Tourist Attractions & Monuments Amsterdam

Gouda porcelain, heather, ivory or carved sea foam pipes, Asian opium pipes or American pipes, snuff boxes and cigar boxes. This small paradise for the tobacco collector is a real mine of 30,000 objects, where it would be a shame not to go for a walk. This atypical museum accepts different cards (museumkaart and Iamsterdam) which makes it easier for us to visit it even if it is just to pass by in a hurry.

This place, the true heart of the historic centre, is a compulsory passage during a stay in the city. Its strategic location between several neighbourhoods, between the city's most shopping pedestrian street and its many monuments, makes Dam a rallying point for generations of people and tourists. On the one hand, there is the royal Palace alongside the beautiful Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) on the other side of the monument (phallic form) in memory of the soldiers died during the Second World War.

Inaugurated in 2021, this impressive memorial was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. The monument presents the names of the 102,000 victims of the Holocaust and the Gypsy genocide who have no graves. Comprising 72 concrete walls covered in red brick, the walls are decorated with the letters "In Memoriam" (in remembrance), and above the walls are suspended reflective steel structures. Of particular note is the 1,000-name wall, intended to house victims identified at a later date. A place to visit, never to forget.

Lampedusa is a unique initiative. The two boats, Hedir and Alhadj Djuma, were once used to ferry refugees from Africa to the island of Lampedusa. Lampedusa offers an excursion (approx. 1h30) on the canals led by refugees, extraordinary narrators of their life stories. The trip is an adventure unlike any other specialized company. Our host, Tommy, is a refugee from Egypt; his story is as sad as it is powerful, and his love of the Netherlands is nourishing and contagious. The tour is in English.

Visit Amsterdam by boat, indoors and on the terrace. Six boats are available for 75-minute tours that are very enjoyable. Some tours are adapted for children, with a pirate theme. We recommend this company, which has proven itself over many years. Note that the company also offers an app, for an even more total cruise experience. In case of rain, snow or strong winds, the boat can be closed and you can watch the enchantment of Amsterdam dry.