Stranger with just a few days in a city as Amsterdam you will for sure try to do as much as possible in as little time possible. Visit to The Van Gogh Museum is nearly obligatory as this famous painter is truly a legend of Dutch nation. So why don’t plan your visit here on Friday, when museum's restaurant serves nice dinners. Even if there are other than Van Gogh's paintings the museum dedicated to one author only can be quite tiring. Little dinner break can be rather nice and prices here are not bad (the weekly special plus a beverage for €13.50).

The museum opens daily  from 10am to 6pm and Friday  from 10am to 22.00. (Restaurant: daily 10.00 to 17.30, Friday to 21.30, kitchen to 21.15).

So what actually can you see here? Van Gogh made over 800 paintings and over 200 can be found here. On the ground floor you may want to pick up a leaflet that will guide you through all Van Goghs life stages. Each time he moved, from time to time, Van Goghs painting stayle changed so today we can easily distigush different epochas of his life. We know a lot about Van Goghs life and he wrote many letters to his brother Theo and he kept them. To Theo we owe the thanks for conserving such a large collection of Van Goghs paintings as it was him who belived in Van Gogh's talent and was supporting him throuout an entire lifetime.

The information is also on the walls where the painting from that era are exhibited. If you read them all carefully you will learn how was it with that famous cut off ear. You may want to follow the audio guide, which is available in 9 language for € 4. Entrance tickets cost €10 (for 13-17 years only €2.50 and free if you are 12 under). The museum has several floors but there is a lift you can use to move between them. On the ground floor you can find also a museum shop with beautiful, high quality reproductions, stationery and other souvenirs.

Aside from being the largest collection by the artist, the Van Gogh Museum also captures the widest span of the artists career. The earlier pieces do not even look like the Van Gogh the world knows and loves, but rather like Renaissance art mixed with the beginning of impressionism. It is fascinating to view the range of the artists work all at once because it shows a real evolution into the style that made him so famous. His lifetime of work is fully captured here and can be appreciated for both it's expanse and creative genius.

Among the famous Van Gogh paintings housed here is the often-reproduced "Sunflowers" and several of his self-portraits. Seeing these up close is amazing- the level of detail captured in each brush stroke is absolutely incredible. The bright colors and beautiful brushwork will give artistic inspiration to even the most untalented of visitors.

The Van Gogh Museum is great for adults, but also has special features for younger visitors. Highly recommended is the recorded tour meant for children to give them their first introduction to this famous artist. They also have workshops that allow children to interact with Van Gogh's art in a hands-on fashion (think Van Gogh coloring books and tempera paints). These activities definitely keep the little ones entertained.

Aside from Van Gogh, other famous impressionist artists are also exhibited here. Some to note are Toulouse-Lautrec and Gauguin. They also have a large exhibition space with a ever-changing borrowed collection. The museum itself has excellent presentations of its pieces and interesting architecture that keep visitors constantly engaged with the environment.

On Friday evenings, the museum remains open until 10pm for late visitors. This is an excellent time to check out this attraction- there tends to be less people there at this time than on the weekends. The museum staff also puts on a nice presentation with live music and hors d'oeuvres on these evenings.

During special weeks (I was there in November when this happened) the museum is open late and is accessible when you buy a discounted pass to all the other area museums and attractions. This was a lucky bargain that our travel party stumbled upon, but you might want to look into a deal like this if you plan on visiting Amsterdam.

The museum offers audio guides in various languages, which are full of fascinating extras and well worth considering. I must confess I found the museum shop a trifle disappointing (and overpriced). One tip to avoid the queues - visit the museum website and buy your tickets online, print them off, and walk stright in through a dedicated entrance!