Wonderful lightness: summer days in Vondelpark Amsterdam

A place of special lightness, that’s what it is, the beautiful Vondelpark Amsterdam. As soon as you enter the city park via one of its many entrances, which are decorated with curved wrought-iron gates and golden lettering, you can feel that everyone is allowed to enjoy their freedom here. City dwellers and tourists sit on colourful blankets or simply spread out their jackets on the meadows. You can hear wine glasses clinking and there is a lot of laughter. The picnic, consisting of pre-sliced sausage, stuffed peppers, baguette and colourful dips  is spread out in front of small groups of friends. Here and there, people are snogging on a bench and you can spot parked bicycles everywhere. On the tarmac paths that meander through the English-style landscaped garden, runners jog, inline skate around cones or take a stroll. People live here in the park. Completely and utterly. And that’s exactly why you have to stop by here, especially if you’re in beautiful Amsterdam in summer. A perfect place to relax after our Incredible Amsterdam city centre tour!

Access to the park used to be reserved for the wealthy upper classes, but since the 1950s we have all been welcome. Twelve million people visit the city park in the centre of Amsterdam every year. It is particularly worth a visit if you have just visited Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum. Then the park is just a stone’s throw away. There are also many hotels adjacent to the Vondelpark and one of Amsterdam’s largest youth hostels is located right next to the entrance to the park. Thus, if you are staying here, you can take a walk in the park before going to bed. Note that Vondelpark Amsterdam closes its doors at night. This is when all the dog-walkers are directed to the exit and the couples are taken out of the undergrowth, as it is not permitted to spend the night in the park.

Open Air Concerts

In summer, numerous concerts take place in Vondelpark Amsterdam, mostly free of charge. Just check the website of the open-air theatre to see which band or singer is performing during your stay in Amsterdam:

Vondelpark Openlucht Theatre
Vondelpark 5a

Coffee and beer hotspots in the park

To make sure your pancakes and coffee don’t become a thirsty journey, you can stop off at Vondelpark3 right by the north-east main entrance. The magnificent building has two floors for sitting outside, and if it does rain, there is enough space to make yourself comfortable inside.

Vondelpark3
Vondelpark 3
Daily: 09:00 – 17:00

In the middle of Vondelpark Amsterdam you will find the Proeflokaal `t Blauwe Theehuis, which has a cosy beer garden. First you get your food and drink on a tray inside and then you look for a seat. The place is self-service. You can recognise the teahouse by its charming blue and white colour scheme. It looks a bit like something from the 70s. It’s definitely very cosy here and we city guides also love sitting here in the afternoon sun.

Proeflokaal `t Blauwe Theehuis
Vondelpark 5
Daily: 12:00 – 17:00

More central to the park is the Groote Melkhuis, which offers small snacks and drinks. It is also self-service here. The sun terrace is often shared with various species of geese and ducks that waddle out of the arm of the river in front of the café.

Groot Melkhuis
Vondelpark 5
Wed – Sun: 10:00 – 17:00
Mon and Tue closed

Once you have walked through the entire park (it takes about 30 minutes from the main entrance to the main exit at a leisurely walking pace), you can enjoy a break at Café Schinkelhafen, just opposite the south-western main gate. This lovely restaurant is a typical Amsterdam buurtcafé. A café where all the neighbours who live nearby like to meet up. And that’s exactly why you should visit it, because the atmosphere here is so wonderfully informal.

Café Schinkelhafen
Amstelveenseweg 126
Wed – Mon: 11 :00 – 01:00 (until 03:00, except Fri + Sat)
Tue: 10:00 – 03:00 h

Park of Fine Arts

As you stroll through Vondelpark Amsterdam, you will notice plenty of beautiful pavilions and fountains. But that’s not all the art! Numerous statues and sculptures also adorn the park. These include the Vondel Monument, which is dedicated to the eponymous national poet Joost van den Vondel. Picasso has also immortalised himself in the park with an abstract bird sculpture. A feast for the eyes for all art lovers!

A little Amazon in the Vondelpark

And now for something very special, because we’re talking about birds (at least Picasso’s bird sculpture): The ornithologists among you will notice it as soon as you take your first steps into the park. Suddenly you can hear tropical birdsong everywhere. Among the 30 bird species in the park, one species stands out in particular: the green collared parakeets. Once escaped from the zoo and then fed by bird lovers for years, the feathered newcomers have slowly been able to establish themselves in the park. The population of parrots has grown so much that it is now impossible to imagine Amsterdam without them. They fly in large groups from tree to tree looking for seeds and, above all, their favourite food, peanuts, which many visitors hang in small nets in the trees for the parakeets. Keen to find out more? Join us on our birdwatching tour!

You should definitely plan a walk in Vondelpark Amsterdam during your visit!

Love, your Incredible Amsterdam team ❤️