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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Amsterdam

75 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Updated May 12, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Amsterdam

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Amsterdam

Forge your own path in this tourist magnet, toward places that are less crowded but no less wondrous.

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Explore Amsterdam, Netherlands

Collections 14
Museums 13
Architecture 12
Architectural Oddities 8
Hidden 6
Sacred Spaces 5
Monuments 5
Books 4

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Mafra Palace Library is home to a colony of itty-bitty bats that keep its many historic volumes safe from pests.

5 of Our Favorite Podcast Episodes About Wildlife in Unexpected Places

Life finds a way, from the bats that haunt and hunt in a majestic library to a bird sanctuary in one of the most dangerous places in the world.
by The Podcast Team

Podcast: Café 't Mandje

Learn about a woman who provided a safe haven during World War II via her quirky bar in Amsterdam's red light district.
by The Podcast Team
With about a third of the country below the current sea level, the Netherlands is embracing floating houses and other buildings that can adapt to rising waters.

The Future is Floating for the Netherlands and Other Low-Lying Countries

Houses and other buildings that rise and fall with water levels are becoming more common in Dutch cities.
by Shira Rubin

Podcast: Micropia

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
This 1618 engraving by Matthaeus Merian the Elder depicts the alchemical universe with the Philosopher’s Stone at its center.

How Scholars Cracked a Medieval Alchemist’s Secret Code

Written in a puzzling Latin cipher, it contains his formula for eternal life.
by Sarah Durn
The Golden Coach, pictured here moving through The Hague, has inspired conversations about what to do with artifacts of the colonial era.

This Royal Coach Is Forcing a Reckoning With Racism

A gilded royal vehicle in the Netherlands—currently being restored—has sparked conversations about the colonial past.
by Fréderike Geerdink

Lists Featuring Amsterdam

The nave has been repurposed to include the reception, restaurants, and guest spaces.
Cube House

8 of the Most Unusual Hotels in the Netherlands

Proof the Dutch can convert nearly anything into a place to stay the night.

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Including Hotel de Vrouwe van Stavoren, Kruisherenhotel , and Cube Houses

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