Amsterdam Museumplein And Vondelpark

Surprise! The Museumplein is filled with museums. Good ones, at that, with two of the city's best and most famous just a few steps away from each other. Besides the listings below, the beautiful Concertgebouw at the southern end of Museumplein is a concert hall worth visiting even when the music isn't playing (see Arts and Culture).

Van Gogh Museum, Paulus Potterstraat 7 (☎057 052 00; www.vangoghmuseum.nl), All in all, the museum presents a remarkable concentration of top-quality art in an accessible dose. Tram #2, 3, 5, or 12 to Van Baerlestraat. Walk 1 block up Paulus Potterstraat. €14, 17 and under and with Museumjaarkaart free. Audio tour €5. Open M-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-10pm, Sa-Su 10am-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Rijksmuseum, Jan Luijkenstraat 1 (☎067 470 00; www.rijksmuseum.nl), Two audio tours are available to guide you through the museum. One is more traditional and led by the museum director, while the other is narrated by the Dutch artist, actor, and director Jeroen Krabbé who gives a more personal view of the artists and paintings. Tram #2 or 5 to Hobbemastraat. Or tram #7 or 10 to Spiegelgracht. Museum is directly across the canal. You can't miss the giant building. €12.50, under 18 and with Museumjaarkaart free. Audio tour €5. Open daily 9am-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Vondelpark, Vondelpark One hundred and twenty acres of rolling streams, leafy trees, and inviting grass—in the summer, at least—make Vondelpark central Amsterdam's largest and most popular open space. Founded in the 1880s to provide a place for walking and riding, the park is now a hangout for skaters, senior citizens, stoners, soccer players, sidewalk acrobats, and more. Head here on the first sunny day of the spring and you'll see the whole city out in full force. The park is named after Joost van den Vondel, a 17th-century poet and playwright often called the Dutch Shakespeare. Not only is Vondelpark a great outdoor space, but it also has some excellent cafes, a weekly group roller skate that leaves every Friday at 8pm in front of the Filmmuseum, and an open-air theater ( w www.openluchttheater.nl) with free music and theater performances in the summer. If you're looking for a different sort of outdoor entertainmen Tram #2, 3, 5, or 12 to Van Baerlestraat. Walk down Van Baerlestraat to the bridge over the park and take the stairs down. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.