Although the city is compact and intensely urban, Amsterdammers spend much of their time outdoors. There are tiny green enclaves within its very centre, green expanses not far from the city’s heart and breezy North Sea beaches within easy reach.
Amsterdam Outdoors
From January to May, the bulbfields around Keukenhof erupt in wonderous strips of colour, attracting visitors from around the world. For the best views of the spectacle, hire a bike and ride from Haarlem to Leiden alongside the flower-laden fields.
Amsterdam Outdoors
The best known and most accessible of the city’s parks, Vondelpark is to Amsterdam what Hyde Park is to London or Central Park to Manhattan. It’s next to the Museumplein, so it’s a perfect place to relax and have a leisurely picnic after an immersive cultural experience.
Amsterdam Outdoors
Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, with its vast collection of flora, is ideal for a walk in winter. Visitors can escape inclement weather in the botanical garden’s glass-domed Palm House, built in 1912, and in huge space-age conservatories that recreate tropical, subtropical and desert climates.
Amsterdam Outdoors
The journey to Amsterdamse Bos (by train to Schipol Airport, and then on bus 180 or 186) takes less than 10 minutes from the city centre. Planned in the 1920s, this 1,035-hectare (2,557-acre) expanse of woodland, streams and lakes is a refuge for many wild birds and animals. The best way to explore the park is to either walk or cycle the 145 km (90 miles) of paths that criss-cross this natural oasis.
Amsterdam Outdoors
A tiny green enclave in the heart of the city, Begijnhof was created in 1346 to be a place of religious reflection. No tour groups are allowed in the grounds of the hofjes, making it the perfect place for a break from the bustling streets of Nieuwe Zijde.
Amsterdam Outdoors
Beaches may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of Amsterdam, but there are several dotted around the city. Blijburg aan Zee, which is a half an hour tram-ride from Centraal Station, is good for activities, such as windsurfing and sand-karting, whilst the beach at Sloterplas lake, 40 minutes away by tram, is best for swimming due to its calm waters. Pllek, however is our pick of the city’s beaches. Located in Noord, it attracts foodies to its fantastic restaurant, cinemagoers to its summer screenings and eager sunseekers when the temperature rises.