The Riksmuseum surveys the artistic and cultural developments of the Netherlands. Most important are the 16th and 17th century Dutch paintings. The collection features works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Ruysdael and more.

There is also a fair collection from the 18th and 19th centuries. Other collections include Delft Blue and children's doll houses. This is one of the great art museums of Europe and I highly recommend going on a guided tour, or purchasing a guided tour book or tape.

It is appropriate that the home of so many Dutch masterpieces would be a masterpiece of Dutch architecture. I will speak of the art later, but the premises must also be praised. As I walked up to the Rijksmuseum, I was first struck by the beauty of this amazing building and its gardens. Then I wondered how to get in. The museum is open from 10-5 daily and costs 8.50 euros for adults. Children under age 19 are free.

The first thing you will see as you walk in is Rembrandt's The Night Watch. It thrilled me from the end of the hall (if you can see it past the crowd). I am sad to admit that my knowledge of Dutch painters was limited before I went to the Rijksmuseum, but it has greatly increased since. Besides The Night Watch, there are 4 exquisite Vermeer's, a couple of van Gogh's (most are at the Van Gogh Museum, of course), and much more, including Delft, Durer and other works by Rembrandt.

If you don't have an entire day, pick up a museum map and go to those that interest you the most. While there are more than just Dutch artists represented, it is the Dutch collection you mustn't miss.

Check out the collection at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

The Rijksmuseum is one of the country´s most famous museums, and for good reason. The building itself is worth a look, and once you enter you will find fine collections of art and history. The art exhibits showcase the works of many artists from around the world, including the Dutch masters. Perhaps the most famous piece is Rembrandt´s Night Watch, although don´t miss the pieces by other famous artists such as Van Gogh. You can also see displays of pottery and ancient artifacts. The entrance fee is somewhat steep, about $8, but is worth it for museum fans.

This museum is the Netherland's national museum and contains a varied (and huge) collection of pre-1850 Dutch art. It contains some of the most famous Dutch paintings in the world (including the Nightwatchman) which are clearly signposted to help you out if you are only intending to see these one or two things! In fact, wandering around the museum will reveal more interesting art than these few examples. Without any previous interest in Dutch art, I still enjoyed myself.

This is really a mainstream tourist destination (as evidenced by the huge number of pyramid poster tubes with 'Rijksmuseum' written on them that you'll see around the city). However, it holds this appeal because it is a classy art collection, in a great building.

First off, the building itself is a great piece of late 19th century Dutch Architecture. The same guy did both the museum and the main train station, and it shows. We did not spend a great deal of time here, as we just wanted to see the Rembrandt paintings and get into the city.

The gallery's preeminent painting is "The Night Watch" by Rembrandt and it is hung in a place of honor at the end of a very long hallway. Surrounding it are paintings by Rembrandt's contemporaries, and all the paintings depict similar scenes, members of the city guard at their meeting house. Unlike the others however, Rembrandt's painting actually depicts the members in motion, as if they were leaving their chambers on some mission. This illusion of movement is in contrast to the other paintings where the subjects appear as rather lifeless figures in stiff poses. Also this painting is huge, almost life size.

Rembrandt's other paintings on display show his mastery of light and dark in his works. We only saw a small portion of the museum's collection and I would like to go back at some point and see the remainder of the collection. I recommend it highly, but then i went to see paintings by the man I think is the greatest painter ever.