Waag (weigh station) where Rembrandt painted "The Anatomy Lesson" (it now houses the Jewish Historical Museum) and the Zuiderkerk (South Church) where he painted "The Night Watch".
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