Het Scheepvaartmuseum

A full-size replica of the Dutch East India Company ship Amsterdam lies moored beside the National Maritime Museum, known locally as Het Scheepvaartmuseum. Visitors can go aboard and explore its decks, cabins and hold. The original Amsterdam ran aground on its maiden voyage in 1749, and the replica gives a vivid sense of life at sea during the Dutch Golden Age and the century that followed.

The museum occupies the former naval storehouse of the Amsterdam Admiralty, a monumental square building from 1656 on the city's eastern waterfront. Its central courtyard is now covered by a glass and steel roof whose lines echo the compass roses on old nautical charts. Inside, the collection covers centuries of Dutch seafaring through ship models, paintings, navigational instruments, globes and richly decorated maps and atlases. Among the highlights is the ornate royal barge built for King Willem I.

The ship especially appeals to families, while the collections suit anyone interested in maritime history. A visit can easily fill half a day.