AMSTERDAMSE BOS

Description

Essentials about the Amsterdamse Bos in brief

The Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) is the city’s most popular recreational area. Every year, around six million visitors come to the Amsterdam Forest to walk, bike, ride, swim, row, pet animals, listen to concerts, barbecue or just chill in the sun.

The location of the Amsterdamse Bos

The English parkland laid out in the southeast of Amsterdam is already in the municipality of Amstelveen, but it is still owned by the city of Amsterdam. The creation of the park was started in the early 1930s. However, the work was not completed until the 1970s. With an area of 1,000 hectares, the Amsterdamse Bos is about three times the size of Central Park in New York City.

Attractions in the Amsterdamse Bos

If you need to cool off on a hot day, you can go swimming in one of the park’s ponds and artificial rivers. There is even a sandy beach at the Grote Vijver. Rowers can take their laps on the so-called Bosbaan (meaning “forest course”) – the oldest artificial rowing course in the world, by the way. If you don’t have the talent for rowing, you can also rent a canoe or a kayak.

Especially for children, the Amsterdamse Bos is a paradise. There are playgrounds, a climbing garden, a paddling pond, a petting zoo with goats, a pancake restaurant and a game preserve. And then there is another enclosure with very special animals, namely Scottish Highland cattle. These were “abandoned” in one of the meadows to keep the grass growth under control while preserving the natural landscape.

Those interested in culture should stop by the open-air Amsterdamse Bos Theater, which hosts concerts and plays during the summer months. And there’s even a campground at Amsterdamse Bos. If you only want to camp during the day, you can do so at Day Camping. For longer stays there is the Camping Amsterdamse Bos.