Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam

Nestled gracefully alongside the Keizersgracht, or "Emperor's Canal", the Museum Van Loon occupies a particularly splendid interior within an elegant canal house dating back to 1672. The final occupants of this property were the van Loons, who co-founded the East India Company and were a prominent family in the city for a long time, though their fortunes took a hit towards the end of World War II. The house's interior has been meticulously restored to resemble its 18th-century aesthetic, featuring wooden paneling, intricate stuccowork, and ancestral portraits depicting stern gentlemen and demure ladies dressed in their finest ruffled attire.

Notable highlights include the ornate copper balustrade gracing the staircase, charming grisaille paintings portraying classical figures such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, and a bedroom known as the "painted room", adorned with a Romantic painting of Italy (such were the artistic embellishments favored by Amsterdam's bourgeoisie). Among the curious aspects of the house are the faux bedroom doors; the 18th-century owners were so committed to preserving symmetry that they concealed the actual doors and created imitation, decorative replacements in their "correct" positions instead. Another peculiar feature can be found at the end of the garden, where the old coach house boasts trompe l'oeil windows; once again, symmetry dictated that the building must have windows, but no respectable wealthy individual wanted to be observed by their servants – hence the optical illusion. This well-maintained secret garden remains relatively undiscovered by tourists, offering you a peaceful setting to soak in the ambiance of bygone glory.

Pro tip:
Upon entering, be sure to peruse the information booklet, which highlights the more intriguing details such as the faux doors in one of the bedrooms and the concealed bookcase in the bird room.