Amsterdam Attractions

Venue: Rijksmuseum    When: Daily

Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum houses one of the world's great art collections. Its Dutch 17th-century works are unsurpassed and include outstanding pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. The museum is currently undergoing extensive renovation and modernisation, due to be finished in 2008. During this period the finest works from the 17th century are on view under the title The Masterpieces.

The museum's highlight is Rembrandt's The Night Watch, a huge group portrait and a classic example of the artist's ability to paint "real" images of ordinary people, warts-and-all records endowed with a unique luminosity. Among the figures, Rembrandt hides a portrait of himself: a favourite device of his.

Surrounding this painting are halls filled with pieces stretching from medieval times to the early 20th century. The emphasis is on Dutch work and there are impressive collections of both sculpture and decorative arts.

The Rijksmuseum began life in 1800 as the National Art Gallery, situated in The Hague. It transferred to Amsterdam a few years later, arriving at its present premises in 1885. An amalgamation of the nation's art collection and the Netherlands Museum for History and Art, it is the largest museum of its kind in the country.