Looking for picnic spots in Amsterdam? The amazing city of Amsterdam is best known for its nightlife, red lights and party scene. As summer approaches make the most of Amsterdam’s sunny days by heading off for a picnic to relax and take in the city. Check out our list of the top five best outdoor places in Amsterdam to have a picnic.
1. VONDELPARK
No summer list would be complete without Vondelpark. It’s one of the most famous parks in the entire country! About 10 million visitors flock to the park every year to take advantage of its spacious grassy areas. It’s the perfect place for a picnic. Its also really popular for running, biking and roller skating. If you are not exercising then sitting back and watching the park be alive is great people watching entertainment. Free concerts at its Open Lucht Theatre are a seasonal treat every summer. You can also take advantage of the numerous food and drink stands scattered throughout the park. Check out these cool bottle coolers to ensure you have cold drinks all day long!
2. SLOTERPLAS
Located in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West area, Sloterplas is one of Amsterdam’s largest parks. It’s large size of it makes room for every kind of summer activity imaginable! The park is named after the central lake, it includes a disc golf course, a petting zoo, fitness equipment, and even one of the largest swimming pools in the country! If you get bored of hanging out in the shade or along the shore of the lake, you can always take advantage of the 5.8 km running route.
3. AMSTERDAMSE BOS
Three times larger than New York’s Central Park, the Amsterdamse Bos is one of the city’s most popular outdoor destinations! Over six million annual visitors enjoy a walk through the forest. You can camp in the on-site cabins, visit the Fun Forest climbing park, so it is definitely one of the premier summer destinations for tourists and residents alike! Head out to walk any of the dozens of walking paths, enjoy a show at the outdoor Bostheater, or eat some pancakes and pet goats at the forest’s famous Boerderij Meerzicht!
4. ZAANSE SCHANS
The Zaanse Schans gets extra points for being a unique piece of Dutch history, located to the northwest of Amsterdam. The Zaanse Schans is a residential area with historical fixtures of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as old-fashioned houses, mills, barns, bakeries, and clog shops. For all the people looking to cut costs, admission is free, so you can walk through a slice of Dutch history for free this summer!
5. ARTIS
With over 700 different animal species, the Amsterdam Royal Zoo is one of the top tourist destinations in the country! Watching all the animals while opening a cold beer it’s a perfect place to bring a picnic! Whether you prefer penguins, giraffes, zebras, or otters, there is something for everyone! Visit the butterfly pavilion or Micropia, a museum devoted to microbes.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
More recommendations would include Sarphatipark, Oosterpark, Beatrixpark, and Rembrandtpark, all of which are sure to be popular destinations this summer! Be sure to bring a Coolenator along so you don’t have to run to the store or all the way home every time you want an ice-cold drink! You might even need two so warm drinks don’t dampen your spirits as you make the most of the amazing weather!
