Vondelpark took its name from this 1867 statue of poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679), created by sculptor Louis Royer. It was originally called Nieuwe Park (New Park), but Amsterdammers began referring to the park as Vondel's Park, which led to it being renamed.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.68 MILES
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
0.73 MILES
Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…
1.4 MILES
Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…
0.83 MILES
The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…
1.71 MILES
Housed in Rembrandt's former home on lively Jodenbreestraat, this evocative museum provides an unparalleled insight into one of the Netherlands’ greatest…
24.9 MILES
Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…
1.64 MILES
Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.
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The museum of the Dutch Resistance brings the horror of German occupation in WWII vividly alive, using personal stories, letters, artefacts, films and…
Nearby Amsterdam attractions
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The Vondelpark's rose garden, with some 70 different species, was added in 1936.
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A cut above regular park statuary is Picasso's soaring, approximately 6m-high abstract work Figure découpée l’Oiseau (Bird Cut Out), better known locally…
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The neoclassical Hollandsche Manege is a surprise to discover just outside the Vondelpark. Entering is like stepping back in time, into a grandiose indoor…
0.61 MILES
These red-brick 1902-built tram sheds were formerly used as a squat before being turned into this breathtaking skylit space. De Hallen was stunningly…
0.61 MILES
This fabulous museum houses the collection amassed by postwar curator Willem Sandberg. The ground-floor Stedelijk Base exhibition displays a rotating…
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Cheesy but fun: here you undertake an hour's self-guided tour through this jenever (Dutch gin) museum. In the 'Hall of Taste' you'll try to differentiate…
0.68 MILES
This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…
0.69 MILES
The Van Gogh Museum's library has a wealth of reference material – some 35,000 books and articles – for serious study.