Rembrandt Square (Rembrandtplein)

The Basics

Crammed with cafés, music clubs and bars, Rembrandtplein is always lively, though especially at night, as locals and tourists alike clamor onto the rooftop terraces to admire the glittering skyline and party into the early hours. Aside from the city’s biggest dance clubs there’s more entertainment at the Art Deco Pathe Tuschinski cinema and De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam’s oldest theater.

Travelers have many options to explore Rembrandtplein as part of half- or full-day sightseeing tours that travel by hop-on hop-off double-decker bus, by bike, on foot, or via hop-on hop-off canal cruise. Specialized tours may incorporate a beer cruise, a meal, or a drink at the local bar, or visits to important historical and cultural attractions such as the Royal Palace, Rembrandt House Museum, Anne Frank House, Dam Square, and the Red Light District.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Suitable for solo travelers, couples, and families. Nightlife lovers will enjoy the many clubs and bars around the square.
• Come during the day for a spot at one of the terrace cafés around the square.
• Many bus lines end and originate at Rembrandtplein.
• Tours may include guide, round trip hotel transport, but not food or drink. Check specific tours for details.

How to Get There

Rembrandtplein is located between Reguliersbreestraat and Amstel Street in the city’s center. Amsterdam is perfect for walking and cycling and the square is easy to find (there is no missing Europe’s largest video screen (49-foot/15-meter) dominating the square. From Central Station, take tram 9. From the west of the city, tram 14 passes through Rembrandtplein on its way east.

When to Get There

Throughout the summer, café seating spills out onto the square, making it the perfect spot for having a bite while soaking up the atmosphere. For nightlight, the clubs and bars are opening until the early morning hours. For fewer tourists and lovely mild temperatures, visit Amsterdam is between April and May or September and November, right before or directly after the summertime high tourist season.

Rembrandtplein Namesake Museum

Rembrandt once lived in a townhouse just off the square, and in 1911, the four-storey home was converted into a museum, preserved as a shrine to the city's beloved artist. A grand stalwart of 17th-century Dutch architecture, the building is just as it was when the artist lived there. On view is the world’s most extensive collection of his etchings. To see his masterpieces, including “The Night Watch”, go to Rijksmuseum in the city’s Museum Quarter.