Choose from 125 Fun Things to Do in Netherlands
ShowingFilter 121-125 of 125 listings.
SS Rotterdam
The SS Rotterdam, La Grand Dame, is the former flagship cruise liner of the Holland America Cruise Line, which since 2010 is now a hotel, restaurant, and event center located in Rotterdam Harbor.
The SS Rotterdam was built in Rotterdam, inaugurated in 1958 and put into service in 1959, making a Trans-Atlantic crossing to New York for its maiden voyage. At the time, the ship was one of the ten largest cruise ships in the world. The ship's design was more streamlined and modern than traditional cruise liners at the time with a sharp, high bow and slender flues instead of the traditional chimney of other cruise ships.
The Rotterdam was used for many years for these Trans-Atlantic crossings, until this was replaced by air travel as the preferred mode in the early 1970's. The SS Rotterdam was then converted into a cruise service in the manner of cruise lines today, serving the Holland America line until the mid-1990s. In the late 1990s, the ship was renamed the Rembrandt and was used by Premier cruises for shorter European cruises, until the Premier line went out of business in 2000.
Between 2005 and 2008, the ship regained its old name and was restored to its original luxury, while being upgraded and modernized to service its current purpose. In 2008, the ship returned to Rotterdam and docked at Katendrecht, in the center of Rotterdam.
Today, visitors to the ss Rotterdam can wander the ship, visiting most areas, as they are open to the public. For some areas, you need to book one of the private tours to get in. Tour packages include an above-deck Sea Breeze Deluxe tour of the bow, bridge, and captain's cabin, or a below-deck Steam & Chrome tour of the engine rooms, crew areas, and radio room. You can also combine both tours into the Rotterdam Complete tour to see the whole ship.
The Rotterdam is a fully functioning hotel with 254 guest rooms. The steamship also features two restaurants and two bars, as well as an outdoor terrace where you can relax with a drink by the poolside.
Practical Info
The SS Rotterdam is open free of charge, while guided tours are separate admission. Tours run daily from 10am to 5pm, with the last admission at 4pm.
Address: 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd 25, Rotterdam 3072 AM, Netherlands
From $ 14
Torture Museum
Fittingly, the layout of the Torture Museum is of a maze of small, dark rooms. Often listed amongst the "world's most unusual museums", it features a theatrical atmosphere, which lightens what would otherwise be a rather somber mood. Each room displays one or two torture devices, with some being safely secured from human use, and others being free to touch and feel. Each device is accompanied by a description of how and why it was used; the most curious visitors will undoubtedly enjoy the image from an old book showing it in use. The museum is obviously home to a variety of torture devices, including well-known ones such as the guillotine. It also features lesser-known devices such as thumbscrews, the intriguing flute of shame, the iron maiden, skull crusher, Judas chair, Catherine Wheels, and Scold's bridle. While some of the devices are genuine, some have been reconstructed according to the literature.
Practical Info
The Torture Museum is located at Singel 449 in the heart of the city, near the flower market overlooking the Singel canal. It is reachable by public transport via trams 1, 2 or 5 to Centraal Station. The museum is open daily from 10 AM until 11 PM. Admission is €7.50 for adults and €4 for children. The museum is multilingual, with information provided in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Address: Singel 449, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hours: Daily 10am-11pm
Admission: Adult €7.50, Children €4
From $ 24
St Nicholas Church
Amsterdam's most important Roman Catholic Church, and, in fact, Amsterdam's only basilica, was built between 1884 and 1887 and is now of the city's most recognizable icons thanks to striking Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance features. The façade, which is flanked by two imposing towers, features an intricate rose window depicting Christ and the four Evangelists made in the acclaimed Van den Bossche and Crevels workshop. The basilica's interior is lavishly decorated with white and red marble, a collection of religious murals, dozens of statues, intricate stained glass, and many more luxurious attributes.
St Nicholas Church holds a special place in the heart of the Roman Catholics of Amsterdam; for centuries, they were banned from practicing their faith freely and were forced to turn to clandestine networks as the Kingdom of the Netherlands was openly Protestant. When the freedom of religion finally prevailed in Amsterdam, a new Catholic church was needed to meet the rapidly increasing demand. It was elevated to basilica minor to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2012.
Practical Info
The church occasionally hosts concerts and recitals featuring the magnificently restored 19th-century Sauer organ. Note that the church is only open to the public for a few hours a day depending on events and masses.
Address: Prins Hendrikkade 73, Amsterdam, North Holland 1012, Netherlands
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM, closed on Sundays
From $ 10
Van Gogh Village Nuenen
Artist Vincent Van Gogh spent two years living in the village of Nuenen in the Netherlands and today the village serves as an open air museum in his honor. Importantly, Nuenen is where Van Gogh painted his masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. Visitors can follow walking or cycling routes through the village, passing 21 locations related to Van Gogh's stay in Nuenen. Fourteen of those locations were painted by Van Gogh on at least one occasion. Information columns stand outside of most of the locations to provide visitors with insight as to their significance.
The Vincentre is the visitor center in Nuenen and serves as a good starting point for walks throughout the village. The building previously served as the town hall from 1874 to 1953. Inside the Vincentre, a permanent exhibition uses advanced technology to tell the story of Van Gogh and Nuenen. Visitors can hear from people Van Gogh knew, follow his footsteps to where he traveled before arriving in Nuenen, experience the atmosphere of when he arrived in 1883 and listen to passages from letters he wrote.
Practical Info
The village of Nuenen is located between Eindhoven and Helmond in the Netherlands. The Vincentre is located on Berg 29 in the center of Neunen and is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with special hours on certain holidays and occasional extended hours. Admission is 7 Euros and an audio guide is 1.75 Euros.
Address: Berg 29, Nuenen, Netherlands
From $ 114
Tropenmuseum
Since opening its doors back in 1864, the Tropenmuseum, or "˜Museum of the Tropics', has amassed 175,000 objects from Dutch colonies around the world, making it one of the largest museums in Amsterdam.
Split into eight sizable permanent exhibitions, the items showcase the daily life and possessions of Dutch overseas residents and provide a fascinating glimpse into the diverse cultures and traditions of inhabitants around the globe. Each exhibit focuses on a different geographical region, with Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, all getting a nod. Other key attractions include a vast collection of over 150,000 photographs dating from 1855"“1940; a theatrical exhibition featuring masks, puppets and musical instruments from around the world; and a Junior sub-museum, with a series of interactive exhibitions and events, including dance, art and cooking, aimed at children. A varied roster of temporary visual arts and photographic exhibitions play a huge part in the Tropenmuseum's popularity too, ensuring that the weird, the wonderful and even the downright ordinary are all covered.
The anthropological museum is owned and operated by the Royal Tropical Institute and housed in a specially constructed listed building in East Amsterdam. The sprawling mansion was constructed in 1926 to designs by JJ.Van Nieukerken and the elaborate facade features sculptures, friezes and carvings symbolic of Dutch history and world cultures.
Split into eight sizable permanent exhibitions, the items showcase the daily life and possessions of Dutch overseas residents and provide a fascinating glimpse into the diverse cultures and traditions of inhabitants around the globe. Each exhibit focuses on a different geographical region, with Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, all getting a nod. Other key attractions include a vast collection of over 150,000 photographs dating from 1855"“1940; a theatrical exhibition featuring masks, puppets and musical instruments from around the world; and a Junior sub-museum, with a series of interactive exhibitions and events, including dance, art and cooking, aimed at children. A varied roster of temporary visual arts and photographic exhibitions play a huge part in the Tropenmuseum's popularity too, ensuring that the weird, the wonderful and even the downright ordinary are all covered.
The anthropological museum is owned and operated by the Royal Tropical Institute and housed in a specially constructed listed building in East Amsterdam. The sprawling mansion was constructed in 1926 to designs by JJ.Van Nieukerken and the elaborate facade features sculptures, friezes and carvings symbolic of Dutch history and world cultures.
Address: Linnaeusstraat 2, Amsterdam 1092 CK, Netherlands
Hours: Tue - Sun: 10am "“ 5pm, Mon: 10am - 5pm
Admission: 13 and older: €10, 4-12 years old: €6
From $ 24