Vondelpark

The Vondelpark is the largest and best-known park in Amsterdam, a long green rectangle of lawns, ponds and trees on the edge of the Museum Quarter and Leidseplein. It covers about forty-seven hectares and welcomes millions of visitors a year, from joggers and cyclists to families, picnickers and tourists recovering from museum visits. Entry is free and the park is open day and night, which makes it a favourite with residents, who treat it almost as a shared garden.

The park was created in the 1860s, when wealthy citizens of Amsterdam raised money to build a pleasure ground on what was then marshy land outside the city. The design was the work of Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, landscape architects who worked in the English style, with winding paths, irregular ponds, groups of trees and open meadows that give the impression of natural scenery, though everything is carefully planned. It opened in 1865 as the Nieuwe Park, the New Park, and in the following years it was renamed after Joost van den Vondel, the seventeenth-century poet and playwright who is regarded as the greatest writer of the Dutch Golden Age. A statue of him stands near one of the entrances.

Inside, the park offers a mix of calm and activity. The ponds are home to swans, ducks and herons, and colourful ring-necked parakeets, which have settled in the park, flash through the trees. There are playgrounds for children, a rose garden, cafes and restaurants, including the Blauwe Theehuis, a round blue-roofed pavilion from the 1930s, and an open-air theatre where free concerts and performances are held in summer. On sunny days, the lawns are covered with people sunbathing, playing music and barbecuing where permitted.

The park is easy to explore on foot or by bike, with paths that are suitable for walking, running and cycling, though cyclists and skaters share the main paths and it pays to stay alert. Its location is convenient, since the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum are nearby, and many visitors use it as a place to relax after a day of sightseeing.

The park suits everyone, from families to couples, and is at its best on a warm afternoon or early in the morning when it is quiet. Bring a picnic, respect the rules about dogs, noise and litter, and take care of your belongings.