3 Best Sights in Oosterdok, Amsterdam

Designed by Daniël Stalpaert in 1656 as an arsenal for the Admiralty of Amsterdam, this excellent example of Dutch Classicism became the new home of the Maritime Museum in the 1970s. Even if you're not much of a nautical fan, the building alone is worth a visit. The courtyard (free) of the biggest remaining 17th-century arsenal was roofed over with a 200,000-kg (440,925-pound) glass-and-steel construction, the design of which is a reference to wind roses and compass lines on old nautical charts. In the daytime, the roof casts ever-changing shadows on the courtyard floor (weather permitting); at night, hundreds of LED lights on the rafters create the fairy-tale illusion of a star-spangled sky.

The museum itself has one-room exhibitions, each with a different theme. The East wing houses an impressive collection of maritime objects, with paintings (the pen drawings by 17th-century master marine painters Ludolf Backhuysen and Willem van de Velde the Elder are particularly beautiful), one of the most important globe collections in the world, nautical instruments, yacht models, and all sorts of symbolic ship decorations. Moored on the jetty outside is the Scheepvaartmuseum’s biggest draw: a life-size replica of a 1748 ship of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The original left for Asia shortly after it was built, but wrecked off the English coast. Exploring the ship while trying to imagine how people were able to live here for months on end is fascinating.

The Architecture Centre Amsterdam is dedicated to the city's architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture, and hosts exhibitions, lectures, and tours. They publish a wide range of maps and guides both in print and online, including ARCAM's Architecture Guide, which contains information on more than 600 Amsterdam buildings. Its swoopy silver building has become an architectural icon.

Founded in 1757 by Doede Jansen Kromhout, a carpenter, this is one of Amsterdam's oldest functioning shipyards. Almost 300 ships were built here during its heyday in the late 19th century. In the early 20th century, 't Kromhout was producing the diesel engines used by Dutch canal boats. Boats and engines are still restored here, and the museum has a collection of historical ships' engines on display.