Crowd Views Rembrandt’s The Night Watch in Amsterdam’s Rijksmusuem

Note: click photo for larger view. ©2017, David A. Porter

The Louvre in Paris has Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has its own famous painting: Rembrandt’s The Night Watch.

As you can see in my photograph above, this painting is wildly popular and you must fight your way through crowds to get an “up close and personal” peek at Rembrandt’s masterpiece.

Unlike Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, where most people come away thinking that the painting is awful small, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is massive and measures 11.91 ft × 14.34 ft making the figures in the painting life-size to onlookers.

So, why is Rembrandt’s The Night Watch so famous?  Well, take a peek at the short six-minute video I’ve embedded for you above.  It’s quite interesting.  If you want to see a larger view of the video, just click the bottom right corner of the video and you’ll be whisked away to YouTube.

I first stood in front of this painting 40 years ago during a one-month European travel study program that I was able to take each year during my undergrad studies.  For four years in a row, I found myself studying the great art, architecture, music, and thinkers of Europe.  It was during this time that my great love of travel and the arts was born.

Tips for Visiting the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

• Don’t just show up – if you do, you’re likely going to stand in VERY long lines.  You can buy tickets online ahead of your visit and save yourself a LOT of grief.  To book online, go here: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en
• Do download the Rijksmuseum App – you can download the Rijksmuseum App for free at the App Store on your smartphone.  Download the App, put your headphones on, and enjoy a personal guided tour through the museum.  Plus, the App when accompanied with your account online gives you download access to every painting in the museum.  It makes for wonderful screen savers!
• Get there early – the Rijksmuseum is open 9-5 daily.  If you get there early, then you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for docent tours through the museum.  There are a variety of available tours, and it gives you the opportunity to ask questions.
• Book private/small group tours before you travel – better yet, if you book a private or small group tour before you even leave the U.S., then you can completely bypass the crowds altogether.  To explore this option, go here: https://www.viator.com/
• Book your whole trip with a trusted travel advisor – this only goes without saying.  If you do this, then you won’t need to pay attention to these tips.  A good travel advisor will take care of all of the details for you and will have access to the best of the best guides.

Carol and I love Amsterdam, and I’m quite certain that we’ll be back.  Further, we still have a lot to share with you in future articles about our hotel visits, our in-kitchen experience with a 2-star Michelin chef, and much more.  Stay tuned…

Our journey to Amsterdam was a prelude to our 8-day river cruise on the River Rhine with AmaWaterways.  We’ll also be writing a lot of articles about this experience as well.  Again, stay tuned….

To book your fun AmaWaterways river cruise, or perhaps a fun-filled getaway to Amsterdam, call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.

Disclosure: thank you to the Rijksmuseum for hosting our visit.  We had a blast and can’t wait to come back again.
 
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