Come celebrate 2013 in Amsterdam!

2013 marks the 400th year since construction began on Amsterdam’s world renowned Canal Ring. To celebrate this anniversary, as well as the Canal Ring’s acceptance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, various activities will be organised on and around the canals throughout 2013.

Following years of extensive renovation, the Rijksmuseum will reopen its doors on 13 April 2013. Once again, art lovers from around the world will marvel at its fabulous collection of masterpieces from the Netherlands and beyond.

The world famous Concertgebouw, the concert hall on the Museumplein, is visited by more than 700,000 music lovers each year. Throughout 2013, both online and in and around the building, you can relive its former glories via audio and video segments. Additionally, a number of live performances will be beamed to external locations throughout the city, to be shared with Amsterdam’s residents and visitors.

The renowned orchestra will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a 48-concert world tour taking place on six continents. Besides visiting 30 cities around the world during 2013, the orchestra is scheduled to perform at 70 ‘home’ concerts. What’s more, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will for the first time perform at the popular Prinsengracht Concert on 24 August.

Artis is not only a famous zoo, but also a playground, a back garden and a park for families. The zoo can be experienced in many ways, and during its special anniversary year it will be more colourful than ever before, as thousands of flowers will bloom throughout the park.

To mark its centenary, a jubilee exhibition will present 50 key masterpieces by the Dutch painter Frans Hals, surrounded by paintings by peers such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Titian. During the centenary year, the museum will also present a new permanent multimedia exhibition.

Ever since the Golden Age, the Netherlands and Russia have been important partners in trade. Moreover, Tsar Peter the Great was so inspired by Amsterdam’s canals that he began the construction of St. Petersburg. Later, in the 19th century, one of the daughters of the Russian Tsar married a member of the Dutch royal family. In 2013 this special international relationship will be commemorated with a major exhibition dedicated to Peter the Great at Hermitage Amsterdam.

Opened in 1788, this icon on the Keizersgracht soon became popular with Amsterdam’s most affluent citizens who shared an interest in art and science. It became a true Temple of Enlightenment and was a home to literature, science and music well into the 19th century. Today, it is a meeting place for pan-European art, culture and science. From 18 April, to mark its special anniversary, the building’s unique Observatory will once again be open to the public.

On 1 May, the Van Gogh Museum will reopen its doors at its customary location on the Museumplein.

In 2013, the Van Gogh Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary. The van Gogh at work exposition will run from the 1st of May until the 12^th of January 2014.