This is probably the only place in the world where paintings are simply hanging on display in the street, They are protected by a glass roof. The most famous painting of the Civic Guard is of course the "Nightwatch" by Rembrandt which can be admired in the Rijksmuseum. The Schuttersgallerij from the Amsterdams Historisch Museum can be reached via the beautiful gateway on the Kalverstraat. The Amsterdam Historical Museum shows how this city grew from a small medieval town into a modern city. Housed in a former orphanage that dates back to 1524, the museum is filled with paintings, prints and archaeological finds. One of the most interesting exhibits is an 18th-century coach without wheels. According to council regulations - and to reduce the noise of wheels on the cobbled streets - wealthy Amsterdammers had to travel by sleigh, even in summer. The entrance fee to the museum includes free entry to the Civic Guards Gallery, a glass-roofed 'street' between Kalverstraat and the Begijnhof, which is lined with 15 massive portraits of the Amsterdam Civic Guards, dating from the 17th century. However, the Rijksmuseum has the most famous painting of the Civic Guard - Rembrandt's Nightwatch . Kalverstraat 92 or Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 359 Transport: Trams 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 14, 16, 24 or 25. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1700. |