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Amstelveen A lively, multicultural city home to 124 different nationalities, there’s plenty to see and do in leafy Amstelveen – from museums to shopping, theatre to sports. In 2014 Amstelveen was voted the second greenest city in the Netherlands, and is home to one of the largest municipal parks in Europe the Amsterdam Forest (het Amsterdamse bos), as well as the family friendly Amstelpark. The parks comprise lush forests, playgrounds, a petting zoo and offers plenty of space for a relaxing picnic. Amstelveen is also well known for its heme parks (heemparken), dedicated to native flora and which are designated national monuments. These parks are well worth a visit – especially during springtime. It’s an idyllic bike ride along the Amstel River from the centre of Amsterdam. AB
DINING ON THE AMSTEL If you follow the Amstel River out of the centre of Amsterdam – on a bike or even by boat – it doesn’t take long before you’re passing grazing cows and historic stately homes. The banks of the Amstel are bustling with fantastic restaurants and cafés with sunny waterside terraces where you can pause to refuel, including Brasserie Paardenburg (www.brasseriepaardenburg. nl), steak house Loetje aan de Amstel (ouderkerk.loetje.com) and Lute, an ultra-modern restaurant on the site of a former explosives factory (www.lute.nl).
COBRA MUSEUM In the centre of Amstelveen you will find the Cobra Museum of Modern Art. It is home to a collection of key works by artists from the avant-garde Cobra art movement. The museum presents interesting exhibitions from this unique collection, as well as temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen +31 (0)20 547 5050 www.cobra-museum.nl
UITHOORN Just to the south of Amsterdam is Uithoorn, with its charming Thamerkerk church from 1834 right on the bank of the Amstel River. There is also a lively harbour, with restaurants, shops and a weekly market on Wednesdays. Completely renovated in the 1990s, today it is open to the public for tours (www. fortaandedrecht.nl). A variety of walking and cycling routes have been marked out in Amstelland (the area around the Amstel River), and many pass through Uithoorn, which also has a 60-hectare nature reserve that surrounds a lake called the Zijdelmeer. It’s a fantastic spot for picnics and walks, and the grounds include a petting zoo.
FORTEN PAD (FORTS PATH) The area of Uithoorn is perfect for a tour – on foot or by bike – along the fortifications and through a typical Dutch landscape of polders, reeds and towpath following the river. Enjoy a well deserved drink at Fort bij de Kwakel and continue your journey to the Fort aan de Drecht . Over 100 years old, the monumental former military installation Fort aan de Drecht is on the outer edge of Uithoorn and is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. Nowadays it houses restaurant Amstelfort and a typical Dutch pancake restaurant. Fun for the whole family! www.defencelineamsterdam.com
MUSEUM JAN VAN DER TOGT Situated in the ‘Old Village’ of Amstelveen, you’ll find Museum Jan van der Togt. Here you’ll discover a leading collection of modern glass sculptures and fine art. The museum also organises temporary modern art exhibitions every six weeks. The museum tram line – a vintage tram service that operates in summer months and starts at Haarlemmermeer Station – stops near the museum. Dorpsstraat 50, Amstelveen +31(0)20 641 57 54 www.jvdtogt.nl