Culture vultures and museum lovers beware! Going on a cultural discovery tour in Amersfoort, you can easily fill a weekend with that. From contemporary art, to unique pieces of local history. We have it all. Where exactly? I take you on a flash visit to all the cultural hotspots in and around our historic center.
Kunsthal KAdE
Do you like modern art, architecture, design and visual culture? Then visit Kunsthal KAdE on the Eemplein anyway. The special thing about KAdE is that they don't have their own collection, but a few times a year they put together an exhibition around a theme. For this they use art from all over the world, which makes a visit to KAdE different every time. Tip: book a guided tour, because they will tell you about the artist and artwork, which will make you see the exhibition from a different perspective. In the KAdECafé you can chat and have lunch.
Koppelpoort
After your visit to KAdE, walk toward the center and pass perhaps the most photographed structure in Amersfoort: The Koppelpoort. This piece of history is a unique combination of a land gate and a water gate and the only one in the Netherlands. A guided tour on top of the gate takes about 30 minutes. Note: this is only possible with a guide from Gilde Amersfoort. Taking a picture together with this Amersfoort highlight or making a selfie is of course always possible.
Flehite
Your next stop is Flehite. Always wanted to see the inside of a medieval wall house? This museum is housed in no less than three wall houses, which were built around 1540. In the buildings you can still find traces of the old inhabitants who lived or worked there over the past centuries. If you know what to look for. At the entrance you can ask for hints. You will discover much more about the history of keistad Amersfoort. Including how we got this nickname.
Elbow Church
Near Flehite, on the Langegracht, you will find the Elleboogkerk. This beautiful neoclassical hall church is a picture to behold and is also sometimes used as a satellite location for exhibitions of Kunsthal KAdE. This 33-meter-tall building dates back to 1820 and was destroyed by fire on October 22, 2007 and then completely restored. During the period of the fire, it was used as an Armando museum. Part of the Armando collection was unfortunately lost as a result. The foundation of the church was once laid by Capuchin Father Gabriel. In 1638, he set up a small chapel in his sister's house, which eventually grew into this huge hall church.
Mondrian House
If you walk further into town to Kortegracht, you will arrive at the Mondrian House. The birthplace of artist Piet Mondrian (1872-1944). After the Mondrian family left, it kind of fell into oblivion that such an extraordinary artist once lived here. Until it was transformed into the Mondrian House and opened to the public. Since then, everyone can get to know better the man behind the abstract forms and primary colors. In 2022, we celebrated Mondrian's 150th birthday in Amersfoort. All of Amersfoort colored red, yellow and blue!
Musiom
Just outside our historic center stands the Musiom. A museum full of contemporary art. You will find works by artists born around the 1950s who have gained national and international fame since the 1980s. You can marvel again and again thanks to the changing themed exhibitions.
Rietveld Pavilion
The Rietveld Pavilion on Zonnehof, also outside the city center, is the place for everyone who loves photography and visual culture. Here 033fotostad organizes exhibitions with works by professional and amateur photographers, established artists and up-and-coming talent. And did you know that De Zonnehof (built in 1959) is the first art hall in the Netherlands and one of the most important works of architect Gerrit Rietveld. Rietveld designed it on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of our city of Amersfoort.
There is an awful lot to discover culturally in Amersfoort. And of course you want to take the time to admire it all. So stay cozy during your citytrip in one of these top hotels and make a cultural weekend of it!