VONDELPARK

Close to the Leidseplein and the Museumplein is the most well known, most visited and largest park in Amsterdam. There is always something to be done in the Vondelpark: walking, skating, listening to music or just watching the people passing by. The park was designed in an English landscape style by the architect L.D. Zocher and his son. They composed a park, which gave the 19th century Amsterdamer the illusion of a perfectly natural landscape. And today both Amsterdamers and tourists alike seek rest from the bustle of the city and imagine that they are in the countryside.

HORTUS BOTANICUS

De Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is a green oasis of rest in the bustling capital city. This is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. Here you will find thousands of unusual plants. In the garden you will also find the stylish 19th century orangery. This used to contain citrus trees but it now houses the museum cafe. The special climate glasshouse, built in 1993, has a subtropical, a tropical and a desert section with various sorts of plants, orchids and palms. In the monumental Palm house of the Hortus, part of the famous cycads palm collection can be seen.

THE RIJKSMUSEUM GARDEN

The beautiful Rijksmuseum Garden is not particularly well known. However, it is definitely worth a visit. The garden houses a treasure trove of flowers, fountains and summerhouses as well as an amazing collection of sculptures. The garden was designed by the architect Cuypers, who also designed the monumental Rijksmuseum building. The 'ruins' in this garden are an attraction in their own right. At the end of the 19th century fragments of buildings from all over the Netherlands were brought together. The result is a collection of five centuries of Dutch architecture. This ranges from gothic pillars from Edam to 17th century town gates from towns such as Groningen and Deventer.