Day Four

Spend day four in the Museumplein Area. The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ premier museum. When at full operation, the Rijksmuseum contains the world's largest collection of paintings by Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Van Ruisdael, Vermeer, de Hooch, Terborch, and Gerard Dou.

 

Unfortunately for current travelers, it is under renovation until sometime in 2008. But you can still check out “The Masterpieces,” a temporary exhibit on display in the Philips Wing. Perhaps the most famous work is Rembrandt’s celebrated painting The Shooting Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch,better known as The Night Watch.

 

Nearby, Vincent van Gogh has a museum all to himself. The Van Gogh Museum displays more than 200 van Gogh paintings, exhibited in chronological order.

 

After your morning indoors, head to Vondelpark for an afternoon in the sunshine. Enjoy strolling and watching the various Frisbee-throwers and in-line skaters.

 

For dinner, try an Amsterdam favorite: rijsttafel. It is an Indonesian meal of small bowls of anywhere from 15 to 25 dishes, served with rice. It is a delicious and very unique dining experience.