Amsterdam turns 750: why now is the moment to visit the Netherlands’ capital

In 2025, Amsterdam marks a historic milestone: its 750th birthday. A city of canals and contradictions, where Golden Age architecture rubs shoulders with cutting-edge design, Amsterdam has always been a crowd-drawing destination. But this year, the Dutch capital is pulling out all the stops to honour its long and layered past with a vibrant year’s celebration of art, culture, heritage, and innovation.

Founded in 1275, Amsterdam began as a humble fishing village along the Amstel River. Over the centuries, it blossomed into a global trading hub, a crucible of creative freedom, and a bastion of social progress. Today, it remains all of those things — and more. This year, the city is embracing its roots while opening its doors to a new generation of travellers, with a dynamic calendar of special events, exhibitions, and local festivities that celebrate its 750 years of resilience and reinvention.

Museums across the city are mounting special exhibitions that explore its storied past — from its medieval beginnings to the modern metropolis it is today. Community festivals, open-air concerts, and pop-up cultural installations are transforming neighbourhoods from Noord to De Pijp.

Quick-hit Amsterdam 750 museum guide

Special Exhibition: ‘Amsterdam through the Ages’
The Rijksmuseum delves into the city’s transformation from a medieval settlement to a cultural powerhouse. Expect rarely seen artefacts, paintings, and maps from 1275 to present.

Core Event: ‘750 Years of Amsterdam: The City, Its People, Its Stories’
A powerful, interactive journey through time, spotlighting diverse voices that shaped the capital — now housed in the museum’s new permanent location on Amstel.

Exhibition: ‘Designing the City: 750 Years of Innovation’
Focused on Amsterdam as a design-driven metropolis, this show brings together urban planning, architecture, and contemporary art to explore the city’s future.

‘Amsterdam & the Sea: 750 Years of Trade and Travel’
Maritime history takes centre stage with exhibits on the city’s seafaring past, tied closely to its rise as a global port.

Anniversary Edition: ‘Amsterdam Now’
A curated series of contemporary photography projects capturing life in the city today — its neighbourhoods, its faces, and its ongoing evolution.

“I Am Jo!” (27 June – 31 August 2025)

A multisensory exhibition celebrating over 100 remarkable women of Amsterdam, seen through the lens of Jo van Gogh‑Bonger, the visionary sister-in-law of Vincent who helped build his legacy.

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