Wish You Were Here In Amsterdam

OVERVIEW

Wish you were here in the 17th century, when the creak of wooden windmills and the rhythm of trade along the water defined everyday life. This wish you were here – Amsterdam experience lets you step into those eras first, and then see what the city has become today. In the traditional residential area of Zaanse Schans, you will walk among historic windmills and wooden houses that recreate the atmosphere of the Dutch Golden Age, when merchants, shipbuilders and millers powered the growing republic. Back in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum, opened in 1885, shows how the nation redefined its identity in the 19th century; masterpieces like Rembrandt’s self-portrait at 22 capture a changing society in a changing city. You will also learn about the Wereldmuseum, an ethnographic museum that tells a similar story of urban evolution but through moving human experiences. Finally, you arrive at the Eye Film Museum on the IJ waterfront, a bold contemporary landmark built in what was once an industrial port zone. Standing here, facing this 21st-century icon where warehouses once stood, feels like time travel for the soul—linking the Amsterdam you wish you could have seen in the past with the one you see today.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Step into the atmosphere of the 17th century at Zaanse Schans, surrounded by working windmills and traditional wooden houses.
• See how the 19th century reshaped Dutch identity as you explore the exterior of the Rijksmuseum and hear the stories behind its masterpieces.
• Get a glimpse of Amsterdam’s vision for the future at the Eye Film Museum, a striking 21st-century landmark that shows how an old port landscape became the Amsterdam you wish you were here to experience now.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.