Opening the Doors to Amsterdam

Ever since 1987, there has been a tradition in the Netherlands that, for one weekend in September, the doors of significant buildings, monuments and private homes in the city are opened up to the public. Thousands of buildings are open to visitors for free, all flying the flag of Open Monuments Day as part of a wider European Heritage Days campaign around the continent.

The aim of Open Monuments Day is to engage people with the historically or artistically important buildings in the Netherlands in a way they perhaps don’t for the rest of the year and the weekend also includes activities like exhibitions, guided tours of Amsterdam, special cycle routes and live music. For children, there are treasure hunts to keep them happy while they’re soaking up the culture.

Visiting Open Monuments Day

The weekend of Open Monuments Day is a great time to visit Amsterdam as it opens up so many more places to visit that aren’t normally available. It takes place on the second weekend in September, which makes it an ideal time for a break just after the rush of the school holidays. If you can’t make it then, you could always keep an eye out for the Monument of the Month scheme run by the same organisation, where one monument each month gets opened up.

The city is certainly convenient to get to on our ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle. While it’s a relatively small city, it certainly punches above its weight in terms of popularity with tourists and the sheer variety of activities on offer there. Open Monuments Day brings lots of added value because it gives you the chance to see inside some of the famous historic canal houses that you can’t normally experience, along with many other monuments that aren’t normally open as museums.

What Else to See in Amsterdam

Open Monuments Day has lots of activities for you to do across the weekend, as well as visiting the monuments themselves and hearing the stories told by the various volunteers and local experts. Even if you run out of things to visit, you won’t be short on other attractions in Amsterdam, where you can while away a whole day just exploring the beautiful canals that run across the city, enjoying the stunning bridges and colourful houses along the banks.

Along with the canals, there are also the famous museums and art galleries, including the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Anne Frank House. If you want to enjoy the natural side of the city, there’s the floating flower market or the huge Vondelpark, while the zoo at ARTIS dates back to the 19th Century and is full of animals, fish and even a planetarium.

So you definitely won’t run out of things to see if you visit Amsterdam for Open Monuments Day. Why not hop on the ferry for a fun filled Amsterdam mini break?

Ever since 1987, there has been a tradition in the Netherlands that, for one weekend in September, the doors of significant buildings, monuments and private homes in the city are opened up to the public. Thousands of buildings are open to visitors for free, all flying the flag of Open Monuments Day as part of a wider European Heritage Days campaign around the continent.

The aim of Open Monuments Day is to engage people with the historically or artistically important buildings in the Netherlands in a way they perhaps don’t for the rest of the year and the weekend also includes activities like exhibitions, guided tours of Amsterdam, special cycle routes and live music. For children, there are treasure hunts to keep them happy while they’re soaking up the culture.

Visiting Open Monuments Day

The weekend of Open Monuments Day is a great time to visit Amsterdam as it opens up so many more places to visit that aren’t normally available. It takes place on the second weekend in September, which makes it an ideal time for a break just after the rush of the school holidays. If you can’t make it then, you could always keep an eye out for the Monument of the Month scheme run by the same organisation, where one monument each month gets opened up.

The city is certainly convenient to get to on our ferry to Amsterdam from Newcastle. While it’s a relatively small city, it certainly punches above its weight in terms of popularity with tourists and the sheer variety of activities on offer there. Open Monuments Day brings lots of added value because it gives you the chance to see inside some of the famous historic canal houses that you can’t normally experience, along with many other monuments that aren’t normally open as museums.

What Else to See in Amsterdam

Open Monuments Day has lots of activities for you to do across the weekend, as well as visiting the monuments themselves and hearing the stories told by the various volunteers and local experts. Even if you run out of things to visit, you won’t be short on other attractions in Amsterdam, where you can while away a whole day just exploring the beautiful canals that run across the city, enjoying the stunning bridges and colourful houses along the banks.

Along with the canals, there are also the famous museums and art galleries, including the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Anne Frank House. If you want to enjoy the natural side of the city, there’s the floating flower market or the huge Vondelpark, while the zoo at ARTIS dates back to the 19th Century and is full of animals, fish and even a planetarium.

So you definitely won’t run out of things to see if you visit Amsterdam for Open Monuments Day. Why not hop on the ferry for a fun filled Amsterdam mini break?