ParkSeason continues the column about the most interesting parks in different cities of the world. In this issue - Amsterdam's Vondelpark, where parrots fly, storks nest, there is a Picasso sculpture, and it is officially allowed to make love.

Vondelpark is considered the most popular city park in Amsterdam - it is visited by 10 million people every year. The landscape park was opened in 1865 on the initiative of the townspeople who created the “Association for the Construction of a Park for Riding and Walking.” They bought several hectares of land on the outskirts of Amsterdam and decided to build a park with their own funds, which they initially called Nieuwe Park (New Park). The design of the recreation area on 47 hectares was carried out by the architect Jean David Zocher: it was his idea that became the system of artificial lakes running throughout the park. Admission for members of the association was free; other townspeople were encouraged to buy a ticket. Two years after its opening, a monument to the 17th century poet Joost van den Vondel was erected here, and they decided to rename the park in his honor.

In 1873, the Dutch brewer Gerard Adrian Heineken (yes, that same Heineken) decided to open a drinking establishment for Amsterdam residents in the park. He was refused this, so he opened the Bierhuis Vondel establishment on the street closest to the park (“Vondel Beer House”) - it can still be found there today, at Vondelstraat 41.

In 1936, a rose garden was laid out in the park, and a year later the Blauwe Theehuis (“Blue Tea Room”), an outstanding Art Nouveau building, was built here. You can still visit it today; sometimes there are even parties held here.

From the very beginning, the park was wildly popular among citizens: by 1953, the “Association for the Construction of a Park for Riding and Walking” realized that it was no longer able to maintain a recreation area at its own expense and donated the park to the City Hall of Amsterdam, on whose balance it remains to this day . As a result, there are children's playgrounds, a film museum and an open-air theater that operates from June to August.

In the 1960s, the park was chosen by hippies, for them Vondelpark became a place of permissiveness: however, it partially remains so now - in 2008, city authorities officially allowed sex on its territory. True, with some reservations: only in the dark and away from playgrounds.

However, this is not what most people come here for: in the evenings the park is crowded - the locals run here, play sports, and have picnics. This is a must-visit place for bird lovers: storks live here (the part of the park where their nests are located is even fenced off from visitors), cranes, herons, rooks and parrots. The latter usually hide in the crowns of trees, where they can be detected by their characteristic noise.

Vondelpark (Dutch: Vondelpark) in Amsterdam is a wonderful green area located in the southern part of the city (Amsterdam-Zuid).

Against the backdrop of the terribly urbanized Dutch capital, the 47-hectare park area, which has preserved the natural landscape and natural beauty, looks very impressive. In addition to recreation, Vondelpark offers visitors entertainment: an exhibition pavilion, a theater, children's recreation, as well as carte blanche for adult fun (having sex).

The idea to organize a place for horseback riding and hiking recreation in Amsterdam arose in 1864. An association of enthusiasts bought several hectares of land on the outskirts of the capital, so in 1865 the New Park (Nieuwe Park) appeared on the city map.

Two years later, a memorial to the famous Dutch playwright Joost van den Vondel was erected in the open spaces of the park.

Quite soon, residents of the capital began to make dates at Vondel's or in Vondel Park, and the original name quickly faded into history.

By the end of the 19th century, the park had grown to its current size., received a stage for performances and a rose garden. Over time, a cafe was built on its territory - the Blue Tea Room (Blauwe Theehuis). Vast areas required careful maintenance and significant investment, so in 1953 the park was transferred from private ownership to the city. In subsequent decades, the green area became overgrown with playgrounds for children and theater stages.

In the relaxed 70s, Vondelpark was the quintessence of the hippie movement - complete unity with nature, no or almost no prohibitions on relaxing substances and love.

Landscape

Vondelpark has an elongated lanceolate shape, stretching from northeast to southwest. History and modern technology are surprisingly intertwined in the appearance of this place. Several free-standing ponds have been converted into one meandering pond in modern times. At the same time, the sloping banks, lawns and vegetation were stylized as much as possible to resemble natural antiquity.

Attractions

If you move through the park from east to west, the first of the attractions will be:

• Exhibition pavilion Vondelparkpaviljoen, founded in 1883, over the years of its existence has become a platform for many exhibitions, festivals and cultural events. Nowadays, the pavilion is an undoubted decoration of the park due to its architecture. The Vondel CS recording studio has recently been located under the roof of the historical building; cultural events, musical evenings, and film screenings are also often held. Website: www.vondelcs.nl
• Hidden in the thicket of trees at the bend of the pond Monument to Jost van den Vondel. The clearings near the memorial are often occupied by vacationers and outdoor yoga enthusiasts.
• The round building, surrounded by a summer area, is simply impossible to miss - it’s the same Blue Teahouse, thriving since 1937. Opening hours: from 9:00 to 22:00. The cafe menu is a good selection of light sandwiches, snacks and sweets. You can quench your thirst with soft drinks or beer. Official website: www.blauwetheehuis.nl.
• Open air theater Vondelpark Openluchttheater is located just west of the teahouse. Every year the theater gives about 125 free performances, ranging from classical to avant-garde and popular music. Opening hours: from May 5 to September 11. In May, festive events are held on the stage of the theater. And from June 5 to September 11 there is a free concert program. You can find out about upcoming events and their times on the theater website: www.openluchttheater.nl
• Cafe Groot Melkhuis located on the shore of a pond, it has a nice terrace overlooking the pond and park, as well as a children's playground. Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Cafe website: www.grootmelkhuis.nl
• Eclectic fish statue by Pablo Picasso is located just south of the Groot Melkhuis cafe.

• Every Friday evening, Vondelpark is filled with skateboard fans as part of the Fridaynightskate event.
• On April 27, King's Day is celebrated in the capital, and therefore a lot of events for children are held in the park. On this day, adults can visit the spontaneous market “vrijmarkt”, which fills the alleys of the park.
• Since 2011 on All Souls Day (November 2), Amsterdam residents launch paper boats, equipped with small candles, along the park's pond. Memory boats are a tribute to loved ones who have recently passed away.
• In May 2009, Vondelpark entered the Guinness Book of Records as place for the biggest picnic - The 433 participants in the open-air feast easily beat the previous world record of 352 people.
• In 2008, the mayor of Amsterdam, Paul Van Grieken, officially announced that adults will be able to have sex in the park, provided that they clean up after themselves and enjoy themselves in the dark, away from playgrounds. To which the capital police responded that they would not tolerate such arbitrariness and would not turn a blind eye to such pranks.

How to get there

• Address: Amsterdam, Vondelpark
• By tram: No. 1 from the center of Amsterdam to the northern part of the park, stops: Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat, Overtoom, Overtoomsesluis. No. 2 to the southern part of the park, stops: Van Baerlestraat, Cornelis Schuytstraat, Valeriusplein/Koninginneweg, Zeilstraat
• Website: www.hetvondelpark.net

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Amsterdam is famous for many things: museums, tulips, legalization of prostitution and drugs, canals. But this is not all that makes a holiday in the Dutch capital interesting. More than 10% of the city's area is occupied by over 30 parks and gardens, as well as other green spaces. Particularly popular are the largest Vondelpark, the Amsterdam Botanical Garden, Amsterdam Bos and the most interesting for children, Amstelpark.

Amsterdam Central Park

The main green area of ​​the capital is the vast territory of Vondel Park, named so in 1880 in honor of the Dutch writer, to whom a monument was even erected in the park 2 years after its opening in 1867. Initially, the territory was called “New Park”.

This green oasis with an area of ​​47 hectares is located in the southwest of Amsterdam, stretches along the Stadhouderskade embankment, next to the park are the Central and City Museums, as well as the Van Gogh Museum.

This is not a simple park area for walking, jogging, cycling along the paths and along the lake and ponds and picnics. By the way, in the southern part of the park you can rent roller skates. There are many other leisure options here.

1. The Cinema Museum, located in a building built in the nineteenth century, hosts film screenings. Moreover, the audience is presented with pictures from different times, including silent films. The museum also hosts lectures, meetings, and exhibitions.
2. If you want to learn horse riding, you can visit the Hollandsche Manege school.
3. Lovers of classics and jazz will appreciate the concert venue located on the territory of a former church.
4. Concerts and performances for audiences of all ages are held in the open-air theater. There is no entrance fee, but voluntary donations can be made.
5. On the tennis courts you can not only practice this popular sport yourself, but also witness tournaments.
6. Children can play in the playgrounds, have a snack in the children's café Klein Melkhuis, or cook something under the supervision of instructors in the kitchen at Kinderkookkafé.

You can swim in ponds, walk along the lawns, and even make love in the park. Only sex near children's playgrounds is prohibited, as well as walking animals and using drugs. Naturally, you can't litter.

You can get to the park by tram numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 12 or 16.

Amsterdam Botanical Garden

The pride of the residents of the capital of the Netherlands is located in the metropolitan area of ​​Plantago - the Amsterdam Botanical Garden. This is one of the oldest green spaces of this type in the world. It was founded as a Medical Garden in the first half of the 17th century. Medicinal plants were grown here mainly to combat the plague.

Over the years, the purpose has changed somewhat, and the collection has grown significantly. Now representatives of over 4 thousand plant species from different countries and continents grow here. Many of them are very rare, require special conditions and are difficult for artificial cultivation. For example, the huge Victoria Amazonian water lily not only grows in the garden, but also blooms regularly.

The garden area of ​​over 1 hectare contains several greenhouses. One of the notable ones is the Palm House. Not only its inhabitants are of interest, but also the building itself, designed by the founder of a special architectural school in Amsterdam - Van der Meij. The Three Climates greenhouse introduces its guests to the vegetation of three natural zones: tropics, subtropics and deserts.

In the Butterfly House, special comfortable conditions for each individual species have been created for these delightful insects.

To get to the garden you need to take tram 9 or 14 and get off at the Visserplein stop. On weekdays, tram number 6 also runs here. The garden is open from 9 am to 5 pm. On weekends it opens an hour later. During the winter months it closes at 16:00, and in July and August it opens until 19:00.

The cost of an adult ticket is about 8.5 euros, the price for a child is 4.5 euros.

Amsterdam forest

Amsterdam Bos is not just a green area in the southern part of the capital of the Netherlands, but an entire social project to combat unemployment during the Great Depression at the beginning of the last century. It was planned to employ about 1,000 people in the arrangement of this artificial forest, with an area of ​​over 800 hectares.

As a result, the territory was artificially drained of excess moisture, planted with trees and shrubs, and pedestrian paths were laid. Now the park is carefully looked after.

You can get to this artificial forest by public transport.

1. Tram 6 or 16 and bus number 15 go to the Haarlemmermeer stop. From here to the forest in the summer, an old tram runs every day except Mondays. During the rest of the year, the park can only be reached in this way on Sunday.
2. Buses number 170, 171, 172 also go to Amsterdam Bos.

At the entrance to the forest there is a visitor center where visitors are offered to purchase a map of the park or a souvenir box on a string for bugs. Stuffed animals that live in the forest are also displayed here.

You can walk or ride a bike around the park itself; in the summer there is a bike rental service. During your walks it is worth visiting several interesting places:

• a rectangular lake created for the Summer Olympics;
• The Bos Museum, where you can learn about the history of the park. Open from 10 am to 5 pm, admission is free;
• a pancake house serving classic plate-sized Dutch pancakes;
• an observation deck on a hill from where you can look out over the park.

You can spend the whole day in the forest: have a picnic, rent a boat, and on warm days even swim in the lake.

Amstelpark

Amstelpark is located near the RAI conference hall. This is a great place to relax with children. There are many attractions here, the most popular of which is the long hedge maze. You can ride a pony or visit a small pet farm.

The park has a restaurant and cafe, as well as a golf course. But you can't ride bicycles here. But on occasion, you can go to one of the fairs periodically organized here, where the products of local farms are presented.

Tulip Museum

The Netherlands is often called the “Land of Tulips”. It is this simple and delicate flower that brings a lot of income to the country’s treasury. Therefore, it is not surprising that since 2004 the Tulip Museum has been welcoming its visitors in Amsterdam, opened and existing thanks to the financial support of a Dutch company that breeds these flowers.

Vondelpark in Amsterdam is 47 hectares of green space and entertainment for tourists and local residents: restaurants, theater, playgrounds, swimming pool... Today this place can be considered one of the most popular in the city.

The popularity of the Vondelpark is best demonstrated by its attendance: annually the number of its guests reaches 10 million people. For comparison, the Moscow Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Gorky receives 14 million visitors a year, but the population of Amsterdam is 15 times smaller than the Russian capital (825 thousand inhabitants).

Vondelpark - history of creation

Vondelpark - sights of Amsterdam

The park quickly became a favorite vacation spot for city residents. The date of its opening dates back to the 19th century - Wandelpark, as it was popularly called, opened its gates to everyone in 1865. And two years later it received a new name - Vondelpark, in honor of the playwright Joost van den Vondel, whose statue adorned the space of the park.

Interestingly, the construction of such a walking area was a private initiative. A group of people belonging to the Willemspark construction company bought a strip of land (8 hectares) on the peatlands to create a park for walkers and horseback riders. As a result, after the government approved the project, the list of people who took part in the creation of the green space (“Association for the Construction of a Park for Riding and Walking”) numbered 34 people. Including eight on the board of directors.

The construction was carried out by the architect Jan David Zocher, who actively used the style of English landscape design popular at that time. Over time, the park area expanded, reaching 45 hectares by 1977. More and more was done for visitors: a chic stage appeared, a rose garden opened, and a confectionery began to function.

Vondelpark - view from above

However, initially it was not possible to ride bicycles in Vondelpark. It took several years of debate to allow cyclists to ride on the property. Permission to enter was given only in 1893, and for a limited time in the morning.

During World War II, the park suffered significant damage. Requisitioned by the Germans, it suffered losses not only from the Nazis, who settled officers in the villas around them and dug a huge trench in order to complicate the landing of aircraft. In 1944, it was completely closed to city residents due to timber theft and destruction. As a result of the fuel shortage, the population of Amsterdam looked everywhere for firewood, including the Vondelpark. Well, the second reason for the closure was that the Germans stored camouflaged equipment and weapons in the southern part.

After the war, considerable funds were required for the restoration and reconstruction of Vondelpark. And the “Association” could no longer support him. Guided by the prevailing circumstances, entrepreneurs transferred the park area to the state in 1953.

Vondelpark - today

Vondelpark - weekend
Vondelpark - outdoor theater

Today, people mainly come to this popular recreation area in Amsterdam for jogging, picnics, walks with animals, and family leisure. However, interesting cultural events are also held here. In the open-air theater you can see cabarets and ethnic dances, modern pop performers and ensembles with ethnic motifs, musicals and plays... At the same time, visiting the theater is absolutely free.

But the main wealth of the park is considered to be the Cinema Museum, which hosts entertaining excursions and also shows historical films (starting from the 19th century). In addition, Vondelpark has everything you need for an active pastime: tennis courts, skate rentals, jogging tracks.

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Amsterdam Parks - Where to Relax in the City

Amsterdam is a very old, but at the same time green city, and in old Europe one rarely combines with the other. Moreover, some parks in Amsterdam have long become famous throughout the world, attracting a number of tourists tens of times greater than the population of Amsterdam itself. Let's find out which parks in Amsterdam are definitely worth visiting and why they are so popular among tourists.

From the history

Vondelpark (Vondel Park) is, although not the largest green area in Amsterdam, but definitely the most famous and visited. This fame is largely due to its territorial proximity to the Museum Square (Museumplein) and the main museums of the city on it - the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stendelijk Museum.

The history of the park once again shows the incredibly strong citizenship of the Dutch. In 1864, citizens formed a special committee to establish a city park. Having collected money and bought 8 hectares of land, they authorized Jan David Zocher to design the entire park in the then fashionable English style - with thickets of trees and ponds, like in a forest. By the way, it was Zocher and his son, also a landscape designer, who designed Keukenhove and many other parks in Amsterdam.

At first the park was called Nieuwe Park (New Park), but it acquired its modern name in 1867 after a statue of the Dutch poet Joost van del Vondel was installed there.

As time went on, the park expanded, and now its area is 47 hectares - about 60 football fields.

Interesting fact

No matter how beautiful the nature of the Netherlands is, being below sea level in a marshy area still poses a disadvantage for local residents - every 30 years the park must undergo major restoration work. If this is not done, then, simply put, the land will gradually begin to sink, and the park will simply flood.

The problem is especially obvious when, at the end of this 30-year period, after heavy rains, the ponds overflow their banks and begin to flood everything around. Moreover, you cannot simply pump out water - this will reduce the groundwater level, which can cause damage to the foundations of old buildings around.

What to see in the park

Amsterdam's parks will be most interesting for those who like to have a noisy and fun holiday in the summer. From May to September in Vondelpark Open Air Theater, an open-air concert venue, hosts children's concerts, as well as classical and contemporary music concerts.

You can dine outdoors at the restaurant De Vondeltuin(menu), and if you want the parks of Amsterdam to leave pleasant memories for your children, go to The Kinderkookkafe, where children aged 8-12 years themselves are engaged in cooking and serving guests (of course, under the supervision of adults).

In general, the parks of Amsterdam, and especially Vondelpark, are imbued with some special atmosphere. There are plenty of fitness centers and yoga studios around Vondelpark, and trainers often arrange outdoor workouts for their clients. Therefore, in the evening you can see hundreds of athletes here - some running, some doing functional training, some riding sports bikes.

And there are simply countless owners with dogs there. The tailed ones frolic, run after sticks, and chase ducks. You will hardly see such an idyll anywhere else.

Amsterdam's Vondelpark - also called the Park of Love - is famous for the fact that here you can have absolutely legal sex, but only in the evening and not in front of others, of course. However, in the evenings there are so many people in Vondelpark that this is initially a disastrous idea, so it’s better to move to a hotel with your romance...

Open 24/7. You can get there by trams 1, 2, 3, 5, 12.

Sarfatipark, Rembrandtpark, Westerpark and other Amsterdam parks within the city

A couple of blocks from Vondelpark is Rembrandtpark. This is a much calmer place than Vondelpark, but in size it is never inferior to the first. In terms of design, it is also as close as possible to natural nature. Here you can take your children to the De Uylenburgh petting zoo, the oldest in the city.

Literally a block from the Albert Cuyp market is Sarfatipark. Other parks in Amsterdam are much larger than it, but it is an ideal place for a quiet picnic.

Not far from Leidesplein you can see Kleine Gartmanplantsoen - a small public garden opposite the De Balle cinema, where bronze iguanas are installed on the lawn. Among tourists, this place is called the “park of iguanas.”

In the north-west of the city there is Westerpark - there are few tourists here, but full of local young people. Especially in the summer, when dozens of music festivals take place here.

Amsterdam forest

If you want to hide from the eyes of hundreds of tourists and quietly spend the whole day in nature, then rent a bike and head to Amsterdamse Bos. This giant is much larger than other parks in Amsterdam - if the area of ​​Vondelpark is 47 hectares, then the area of ​​the Amsterdam Forest is 10 km 2 (1000 hectares).

And there is so much to see here - a petting zoo where they make their own cheese and ice cream, an open-air theater, a botanical garden, a riding school, boat rentals, an outdoor swimming pool, etc. If you are tired, you can refresh yourself in one of several cafes in the forest.

And certainly other parks in Amsterdam will not be able to give you such peace as the Amsterdam Forest - there are always very few people here compared to the same Vondelpark.

It makes no sense to go here for a couple of hours - you won’t even see a quarter of everything, so set aside a whole day for a bike ride. And the forest is, obviously, not in the center - between and the city of Amstelveen near Amsterdam.

Keukenhof

From the history

The history of the garden begins in the 15th century. Initially, Keukenhov was exclusively a hunting ground at the castle of the Countess of Gennegau - Ostensibly of Bavaria (the modern Keukenhov Castle was built only in the 17th century). Herbs for court cuisine and flowers for interior decoration were grown in these same gardens.

In the 19th century, Keukenhov acquired its modern appearance - Jan David Socher and his son were brought in to organize the garden. By that time, my father had already designed other parks in Amsterdam. And the garden was officially opened in 1949 as an exhibition complex, where any Dutch and European companies could boast of their new varieties of flowers.

Why tulips?

It just so happened historically that tulips, and indeed any flowers, are very dear to the Dutch heart. They personify joy, spring, family comfort, and fresh flowers are available in Dutch homes almost all year round. This is not surprising - a bouquet can be bought for only 2-3 €.

Interestingly, during the most difficult winter for the Netherlands, 1944-1945, when the country was occupied and the harvest failed, flower bulbs saved thousands of people from starvation. By the end of the occupation, in the spring, the British and US air forces began dropping food to the starving population, and they responded by planting flowers with the inscription “Thank you very much.”

For the Dutch, tulips are more than just flowers. Probably, it was this fact that contributed to the fact that Keukenhof today is the most famous flower garden in the world.

How the garden is organized

If there are only flowers in the garden, then it is a large flower bed, not a garden. Therefore, Keukenhof is a full-fledged park with trees, bushes, lush lawns, where you can give your eyes a break from the colorful flower beds before the next “approach”.

More than 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually on just 32 hectares of land. Moreover, after the end of the season, all the flowers are dug up and sent for processing into compost, because... there is a risk that next year a weak flower will grow from the “old” bulb, but this cannot be allowed.

During the flower season it also hosts festivals and celebrations - in 2016 it hosted Dutch Heritage Week, the Flower Parade and Keukenhof Romance Days.

Near the garden there is the old Keukenhof Castle - but there are no tours there, it is mainly used for wedding celebrations.

Once a year, Castlefest is held here, a festival during which you can listen to Dutch folklore, take part in medieval rituals and battles, and try yourself as a craftsman.

As you can see, there is enough entertainment for everyone in Keukenhof, and if you have already been there once, feel free to come again - you will not see the same flower beds again.

When is Keukenhof open and how much does entry cost?

The flower season lasts only 2 months - the next time the garden will be open from March 23 to May 21. Tickets are selling out very actively, so book them well in advance. Tickets will be valid throughout the season.

Because The garden is located 35 km from Amsterdam, you also need to take into account the cost of travel. But the organizers prudently introduced combined tickets for sale, which included the cost of travel from different cities - Amsterdam, Leiden, Haarlem or from Schiphol airport.

Address: Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse

How to get there: from Amsterdam – by train from the central station to Airport Schiphol, from there bus 361

Entry fee: 16€ for adults and 8€ for children 4-11 years old

Efteling

This amusement park doesn’t fit well into an article about Amsterdam parks (it’s 105 km away), but we’ll tell you about it anyway – it’s a very interesting place.

Efteling is an amusement park in Amsterdam (near Amsterdam, to be more precise), the largest in the Benelux, open all year round without exception.

The amusement park includes 6 roller coasters and 35 attractions, many of which are specific and themed, such as a revolving house.

Eftenilg Park includes the Fairytale Forest, where characters from our favorite fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen come to life.

In the evening, it would be a good idea to go see the Aquanura musical fountain, opened for the 60th anniversary of the park in 2012. In terms of entertainment, it is often compared to Disney's World of Color light show in California, and in size it is the third musical fountain in the world after the fountains in Dubai and at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas.

Address: Europalaan 1, 5171 KW Kaatsheuvel

How to get there: from Amsterdam – 2 hours travel. First by train to s’Hertogenbosch? From there bus 300 to Tilburg, get off at the stop Kaatsheuvel, Efteling

Schedule: Open all year round from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 23:00.

Entry fee: from 34.5€, free for children under 4 years old. Details