Hermitage Amsterdam

The Amsterdam branch of St. Petersburg’s Hermitage is a delight to visit. It’s housed in the Amstelhof, a former almshouse for elderly women built in 1680 behind a serene neoclassical facade. Centered on a giant courtyard and all but surrounded by canals and the Amstel River, the building has been beautifully transformed into a state-of-the art gallery displaying the rich pickings from the Russian state collection. Two exhibitions run simultaneously for about six months, so check online before you visit, but with the Hermitage’s holding more than 3 million works of art, chances are the current exhibition will be spectacular.