Vondelpark - Park Spotlight in Amsterdam

If you’re seeking a green sanctuary in Amsterdam, look no further than Vondelpark, the biggest public park in the city. Named after 17th-century poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel (there is a statue in his honour), the park provides the perfect backdrop for reading, writing, resting, jogging, or - I bet you’ll be surprised by this one - biking!

My friend and I spent a few hours lazily lounging underneath a tree with sandwiches and drinks in hand. It isn’t difficult to see why there were so many talented Dutch artists when they were surrounded by views such as these!

The park also has an open-air theatre that has free music concerts. If you’ve got little tykes, you can also check out the Groot Melkhuis playground.

I’m quite pleased I chose to wear red pants when I visited. They really pop against all that incredible GREEN!

I truly felt like I was immersed in a 17th-century painting. The park is absolutely gorgeous, and is clearly well-maintained.

One thing I really enjoyed about the park was it’s close proximity to a number of Amsterdam’s top museums (The Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum). I personally came after I went to the Rijksmuseum, and it was only a short and leisurely walk away. The park is fairly large, and I spent about an hour and a half here (I also took the time to sit down and eat my lunch). If you’re planning to museum hop, it might be a good idea to include a trip to the park in between museums to give yourself a bit of a reprieve from the indoor heavily air-conditioned spaces.

There you have it! Vondelpark is a nature-filled beauty that is not to be missed while in Amsterdam. I highly recommend renting a bike and cycling around if you’re in the mood, or just bringing along a nice lunch that you can enjoy outdoors.

As always,