Van Gogh Museum: Museum in Museumplein, Amsterdam

★★★★★ 4.8

The Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein in Amsterdam Zuid holds the largest collection of paintings and drawings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. You come to see works such as The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers and Almond Blossom up close and to follow his short life from room to room. The permanent collection traces his development and sets it next to work by his contemporaries, while temporary exhibitions fill the rest of the building. All tickets include both, and every visitor has to book a timed ticket in advance. That goes for Museumkaart holders as well, who reserve a free slot online. Visitors under 18 go free. Opening times change through the year, so check the museum's site for your date. There are two cafés, Bistro Vincent for lunch, and shops selling books and souvenirs. The museum exists because of Van Gogh's family. After his death in 1890 the unsold work passed to his brother Theo, who died six months later, and then to Theo's widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, who did much to build Vincent's reputation. Their son transferred the collection to a foundation in 1962. Gerrit Rietveld received the design commission in 1963 but died a year later, and the building opened on 2 June 1973. The exhibition wing by Kisho Kurokawa, the oval structure that faces Museumplein, was added at the end of the 1990s. The museum is open every day, but the hours shift through the year: it usually runs from 09:00 to 17:00 or 18:00, with late opening until 21:00 on most Fridays, so check the dates on its website. Every ticket has a start time, and that goes for Museumkaart holders too. Visitors who cannot get around the museum alone can bring a companion for free, and walking aids or a wheelchair can be borrowed.