アムステルダムの観光スポット

A far cry from its origins as a butter and dairy market, Rembrandtplein is now one of Amsterdam’s busiest and liveliest squares, sandwiched between the Mint Tower and the Amstel River. Named after the city’s most famous baroque painter and printmaker, Rembrandt van Rijn, a cast-iron statue of its namesake, sculpted by Royer, has stood proud in the heart of the square since 1876.

With both the plaza and its surrounding streets crammed with cafés, music clubs and bars, Rembrandtplein comes alive in the evening hours, as locals and tourists cram onto the rooftop terraces to admire the glittering skyline and party into the early hours. Club rain and Escape are two of the square’s most popular institutions, while De Duivel is the go-to venue for hip-hop and the nearby Reguliersdwarsstraat is the central hub of the city’s renowned gay scene. Dutch café culture is alive and well here too, with many opening their stages in the evening hours to local folk singers.

Few people know that Amsterdam has played an important role as a diamond center for more than four centuries, mostly because of the Dutch colonization in South Africa back in the 1800s. Since 2007, the Diamond Museum Amsterdam has helped visitors understand how diamonds are formed from a geological standpoint, through a process taking billions of years and beginning 200 kilometers underneath the earth’s surface. The museum’s permanent collection includes several world-famous pieces, such as the Katana, the Rembrandt Diamond, and The Ape Skul. Visitors can also witness diamond cutters and goldsmiths at work, turning stones into valuable and beautiful pieces of jewelry. The beam behind the museum has worked on the restoration of some of the most precious jewels in the world, including the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and the Saxon dynasty's Dresden Green Diamond.

The Munttoren, which means “Mint” or “Coin” tower in Dutch, is located on busy Muntplein Square in Amsterdam, precisely where the Amstel River and the Singel Canal meet and formed Regulierspoort. Built in 1487 as part as one of the main gates in Amsterdam's medieval city wall, Munttoren was mainly used to mint coins until it burned down in 1618.

It was later on rebuilt in the Amsterdam Renaissance style, with an octagonal-shaped top half and an open spire designed by celebrated Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser. But visitors looking for a tower fitting this description will be disappointed; indeed the original guardhouse, which had survived the fire, was entirely replaced with a new building in the late 19th century except for the original carillon. It was made in 1668 and consists of 38 bells that chime every 15 minutes, even to this day – a carillonneur employed by the city of Amsterdam gives a live concert every Saturday between 2 and 3 p.m.

オランダの画家、銅版画家の名匠レンブラント・ファン・レインが住んでいたレンブラントの家は世界名画「夜響」が描かれた家だとして有名です。

アムステルダムJodenbree通りにあるこの家は、1639年レンブラント自らが購入し、妻のサスキアと息子のティトゥスと1656年に破産するまで20年間暮らした家です。今日、元の状態に修復されたこの家はレンブラントの博物館となりました。

レンブラントの家では、ほとんどすべてのコレクション(250点を超えるグラフィック印刷物)、レンブラントの一生やその時代の有名な絵画技術が展示されています。印刷部屋には、その時代のまだ作動する印刷機があり、レンブラントの有名なエッチングの印刷工程を見せてくれます。有名な印刷部屋に続き、台所、展示室、寝室も見学できまます。

Micropia is a unique museum in Amsterdam dedicated to microbes and microorganisms. These microscopic organisms make up two thirds of all living matter. As soon as you enter the museum, you'll start to learn about the invisible organisms living all around us. An animation in the first elevator tells you about the mites that live on your eyelashes and the bacteria and viruses that live on those mites. Other exhibits include a body scanner that tells you what type of microbes live on your body and a Kiss-o-meter that counts the number of microbes transferred during a kiss. There are Petri dishes with bacteria in them that show you what lives on everyday household objects.

Another exhibit shows a collection of animal feces and a preserved human digestive system. There are also films showing different animals decomposing. In a real-life working laboratory, visitors can view technicians preparing the exhibits through a window.

Designed by Jacob van Campen, the impressive Romanesque construction is fashioned around over 13,500 woolen piles sunk into the ground and is best known for its iconic rooftop statue of Greek titan Atlas, straining beneath the weight of the world on his back. First built as a city hall, the building was transformed into a Royal Palace back in 1808, under reign of Louis I, King of Holland and is still used frequently for state visits by today’s monarchs.

Famously described as ‘the eighth world wonder’ by local poet Contantijn Huygens, the Royal Palace does its best to live up to its opulent reputation with glistening marble floors, lavish décor and a slightly ostentatious theme of Amsterdam’s power and prestige. The grand interiors, open to the public, provide the principal attractions, furnished with a spectacular collection of antiques and decorated with ornate carvings and Rembrandt-inspired paintings.

Standing high in the center of Amsterdam’s Dam Square, the National Monument is the Netherlands’ most important World War II memorial. In 1945, shortly after the end of the war, a liberty pole was erected in Dam Square; it evolved into the present-day 72-feet tall monument, which was unveiled on May 4 1956 by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Every May 4 since then, the Dutch royal family and local residents participate in National Remembrance Day and pay their respects to fallen soldiers from both WWII and subsequent armed conflicts involving the Netherlands. Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud created the travertine stone monument, while John Rädecker and his sons designed the monument's sculptures. One of the most striking features is the Peace relief, which depicts four chained male figures demonstrating the misery endured during the war.

Renowned as being Europe’s biggest outdoor market, the Albert Cuyp Market, named after the 17th-century painter of the same name, has been trading since the late 19th-century. Starting out as a collection of street traders, the market was taken over by the city council in 1905 and has since become a tourist favorite, offering a fascinating glimpse into local life.

Located on Albert Cuypstraat in the city’s characterful De Pijp district, the market is open every day except Monday and is an easy tram ride from the city center. Here, around 260 market stalls offer just about everything imaginable. Share some jovial banter with the notoriously chatty stallholders as you bargain over books, clothing and electronics, then fill your shopping basket with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish, all at very reasonable prices.

Dappermarkt, or Dapper Market in English, is regarded as one of the best markets in Amsterdam. In 2007, National Geographic Traveler declared this to be one of the top 10 shopping streets in the world. It is in eastern Amsterdam in an area where many people from other parts of the world now live, giving it an exotic feel. There are 250 stands with approximately 160 merchants, and goods can be purchased at low prices. Items on offer in this lively market mostly include fruits, vegetables, and other food products, but also some basic, inexpensive non-food products.

Visitors can stop for international cuisine in the market. Cafes and other shops line Dapperstraat, the street the market is located on. You'll find a Turkish bakery, an Islamic butcher, a Suriname food store, African cosmetics, and other stores selling clothing and shoes. Throughout the year, the market hosts special events.

The world-renowned Hard Rock Cafe opened an Amsterdam location in 1999. It has since been providing visitors with a complete sensorial experience through traditional American fare, inventive drinks, and loud (you’ve guessed it) rock music. Each Hard Rock Café around the world is unique and customized to its location; the Amsterdam branch has a definitive relaxed feel that blends in perfectly with the casual fun that has become so typical of the Hard Rock brand throughout the years.

There’s also a small museum on site with two particularly crowd-pleasing features; the former is the memorabilia, which, in this instance, holds authentic items like Run D.M.C.’s iconic hat, John Lennon’s cigarette box, Van Halen's trademark Kramer guitar, a small acoustic guitar that was used by Jimi Hendrix, and Gene Simmons’ Punisher bass, to name a few.

In 1932, the North Sea coastline of The Netherlands was sealed off by a 30-km (19-mile) dike, connecting the province of Noord-Holland with Friesland. The Afsluitdijk stands 100 meters (328 feet) wide and sits seven meters (23 feet) above sea level, and this outstanding feat of hydraulic engineering closed the mouth of the saltwater Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), shortening the coastline and giving Amsterdam and other low-lying towns protection from repeated flooding by the sea.

In time the Zuiderzee became the freshwater Ijsselmeer – one of the largest lakes in Western Europe – and while large areas of land were reclaimed for farming and housing, many residents of the outlying fishing villages lost their livelihoods.