Visiting the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was one of the highlights of our time in the city. It’s massive—spanning several floors and centuries of Dutch and global art—and we spent hours wandering through its halls. The museum’s layout takes you through the Dutch Golden Age with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Frans Hals. Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is the centerpiece and truly lives up to the hype—it’s enormous and packed with detail you can only appreciate in person. We also loved Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, which has such a quiet intimacy to it, and the collection of Dutch still lifes and landscapes that really reflect the country’s rich artistic history. Beyond paintings, there are entire rooms dedicated to decorative arts—furniture, silver, Delftware, and even a giant 17th-century dollhouse that was once a rich woman’s prized possession. The museum also has exhibits covering maritime history, weapons, model ships, and armor, giving you a glimpse into how the Netherlands became such a global power. It was cool to see how the museum incorporates modern elements too, like the digital displays and beautifully lit galleries. We ended our visit in the airy atrium café, taking a break and just soaking in the grandeur of the place. It’s definitely one of those museums where you could spend days and still not see it all, but we’re so glad we made time to really explore it in depth.
