t QuarterConcertgebouw faÇade sparkling after dark
The exterior of this beautiful 20th-century mansion, designed by Eduard Cuypers, the nephew of P J H Cuypers, belies the groundbreaking collection housed inside.
Curated by private collectors, the Modern Contemporary (Moco) Museum displays pieces by artists who expose the irony at work in modern society. The museum aims to show visitors what cannot be seen anywhere else.
The collection includes Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art and more than 90 original works by the street artist Banksy. The British activist’s indoor pieces are far less exposed than his usual murals and make for an interesting contrast when compared to the few works rescued from buildings that are also on display here.
t QuarterConcertgebouw faÇade sparkling after dark
Following an open architectural competition held in 1881, A L van Gendt (1835–1901) was chosen to design a vast new concert hall for Amsterdam. The resulting Neo-Renaissance building boasts an elaborate pediment and colonnaded façade, and houses two concert halls. Despite Van Gendt’s lack of musical knowledge, he managed to produce near-perfect acoustics in the Grote Zaal (main concert hall), which is renowned the world over.
The inaugural concert at the Concertgebouw was held on 11 April 1888, complete with an orchestra of 120 musicians and a choir of 600.
Though primarily designed to hold concerts, the building has become multifunctional; it has played host to exhibitions, political meetings and occasional boxing matches.
Take a guided tour at 5pm on Friday or 12:30pm on Sunday to hear about the secret history of the building. For the best experience, visit on a Wednesday, take the 1:30pm tour and enjoy a free concert afterwards (not available in July and August).
Insider Tip
Don rollerblades for a different way of exploring Vondelpark’s network of cycle paths. Rent wheels or book a training session with Skate Dokter (www.skatedokter.nl).
Vondelpark’s pavilion opened in 1881 as a restaurant and café. A flamboyant, Neo-Renaissance-style building, it was the favourite haunt of Amsterdam’s bohemian crowd, and its salons often featured contemporary art exhibitions. After World War II, the pavilion became a cultural centre and from 1972 it was the home of the Filmmuseum, which became the EYE.
The pavilion reopened in 2014 as VondelCS, and is now home to AVROTROS, one of the Netherlands’ public broadcasting corporations. It hosts talk shows, concerts and debates on culture and current affairs. The ground floor of the pavilion is a café-restaurant called Vondelpark3.
t Cyclists taking a rest beside the lake in Vondelpark
In 1864, a group consisting of prominent Amsterdammers formed a committee with the aim of founding a public park, and they raised enough money to buy 8 ha (20 acres) of land. J D and L P Zocher, a father-and-son team of landscape architects, were commissioned to design the park. They used vistas, pathways and ponds to create the illusion of a large natural area, which was opened to the public on 15 June 1865, as the Nieuwe Park.
The park’s present name was adopted in 1867, when a statue of Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel was erected here. The committee soon began to raise money to enlarge the park, and by June 1877 it had reached its current dimensions of 47 ha (116 acres). The park now supports around 100 plant species and 127 types of tree. Squirrels, hedgehogs, ducks and garden birds mix with a huge colony of greedy, bright-green parakeets, which gather in front of the pavilion every morning to be fed. Herds of cows, sheep, goats and even a lone llama graze in the pastures.
Vondelpark welcomes more than ten million visitors a year. Free concerts are given by openluchttheater (open-air theatre) or at the bandstand in the summer.
Experience Museum Quarter
Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679) was to Dutch poetry and drama what Rembrandt was to painting. Many of his history plays, like Gijsbrecht van Amstel, first performed in 1638, and Joannes de Boetgezant (1662), were hailed as masterpieces. After converting to his wife’s Catholic faith, he became an advocate of religious tolerance. That made him unpopular with hard-line Calvinists and, despite his fame, he died an impoverished man.
t Café tables inthe street in front of Coster Diamonds
Coster was founded in 1840. Twelve years later, Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert, gave the company the task of repolishing the enormous Koh-i-Noor (mountain of light) diamond. This blue-white stone is one of the treasures of the British crown jewels and weighs in at 108.8 carats. A replica of the coronation crown, with a copy of the fabulous stone, is found in Coster’s entrance hall.
More than 6,000 people visit the factory each week to witness the processes of grading, cutting and polishing the stones. Goldsmiths and diamond-cutters work together to produce customized items of jewellery, which are available over the counter. For serious diamond-buyers, such as the jewellers who come to Amsterdam from all over the world, there is a series of private sales rooms where discretion is assured. A few doors down is a small museum, in which the history of the diamond is traced.
Experience Museum Quarter
The Dutch schutterij (militia companies) were formed in medieval times. Armed with bows, the forces’ purpose was to protect towns from attack and revolts. By the 17th century, they carried muskets, but their role had become ceremonial. Captains had to be wealthy, as they equipped volunteers out of their own purse. They commissioned portraits and Rembrandt’s The Guard Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem Ruytenburch – known as The Night Watch – is the most famous. A statue of the painting is found in Rembrandtplein .
The Dutch Riding School was originally situated on the Leidsegracht, but in 1882 it moved to a new building on Vondelstraat. Designed by A L van Gendt, it was based on the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. The Hollandsche Manege was threatened with demolition in the 1980s, but fortunately it was saved after a public outcry. Reopened in 1986 by Prince Bernhard, it has been restored to its former glory.
The Neo-Classical indoor arena boasts gilded mirrors and moulded horses’ heads on its elaborate plasterwork walls. Some of the wrought-iron stalls remain and sound is muffled by sawdust. At the top of the staircase, one door leads to a balcony overlooking the arena, another to the café.
t The fairy-tale Vondelkerk, which stands at the edge of Vondelpark
The Vondelkerk was the largest church designed by P J H Cuypers. Work began on the building in 1872, but funds ran out by the following year. Money from public donations and lotteries allowed it to be completed by 1880.
When fire broke out in 1904, firefighters saved the nave of the church by forcing the burning tower to fall away into Vondelpark. A new tower was added later by the architect’s son, J T Cuypers. The church was deconsecrated in 1979 and converted into offices in 1985. It hosts concerts and events.
Experience Museum Quarter
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EAT Cobra Café Famous for its apple pie, Cobra also serves pancakes and other snacks, such as croquettes. D8 ⌂ Hobbemastraat 18 ∑ cobracafe.nl ¡¡¡ ‘T Blauwe Theehuis This Vondelpark landmark serves drinks and toasted sandwiches. B8 ⌂ Vondelpark 5∑ blauwetheehuis.nl ¡¡¡ Momo This stylish bar-cum-restaurant offers sushi or set menus of ten dishes. D8 ⌂ Hobbemastraat 1 ∑ momo-amsterdam.com ¡¡¡ |