GOING OUt

When it comes to going out and cultural events, Amsterdam has a lot to offer. The city of Amsterdam is also called the cultural capital of the Netherlands. The UIT-Bureau on Leidseplein, located beneath the theatre, is a ticket office where you can find any information you like. Museums, concerts, theatre, cinemas, you name it. The UIT-Bureau has a stand with many free leaflets and flyers, and you can buy a monthly magazine there at a small price, which contains all cultural information for that particular month.

We expect that everybody has different tastes and interests so we only give a few suggestions here:

We recommend the free lunchtime classical music concerts on Wednesdays at the Concertgebouw on Museumplein. The programmes vary, and the concerts are held either in the small or in the great hall. For some concerts you need to queue up quite early to get in. In the Concertgebouw you can find leaflets with the programme for the whole year.

You can also go to the cinema here, because the majority of the movies shown have Dutch subtitles. Just make sure you go to a movie in a language you understand.

If you are a keen museum visitor, consider buying the so-called Museumjaarkaart (Museum Year Card). This card costs € 15 for people under 25 and € 35 for people over 25. It is valid for one year, and allows you to enter most museums in the Netherlands free! Some special exhibitions or museums require an additional fee. You can buy this card at the UIT-Bureau (bring a small photograph) or even online. You can find more information at www.museumjaarkaart.nl.

Some museums:
Real 'musts' in terms of visiting museums in Amsterdam are of course the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, with Rembrandt's famous Night Watch. They often have special exhibitions.
Other interesting museums are of course the Anne Frank House, the Rembrandthuis, the Tropenmuseum, the Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art, the Stedelijk Museum, the Jewish Historical Museum, Nemo - a museum about science and technology, and the Maritime Museum. The Vondel Park, a big park near Leidseplein named after a famous Dutch poet, houses the Filmmuseum, which also has a nice terrace.

ISMA organises many events as well as excursions throughout the year, not only in Amsterdam, so if you like cultural events, come along!