The Rijksmuseum is one of the most important and well-known museums of the Amsterdam, and of the Netherlands.
It is famous for its large collection of 17th century art, particularly paintings.
Its most well-known painting is the 'Nightwatch' ('Nachtwacht'), by the 17th century painter Rembrandt van Rijn.
Collection
Although famous for its many paintings from the Dutch 'Golden Age', the collection contains many other items, such as statues and Asian art. The museum possesses an important collection of paintings by Dutch masters like Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and many others.
The building
The building dates from 1885, and was designed by the Amsterdam architect Pierre Cuypers.
The Rijksmuseum has been re-opened completely in April 2013, after a decade-long renovation.
A famous part of the museum is the passage way through the museum. Before the renovation this was a cyclist and pedestrian path. It was promised that after the renovation the cyclist path would return, but during the renovation the Rijksmuseum wanted to change this - they'd rather use the space themselves, and all these cyclists would be a hindrance to the many visitors of the Rijksmuseum.
This led to a long political fight, which eventually ended in favour of the bike path.
The Rijksmuseum is one of Amsterdam's top attractions, attracting more than a million visitors every year.
The bike tunnel through the Rijksmuseum, which got world fame at its re-opening in May 2013.
Pond on Museumplein, with Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum, before the large pond was made
