Amsterdam culture: immersive experiences, art, cinema, theatre and more

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In 1996, Jumbo started with a single store: 30 years and two mega-acquisitions later, the brand has 700 stores, 13 Foodmarkets, and the largest supermarket in the Netherlands (6,000 m²).

On June 19, 1996, the Van Eerd family opened a supermarket in Den Bosch that was meant to shake up the market. With low prices and a streamlined service strategy, they laid the foundation there for the ch...

Culture

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent seven days in an Amsterdam hotel bed for peace: nearly 60 years later, their iconic Hilton suite remains preserved for its reopening in 2027

In March 1969, shortly after their wedding, John Lennon and Yoko Ono didn’t board a plane to a tropical island; instead, they checked into the Hilton Amsterdam on Apollolaan. They decided to transform the...

Culture Food & drink

In 1926, HEMA opened as a 10-cent store on Kalverstraat: 10 years later, a blunder by the store manager led to a snack that is now sold millions of times a year in more than 700 stores

Until 1926, department stores catered exclusively to the wealthy elite. Upscale stores bombarded their customers with French terms and sky-high prices. Founders Leo Meyer and Arthur Isaac changed all that...

Culture Food & drink

As early as 1941, FEBO was already drawing long lines as a bakery on Amstelveenseweg: 85 years later, millions of people grab their croquettes from the wall at 68 stores

Anyone who pulls a hot croquette from the wall steps right into the heart of an iconic Dutch culinary tradition. For decades now, the recognizable glass hatches have been an indispensable part of the stre...

Culture

In 1959, 8-year-old André Hazes sang on a wooden crate for a few cents at the Albert Cuyp Market: 67 years later, a bronze statue stands in honor of Amsterdam’s greatest folk singer

On Liberation Day 1959, an eight-year-old boy climbed onto a wooden crate among the market vendors at the Albert Cuyp Market. With a crystal-clear voice, he sang his heart out—simply to buy a birthday pre...

Culture

In 1800, the Rijksmuseum opened in The Hague with just 200 objects—226 years later, this iconic institution houses over 1 million treasures and attracts 2.7 million visitors a year

On May 31, 1800, the predecessor to the Rijksmuseum opened its doors. There was no *Night Watch* on display, not a single Amsterdam canal house in sight, and the entire collection consisted of just 200 pa...

Culture

In 1887, 21-year-old Albert Heijn took over a tiny grocery store in Oostzaan; 139 years later, his empire comprises more than 1,250 supermarkets and dominates our daily lives

It all began on a May day in 1887, exactly on the wedding day of 21-year-old Albert Heijn. He took over his father’s tiny grocery store in Oostzaan—a shop measuring a mere twelve square meters. Anyone who...

Amsterdam unveils the route for the 2026 Sinterklaas parade: here’s where you need to be

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Get the most out of the city

In 1996, Jumbo started with a single store: 30 years and two mega-acquisitions later, the brand has 700 stores, 13 Foodmarkets, and the largest supermarket in the Netherlands (6,000 m²).

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent seven days in an Amsterdam hotel bed for peace: nearly 60 years later, their iconic Hilton suite remains preserved for its reopening in 2027

In 1926, HEMA opened as a 10-cent store on Kalverstraat: 10 years later, a blunder by the store manager led to a snack that is now sold millions of times a year in more than 700 stores

As early as 1941, FEBO was already drawing long lines as a bakery on Amstelveenseweg: 85 years later, millions of people grab their croquettes from the wall at 68 stores

In 1959, 8-year-old André Hazes sang on a wooden crate for a few cents at the Albert Cuyp Market: 67 years later, a bronze statue stands in honor of Amsterdam’s greatest folk singer

In 1800, the Rijksmuseum opened in The Hague with just 200 objects—226 years later, this iconic institution houses over 1 million treasures and attracts 2.7 million visitors a year

In 1887, 21-year-old Albert Heijn took over a tiny grocery store in Oostzaan; 139 years later, his empire comprises more than 1,250 supermarkets and dominates our daily lives

Amsterdam unveils the route for the 2026 Sinterklaas parade: here’s where you need to be

Discover the ultimate cultural escape in Westerpark: a 19th-century factory filled with breathtaking 360° art

Amsterdam’s most expensive home is on the market for €20 million: what do you get for that price?