Put aside at least half a day to explore one of Amsterdam's grandest museums, the Rijksmuseum. Filled with European and world masterpieces, the Dutch national museum will wow art and history lovers with a huge collection that traces life from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Travel through time with more 8,000 paintings and objects housed over five floors, including works by Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Rembrandt, whose enormous work "The Night Watch" takes pride of place in a beautifully lit hall.

A recently completed research and restoration project put the famous painting under the microscope with imaging techniques, high-resolution photography and highly advanced computer analysis uncovering every layer of paint from the varnish to the canvas. Now you can savor every detail up closer than ever.

Beyond famous masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age there's an expansive collection of blue-and-white Delftware, intricate dollhouses, archaeological artifacts, Asian art and more. Every piece in the gallery connects 800 years of Dutch history.

Located in the heart of the city, the Rijksmuseum is housed within a grandiose late 19th-century building designed by Pierre Cuypers, who also worked on Amsterdam's beloved Centraal Station.

The sheer size and scale of the Netherlands' national museum, one of the world's most famous art galleries, means you should allow at least four hours to do it justice.