park
Amsterdamse Bos
A vast forest park south of the city — three times the size of Central Park — with a rowing lake, goat farm, open-air theatre and boat hire. Free.
Photo: Richard Thomas / Google
The Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) is the city's great green escape: a man-made woodland on the southern edge, around three times the size of New York's Central Park. Entry is free, and you could easily spend a whole day here.
A forest built by hand
The Bos was planted between 1934 and 1940 as a Depression-era work-relief project that gave jobs to more than 20,000 people, who dug and planted the whole forest largely with shovels and wheelbarrows.
What to do
Walk or cycle the trails; row or paddle on the Bosbaan and the Grote Vijver lake, with boats, canoes and pedaloes for hire; meet the animals at the Ridammerhoeve goat farm; send the kids up the Fun Forest high-ropes course; or catch a summer show at the open-air Bostheater. There are cafés, a pancake farm and even Scottish Highland cattle.
Getting there
It lies on the Amstelveen edge of the city, about a 30-minute cycle from the centre on dedicated paths, or reachable by bus. On weekends from April to October a historic museum tram runs out to the forest. The De Boswinkel visitor centre (Tue–Sun, 10:00–17:00) has maps and a nature exhibition.
What to expect
Forest trails for walking and cycling
The Bosbaan rowing lake with boat, canoe and pedalo hire
The Ridammerhoeve goat farm and the Fun Forest climbing park
Open-air theatre and concerts in summer
Tips from locals
Visit the Ridammerhoeve goat farm in the heart of the forest — kids can bottle-feed the kids and try goat's-milk ice cream.
Rent a boat, canoe or pedalo on De Poel lake, or bring a bike to cover the huge distances.
Walk the world's oldest artificial rowing course, the Bosbaan, and watch crews train.
In summer, check what's on at the open-air Bostheater.
It's southwest of the city near Amstelveen; bus 347 or 357 gets you to the main entrance.
Did you know?
At around 1,000 hectares it's roughly three times the size of New York's Central Park.
The whole forest was planted by hand in the 1930s as a Great Depression work-relief project for over 20,000 unemployed people.
Its Bosbaan, opened in 1937, is the world's oldest artificial rowing course and has twice hosted the World Rowing Championships.
The park has its own 'Big Five': the marsh harrier, Scottish Highlander cattle, kingfisher, grass snake and squirrel.
It's about 22 times the size of the Vondelpark.
FAQ
- Is the Amsterdamse Bos free?
- Yes, the park is free to enter. Some activities inside — boat hire, the climbing park, theatre shows — charge separately.
- How big is the Amsterdamse Bos?
- It's about three times the size of New York's Central Park, making it one of Europe's largest city parks.
- How do I get to the Amsterdamse Bos?
- About a 30-minute cycle from the centre on dedicated paths, or by bus; a historic museum tram also runs out on weekends from April to October.
Amsterdamse Bos
Bosbaanweg 5, 1182 AG, Amstelveen