Amsterdam - Sights

• Anne Frank House. You'll notice this isn't listed under museums. That's because it's not - it's more of a memorial.

  I waited to go until friends came to visit, since I guessed that anyone visiting would probably want to go and I was pretty sure I would want to go twice (I was right). It's only 1 block from where I live, and during the day there is a long line outside. Come back at 7 PM and there's no line. The museum is open until 8:30 in the late-spring/summer/early-fall.

  The huge lines aren't so bad because they're fast moving. That's because there's nothing to see inside. They don't take Museum Cards, but it's only f10. However, f10 is a lot to pay to see any empty house. During the war, the Germans took everything out of the house. Anne Frank's father wanted it preserved that way, and thus it has remained a mostly empty house.

  When you enter, you see a model of the house, furnished as it would have been when the Frank's were hiding here. Take a good look, since the house itself is empty. You also get to see 3 videos (about 10 minutes total), the bookcase door, and pictures that Anne pasted on the wall. You literally are paying to see the house and little more.

  At the end, they have a high-tech pseudo-intellectual display discussing related issues relevant to today's society, with high-minded sounding (and somethings incoherent) quotes from eminent authorities that you've never heard of.

  Sound cynical? Definitely. I was told there wasn't much in the house and that it was depressing. I went in with low expectations. My expectations were crushed, and the depressing part was paying f10 to see an empty house. My opinion is your better off buying a copy of Anne Frank's diary and reading it rather than seeing the house. However, your milage may vary, and the intent of the high-tech display at the end is good (I just feel they didn't pull it off). They were renovating when I went there, so perhaps they put something else in.

• Pozenboot, on the Singel canal. A boat that takes in and provides shelter for homeless cats. You can visit the boat (although I didn't), but I've heard it's depressing. I liked the name, since to the English (American?) ear it sounds like Puss-and-boots.
• Singel 7. The narrowest house in Amsterdam. Perhaps; I saw others that looked just as narrow. And while Singel 7 has the narrowest doorway, the house widens as you go away from the street. More than one of the guide books mention another house that's only slightly wider at the doorway, but doesn't get any wider away from the street.
• Churches. There are a lot of them in Amsterdam. The main ones are
  • Nieuwekerk - On Dam square. Often has exhibits held in it.
  • Oudekerk - In the red-light district, with an interesting piece of art in the sidewalk by the church.
  • Westerkerk - Near the Anne Frank House (and near where I lived). To find the Anne Frank House, walk to this church first. It has a gold (well, yellow) crown on top and is visible fairly far away.
    
  • St Nicolaaskerk - The one you see from Centraal Station.
  • Noorderkerk - On the Prinsengracht
    
  • Luthersekerk - Also near Centraal Station, with an uncharacteristic dome. Now a hotel.
    
  • Zuidekerk - Near the Rembrandt House.
  You can see the inside of most of them, and XXX still have working bells. Plus you can go in the bell towers of Westerkerke and YYY (although you only go about half way up the Westerkerke tower; still, it's a nice view).
  
• Dam Square. The main square in town, just south of Centraal Station. The Royal Palace, Neuwekerke, and the National Monument are all on this square, plus a variety of other things.
• Towers. There are several towers/gates that were at one time part of the city defenses. These are the most notable in my mind.
  • Munttoren. Near the flower market.
  • Schreierstoren. This is the tower the Hudson started from when he sailed to North America and found Hudson bay instead of India.
  • Montebaanstoren. I rode past this every day to work.
  • Waag. In the red-light district, near the Schreierstoren.
  • Muiderpoort. A bit out of the way from everything else. This is the gate through which Napolean entered Amsterdam.
• Decartes's House, Westermarkt 6. Around the corner from the Anne Frank House. Rene Decartes lived here for four years. It's now some sort of business.
• Rembrandt's Other House, Rozengracht 184. After he went bankrupt, Rembrandt moved to a house on Rozengracht (about 3 blocks west of Westerkerk). This is the house in which his son died, in which his model and mistriss died, and in which he himself died. There is a plaque half-way up the building noting that he lived here.
• The Western Islands. Many older houses here, a fair number of which still have gables. The island Prinseneiland has a draw-bridge on its north side that is a true skinny bridge. To the north-east (of the area, not just Prinseneiland), you can see the Silo, which was being renovated when I was here.