News of: Friday, April 12 2013,
Amsterdam's biggest and probably most important museum, the Rijksmuseum, will be re-opened tomorrow, April 13.
The re-opening will officially be carried out by Queen Beatrix, one of her last official acts as Queen before she steps down on April 30.
On the first day (April 13) the entrance to the museum will be free.
The Rijksmuseum has been closed for a decade, for a complete renovation. The original interior has been restored to its original splendour. From tomorrow, there will be 80 halls, displaying thousands of objects from Dutch history.
The Rijksmuseum is particularly well-known for its collection of paintings by Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Steen, Vermeer and others. Of the paintings, the Nachtwacht ('Nightwatch') by Rembrandt is the most famous. It has its own hall, the Nachtwachtzaal.
The cycling path that goes through the Rijksmuseum deserves special mention. Before the Rijksmuseum closed for the renovation, there was always the cycling path through the arch of the museum, and it was promised the path would be maintained.
During the renovation, the Rijksmuseum managed tried to get rid of the bike path, as it was in the way of the new entrance (which has to deal with over a million visitors each year).
After a long (political) fight it was decided the cycling path would be restored.
What is now Amsterdam's most famous bicycle path will open again on May 13.
This will come with a celebration on May 19 (from 2pm), organized by the local branch of the Dutch cyclist union. There will be speeches, music and a special rembrance medal for the first 1,000 cyclists to go through the Rijksmuseum.
Bike path through Rijksmuseum
