The Vestingmuseum brings context to the vast star-shaped fortress, which is the only one in Europe featuring a buffer of two walls and two moats. You can stroll around on the rolling battlements before descending into the cramped casements for insights into a soldier's life here.
Vestingmuseum
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
12.64 MILES
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
12.71 MILES
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
13 MILES
Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…
12.54 MILES
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
12.17 MILES
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27.33 MILES
Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…
28.94 MILES
This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…
12.01 MILES
Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.
Nearby attractions
0.2 MILES
It's easy to spot the tall tower of the fort's central Grote Kerk, a Gothic basilica with stunning 16th-century vault paintings of biblical scenes. You…
0.31 MILES
The 17th-century Czech educational reformer, Jan Amos Komensky (Comenius), is buried in the Waalse Kapel (Walloon Chapel) of the fortress's former…
4.71 MILES
Built in 1280 by Count Floris V, son of Willem II, the exceptionally preserved moated fortress Muiderslot is equipped with round towers, a French…
6.24 MILES
Off the coast of Muiden lies a derelict fort on the island of Pampus. This massive 19th-century bunker was a key member of the Stelling van Amsterdam …
7.35 MILES
This artificial beach is a fantastic escape on a sunny day, with a water-sports centre, Surfcenter IJburg, for hiring SUPs and windsurfers. It's the only…
9.13 MILES
This reinvented high-rise housing estate, built in a hexagonal formation in 1966, was once known for crime and deprivation, and in 1992 was partly…
10.16 MILES
Formerly a Jewish cemetery, this area was bought by the city in 1956, when it was turned into a park. It has a wilder, more rambling feel than Amsterdam's…
10.41 MILES
This area was rolling countryside several centuries ago. In the 18th century, wealthy Amsterdammers would pass their summers and weekends in large country…