Are you a diehard culture lover who always craves for more after a museum visit? Then our museum walking route through Amersfoort is just the thing for you. Why leave it at one museum visit when there are other old and modern art museums within easy reach? We selected five art museums in the center of Amersfoort, each with their own unique approach. During this walking tour you will have the chance to discover new artists and re-evaluate classics.
The museum walking route is mapped out in Google Maps at the bottom of this blog.
1. The first stop: Kunsthal KAdE
We start at the place to be for lovers of modern and contemporary art: Kunsthal KAdE. With their changing exhibitions, it is also definitely a place to return to more often. Within the exhibitions, architecture, visual culture and design are featured alongside modern art.
And while you're there, take a walk a door down. Here you'll find Eemland Library. This space is a fine piece of architecture in its own right. Both the museum and library are in the Eemhuis, as are Scholen in de Kunst and Archief Eemland.
On the way to the second stop, you'll pass one of the eye-catchers of Amersfoort: the Koppelpoort. From the wide pedestrian bridge you can perfectly take a snapshot with this fairy-tale city gate in the background.
2. On to a history lesson at Museum Flehite
After the modern architecture of the Eemhuis, you seem to walk back in time. In fact, Museum Flehite is housed in three late-medieval wall houses. Together, the Amersfoort wall houses form a circle of historic buildings along the canals. The wall houses were built on the site and with the material of the old city wall, which was demolished around 1380 to further expand the city.
So the history lesson begins outside and continues inside with art and objects from Amersfoort's history. There is a permanent collection about the war years in Amersfoort with photographs and diary fragments. There is also a model to admire that offers you a glimpse of the Amersfoort of the 17th century.
Need a break with a nice snack? Walk down the eponymous street Muurhuizen to see some more medieval buildings on your way to a good lunch. And you can get that at one of the cafes or restaurants at Hof.
3. Charged? Time for the Mondrian House
Foto links door Mike Bink fotografie
Everyone instantly recognizes his iconic paintings with red, blue and yellow surfaces. But did you know that Piet Mondrian was born in Amersfoort? In his birthplace you can now get to know the person behind the world-famous painting.
The exhibition "The World of Piet Mondrian" shows how Mondrian's work changed over the years from realistic landscape art to the innovative abstract work. It also highlights other aspects of his life, such as his interests, spiritual formation and friends.
Mondrian will be in the spotlight in 2022. It will be 150 years since Mondrian was born in Amersfoort. To celebrate this, the Mondrian House is organizing the Festival of Imagination with activities throughout the Netherlands. In honor of Mondrian150, a painting competition will be held. Are you a talented painter? Then be sure to check if this is something for you!
4. Art of Dutch soil at Musiom
In terms of modern art museums, Amersfoort boasts another gem: Musiom. This house for contemporary art is an ode to Dutch artists born in the 1950s. The selection is diverse; from painting to sculpture, from abstract to figurative work and with attention to different techniques and materials, you'll feast your eyes.
In addition to pieces from the permanent collection, three times a year Musiom highlights a number of artists or a specific theme in their changing exhibition. Until the end of May, the exhibition Low Countries and the Sea is on display. In this exhibition you will find contemporary landscape art in which there is also room for the sea as a source of inspiration.
5. The last stop: 033photostad
033fotostad, center for photography and visual culture, can be found at the Rietveld Pavilion. Again, a special, historic location. Rietveld Pavilion De Zonnehof was built in honor of Amersfoort's 700th anniversary and was designed by none other than Rietveld. It opened in 1959, making it the first art hall in the Netherlands.
At 033fotostad you can feast your eyes all year long. In changing exhibitions, photography merges with the work of visual artists, writers, theater makers and musicians.
Another special exhibition is scheduled for March. Mondrian meets Rietveld! Both artists were members of the De Style art movement, but they never met in the flesh. The exhibition The Feast of Imagination brings the two together for the first time.
Fan of Amersfoort's historical and modern art museums?
Is the art lover in you still not exhausted at the end of the day? Then be sure to walk the museum walking route through Amersfoort again. Or combine your favorite museum with a day of shopping in the historic center.
Thanks to changing collections and exhibitions, the museums lend themselves to a second rendezvous. Want to know what exhibitions are currently on display at these and other museums? Then check out our page with all the current exhibitions.
Route for the museum marathon
Found a free day in your calendar for this museum marathon? The starting point is Kunsthal KAdE (Eemplein 77, 3812 EA Amersfoort). From there follow the route in Google Maps. Open it on your phone by clicking ''more options'' in the map below in the upper left corner. Start the route and go! On foot, it will take you half an hour, during which you can get some fresh air. In the museums you'll also walk a lot, so wear comfortable shoes :)