Vondelpark
A 47-hectare English-style park next to Museumplein, the living room of Amsterdam's citizens for cycling, jogging and picnics. Free open-air performances are held in summer.
Vondelpark opened in 1865. It is named after the 17th-century poet Joost van den Vondel. Designed in the English landscape style by the landscape architect Zocher father and son, it covers 47 hectares and is Amsterdam's largest and most popular city park, welcoming about 10 million visits a year. In the 1960s and 70s, it was a gathering place for hippies. Inside are winding lakes and streams, a rose garden with about 70 varieties that bloom in June and July, the sculpture The Fish donated by Picasso, a statue of Vondel, the round pavilion from 1881, now a café, and several children's playgrounds. From June to August, the Openluchttheater (open-air theatre) hosts free music, dance and theatre performances every weekend. This is the best place to experience everyday life in Amsterdam. Joggers and dog walkers are out in the early morning, office workers have lunch on the grass at noon, young people gather for picnics and beer in the evening, and families cycle on weekends. Barbecues are allowed in designated areas, and bicycles and rollerblades can be rented near the entrances. The Blauwe Theehuis, the Blue Tea House, a circular modernist building from 1937, and the Groot Melkhuis are good places to have coffee outdoors. The park is free and open all day. It is a 5-minute walk from Museumplein. The main entrance is on Stadhouderskade, near the Leidseplein tram stop for trams 1, 2 and 12. Outside the east gate are Leidseplein, the nightlife square, and P.C. Hooftstraat, the luxury shopping street. Please note that bicycles and pedestrians share the paths in the park, so keep to the right side of the path.
Opening hours
Open all day
Nearby sights
- Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Van Gogh Museum
- Moco Museum
- Leidseplein
- Rijksmuseum
- Westerkerk
- Heineken Experience
- Anne Frank House