Point of interest
Vondelpark
in Amsterdam, Netherlands
The city's green lung — perfect for a bike ride, a picnic or a summer stroll.
Where it is
The Vondelpark is an urban park of about 47 hectares in Amsterdam-Zuid, just west of the Leidseplein and the Museumplein.
Address: Zuid, Amsterdam
What it is
The Vondelpark is the city's most popular park, with ponds, lawns and paths perfect for strolling, cycling and picnicking. In summer the open-air theatre hosts free concerts and performances, while the restaurant in the historic pavilion and the Groot Melkhuis are favourite meeting spots.
History
A committee of Amsterdam citizens commissioned landscape architect Jan David Zocher to lay out the park in the English style, and it opened in 1865 as the "Nieuwe Park". It took its current name in 1867 after a statue of the poet Joost van den Vondel was placed there, reaching its present size by 1877.