The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam

In Museum Square, the so-called "Museumplein" of Amsterdam, next to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, lies the most important modern art museum in the country: the Stedelijk Museum, a space that hosts both classics of modern art, such as Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, as well as the latest trends, including minimalist installations and industrial design. The building, with its red brick, stone details, and a small tower, now houses one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world. It was built by Weissmann between 1892-95 to host a private collection donated to the city by a wealthy woman, comprised of antiques, coins, jewelry, watches.

Only since 1970 has the museum begun to focus exclusively on contemporary art. Over the years, the building has undergone various renovations aimed at modernizing the interiors and creating new spaces for the collected works and meeting functional needs. Between 1945-1954, a library, auditorium, reading room, restaurant, and museum shop were added, along with a new wing.

The Stedelijk is a multidisciplinary museum whose vast artistic heritage, ranging from the second half of the 19th century to the present day, is managed through thematic temporary exhibitions - 30/40 each year - aimed at highlighting pieces from the museum's collection, as well as works on loan to the museum. Paintings, sculptures, graphics, drawings, photographs, design objects, posters, videos, industrial design works, and applied art from Dutch culture, German Expressionism (Kiefer), Pop Art (Warhol), and Nouveau Réalisme. The museum boasts a well-established reputation and international prestige, positioning itself as a reference point in the contemporary art scene. Among the most representative movements in the museum are the CoBrA group (Appel, Constant, Corneille), the Dutch De Stijl movement (Mondrian, van Doesburg; Rietveld), German neo-expressionism, Italian transavantgarde, 1960s Americans, Video Art, and Arte Povera.

Numerous masterpieces are preserved in the museum: a unique collection of paintings and drawings by Malevich (the largest outside of Russia), "The Fiddler" and "Pregnant Woman" by Chagall, "Nude Woman in Front of the Garden" by Picasso, as well as works by Mondrian, Kandinsky, Rauschenberg.

Always considered one of the pillars of museum art in Amsterdam and thus greatly loved and visited by the locals, it is, on the other hand, somewhat overlooked by tourists, who, in doing so, miss out on visiting an interesting and innovative museum.

How to get there: from Central Station Tram 2 and 5, Bus 170 and 172. Stop Hobbemastraat or Museumplein. Opening Hours: daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. Thursday from 10 AM to 10 PM. Ticket price: €15. Free with the Amsterdam Card.

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In Museum Square, the so-called "Museumplein" of Amsterdam, next to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, lies the most important modern art museum in the country: the Stedelijk Museum, a space that hosts both classics of modern art, such as Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, as well as the latest trends, including minimalist installations and industrial design. The building, with its red brick, stone details, and a small tower, now houses one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world. It was built by Weissmann between 1892-95 to host a private collection donated to the city by a wealthy woman, comprised of antiques, coins, jewelry, watches.

Only since 1970 has the museum begun to focus exclusively on contemporary art. Over the years, the building has undergone various renovations aimed at modernizing the interiors and creating new spaces for the collected works and meeting functional needs. Between 1945-1954, a library, auditorium, reading room, restaurant, and museum shop were added, along with a new wing.