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Water Works THE SOURCE THAT KEEPS AMSTERDAM MOVING

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Contents 7

As Amsterdam settles into autumn, follow the water and discover the stories its currents continue to carry

here are countless ways to experience Amsterdam, but few reveal the city quite like the water does. It is where visitors first fall in love with the city’s beauty, where locals gather on warm summer days and where more than 750 years of history unfold. Cruise along its iconic canals, dive into one of its designated swimming spots, or simply pause WELCOME on a bridge to watch the city flow beneath you, Water is the lifeblood of Amsterdam, and you begin to understand why water has connecting not only its canals and rivers always been far more than a backdrop here. to the sea, but the past to the present too. It is Amsterdam’s origin story, its greatest This is the story of water and our city. challenge, and perhaps its greatest source of inspiration. It’s why water felt like the natural theme for WHERE TO INDULGE IN AMSTERDAM this autumn edition of I amsterdam Magazine. Autumn calls for Sunday roasts and It is impossible to understand Amsterdam warm apple pie. Plus: new fine-dining without understanding the role water has spots, theatre menus and the played – not only in shaping its landwoman behind World of Flavours. scape, but also its character. Water For more enabled trade, fuelled creativity and information connected the city to the wider world. WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO GO about Amsterdam, visit our website: At the same time, it demanded ingeEverything you need to add iamsterdam.com nuity, collaboration and an ability to to your diary for this autumn, keep looking ahead. Those qualities from art exhibitions and shows remain as relevant today as ever. to ADE parties and IDFA. In our cover story, On the Waterfront (p. 8), we explore the many ways Amsterdam continues to live with, and learn from, the water. From EXPLORE AMSTERDAM’S NEIGHBOURHOODS historians reflecting on the city’s earliest There’s something new to discover beginnings to engineers, urban planners and around every corner. Find out all about entrepreneurs preparing Amsterdam for a the renewed Czaar Peterstraat, spooky changing climate, the story reveals a city that spots and the best things in Zuid. sees every challenge as an opportunity to innovate. It is a reminder that the relationship between Amsterdam and water has never been DISCOVER THE AMSTERDAM AREA static; it continues to evolve, just as the city Explore beyond the city borders of itself does. Amsterdam and find water history, Besides our cover story, water runs throughout 40 years of Flevoland, and arts and this issue. You’ll discover places where water culture in Haarlem. and history meet, buildings that embrace the rivers and canals, and cultural experiences that invite you to look at Amsterdam from a differMY AMSTERDAM & COLOPHON ent perspective. Whether you’re strolling along Take a look at historic Amsterdam, the canals, taking a ferry across the IJ River or plus the people behind this magazine swimming in open water, you’ll find that water share their personal favourites is part of the city’s identity everywhere. with you.

08 On the Waterfront

15 Eat & Drink

29 What’s On

57 City Guide

71 Beyond the City

87 Sending You Off © STADSARCHIEF

THE WONDER OF WATER

COVER IMAGE: JORGE VELEZ

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City of Water 8 | BY: LAUREN COMITEAU

COVER FEATURE | 9

On the Waterfront Water is the lifeblood of Amsterdam, connecting not only its canals and rivers to the sea, but also the past to the present.

tanding at the rear of De Gooyer windmill in Amsterdam Oost, Maarten Ouboter, a technician at the Regional Public Water Authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht, places his hand on the building’s bricks and briefly runs through its history. They belonged to a water mill built on this spot in 1759. In 1814, the wooden, octagonal top of another nearby grain mill, De Gooyer, was placed over it, continuing the Dutch tradition of moving windmills around to where they’d be most effective. Today, the country’s tallest wooden mill serves mostly as a backdrop for the adjacent Brouwerij ’t IJ brewery. And so it goes in Amsterdam. ‘This is a water instrument from 1759 that is still standing here today showing us the attempts of the past to manage water,’

says Ouboter, who points to another location a bit further on where the city’s dikes burst in 1651. ‘We have an imprint of more than 750 years of history on every corner of the street.’

From problem to advantage Amsterdam was founded as a small fishing and farming village in the 13th century after inhabitants dammed up the Amstel River – today’s Dam Square – allowing them to settle in what was previously a watery marsh. ‘Once they did settle, they discovered that in order to maintain a stable life, they would have to build dams and dikes to control flooding,’ says Russell Shorto, historian and author of Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City. ‘So water’s importance to Amsterdam lies most of all in the challenge it

This is a 751-year-old city, shaped by water and man

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City of Water 10 | COVER FEATURE presented, which the city, and the province of Holland generally, overcame with world-historic implications.’ And so began the centuries’-old system of Amsterdam’s water management – the house-topped dikes along the Amstel, the ditches turning soil into agricultural land, the diverting of the Amstel River into the city’s man-made 17th-century canals. Those canals were used as drainage, for defence, sanitation and transport, and they exponentially expanded the city. ‘All of this activity turned the problem of water into an advantage,’ says Shorto. It helped that Amsterdam was located at the edge of a delta, providing the city with fertile land, excellent fishing and opening it up to transport and exploration both inland and overseas. ‘This is a 751-year-old city, shaped by water and man,’ says Ouboter of Amsterdam’s specific combination of geography and engineering. ‘It was fishermen and tradesmen who started this city.

Amsterdam later became a hub for transport. The landscape shaped the people, and vice-versa.’

Seafarers

One of the most advantageous aspects of water was the unparalleled wealth it generated in the city during the 17th century. ‘It was Amsterdam’s nautical links with the wider world that helped it become wealthy and enabled it to become the nerve centre of an empire stretching from Borneo to Brazil,’ says Ben Coates, author of The Invention of Amsterdam: A History of Europe’s Greatest City in Ten Walks, of the Dutch ‘Golden Age’. ‘Waterborne trade … helped bring new people, languages, cultures, cuisines, spices and silks to what might otherwise have remained a rather dour Protestant town.’ Indeed, merchants could buy their overseas wares and transport them back into Amsterdam via the IJ

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Artis Aquarium

The recently renovated Artis Aquarium, whose new theme is ‘water – the source of all life’, reopened in June with one of its dozens of aquariums recreating life beneath Amsterdam’s canals. In addition to electric bikes and a scooter, you’ll find what actually belongs there: an eel, local fish and the fish hotels that were introduced last year, which Amsterdam’s aquatic life can use to lay eggs or hide from predators. ‘Now you know that if you throw your chewing gum in the canals, you’re actually throwing it into the habitat of a lot of other neighbours

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here in Amsterdam,’ says Anne van Dijk, head of the aquarium, who believes that if people understand their environment, they’ll take better care of it. Perhaps tellingly, the historic aquarium building, which opened in 1882, had to be restored because over a century of saltwater had eaten through its walls, making it unsafe. ‘Whether it’s for sustenance, commerce or pleasure, the city does have a unique relationship with water,’ says Van Dijk. ‘If we don’t take care of it, it’s going to be one of the biggest challenges we face.’ ARTIS.NL/EN/ARTIS-ZOO/AQUARIUM

waterway, where they’d be put on smaller vessels and taken to the grand canal houses that also served as warehouses. (It still works much like that today, although the city’s warehouses have mostly moved outside the centre). The vast revenue from this Dutch seaborne trade allowed Amsterdam’s merchants to become patrons of the ar ts, funding painters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, and master shipbuilders in the shipyards of NDSM island in the north of the city. But Amsterdam’s battles with water also turned its inhabitants into problem solvers, says Shorto. ‘They made money and looked for new opportunities. The high point of this activity was the creation of the VOC [Dutch East India Company] in 1602, and with it the notion of shares of stock, which spread risk for ocean voyages around among many people. Next came the advent of the stock exchange, where people could participate in the

COVER FEATURE | 11

Download singer Wim Sonneveld’s ‘Aan de Amsterdamse grachten’ (On the Amsterdam canals), a nostalgic ode to life on the city’s canals. Better yet, try singing it at a karaoke bar and we promise every Amsterdammer there will join your rendition of the city’s unofficial anthem.

Amsterdam in 1544 was built around the water.

Water’s importance to Amsterdam lies most of all in the challenge it presented, which the city overcame with world-historic implications

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Pompstation © PLASTIC WHALE

Enjoy a meal at Pompstation (literally, Pump Station) in Amsterdam Oost, where the four water pumps that once occupied the now industrial dining area of this 1912 Amsterdam Schoolstyle building have been given new life in its basement. They’re still pumping water today, which means when you're dining, you can sometimes feel a small vibration emanating from below. Look for the erosion hole out front caused by a deadly flood that was the result of a breaking dike in 1651.

Plastic Fishing

ZEEBURGERDIJK 52 POMPSTATION.NU

Looking for a unique way to travel Amsterdam’s Unesco World Heritage canals? Book a boat trip with Plastic Whale and fish bottles and other plastics out of the city’s canals from a boat made with the very plastic someone fished out before you! PLASTICWHALE.COM

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City of Water 12 | COVER FEATURE

Over the centuries, Amsterdam – 35% of which is water – has perfected a complex system of pumping, storing and drainage, of polders, dikes, sluices and stunning mathematical equations to keep the water at bay and at a steady level. But the changing climate, with its rising sea levels and heavier rainfall, poses new challenges to the city’s time-honoured traditions. ‘Temperatures have risen, and when it rains, it rains heavier, while dry periods can also last much longer,’ says Ton Hilhorst, the chief garden designer at Artis. ‘Many plants that we had to move indoors for winter six years ago because they froze, now grow outside and even bloom, including plants that grow in the Florida Everglades such as the water-purifying Thalia dealbata [hardy canna or powdery alligator-flag].’

Everything old is new again

Renée Swinkels, an urban planning and water policy advisor for Amsterdam, is tasked with making the city more climate resilient. With higher seas and more saturated areas limiting the space available to store and discharge water, the city will become more dependent on its infrastructure. ‘It’s about designing new public spaces

A view on the IJ River. V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

where the water can go,’ she says, including making streets lower than buildings so water can flow through them to green areas where they can be absorbed, avoiding damaging buildings and roads. That’s easier to do in newer built areas, such as the islands of IJburg, which were created

Amsterdam’s battles with water also turned its inhabitants into problem solvers on land reclaimed from the sea a couple of decades ago. But in the old city centre, climate-proofing tends to be more creative out of necessity. ‘We plot how much water will fall and then we engineer where the water goes and determine how much storage we need,’ says Swinkels. ‘It can be a green space, a land depression or even a roof.

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IJ of the storm

With 800 trees to water, Artis relies on an innovative system of wadis – dry water ditches – that catch rainwater that can be distributed through pipes and other methods to thirsty greenery and parched animals. The wadis also absorb extra rainwater to prevent flooding, water that can later be pumped out and used during dryer periods. ‘The way we think about water has changed,’ says Hilhorst. ‘Water was always seen as the enemy, but now we must keep it in the country, not pump it out.’

great economic activity of the city. All because of water.’

Every Amsterdammer can vote for the local water board, no matter how long you’ve lived in the city (you pay water taxes, after all), illustrating just how important water management is for civic life.

COVER FEATURE | 13

Amsterdam City Swim & Marineterrein Make like Queen Maxima and her daughter Princess Ariane have in the past and join the annual Amsterdam City Swim. Now celebrating its 15th year, this event which raises money for ALS sees swimmers splashing their way through the city’s canals, starting on the stately Keizersgracht and ending at Marineterrein – a worthy destination in itself where

swimmers can enjoy the open-air water year-round (with the added bonus of a replicated 17th-century ship in view). It’s also where the AMS Institute tests out its water-related innovations, including the Roboat, a self-driving electric vessel that will soon transport people and waste for a cleaner, more accessible city. 6 SEPTEMBER, AMSTERDAMCITYSWIM.NL

Back to the future When storm Ciarán battered the Dutch coast in the middle of the night on 2 November 2023, a technical glitch meant the sluice gates in IJmuiden that prevent the North Sea from entering the city were left open. City technician Maarten Ouboter, working the night crisis shift, noticed the steep rise in Amsterdam’s water levels and alerted his colleagues, two of whom managed to close all 14 locks to the city manually in just three hours and prevent a flooding disaster, especially in the city’s lowlying Houthaven area. ‘We used the same old system we’ve been using for seven centuries to close Amsterdam,’ says Ouboter.

‘We will be depending on this historical infrastructure again as sea levels rise.’ But Ouboter stresses the city needs to continue innovating. ‘Heritage is so important.We can stand on the shoulders of giants to learn from the past, but we should design the future protection of the city. Our time is now.’

Maarten Ouboter

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We see a lot of blue-green roofs these days that store water to use on the buildings’ vertical gardens or on urban greenery.’ Outside of government, Amsterdam’s entrepreneurs continue to excel in creative water management. There’s the Permavoid technology that captures, stores and reuses rainwater to distribute it where it’s needed, such as to sports pitches, to keep the city cool and green. ‘The ultimate goal is to create a fully connected system where, with the help of sensors and AI, water is guided exactly where it’s needed, when it’s needed,’ says Permavoid’s Managing Director, Rozanne van Vliet.

For the love of water

But with all the innovations taking place in this city of water, most residents would also emphasise its beauty, charm and cultural contributions. ‘I hope we don’t only see water as a technical problem but also recognise the special quality it

In the end, it all comes down to water gives the city,’ says Swinkels. ‘I love Amsterdam because I can swim in its water. You can be in the water, on the water, next to the water. It’s a wonderful thing.’ And don’t forget, says author Coates, that ‘the waterlogged landscape of the surrounding countryside also gave us many of the things we associate with the Netherlands today: green grass, fat dairy cows, milk and cheese, dikes and windmills, bicycles to traverse the flat landscape. In the end, it all comes down to water. And visitors – from the Beatles to Monet, and Quentin Tarantino to Descartes – have been inspired by it.’

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Eat & Drink Where to indulge in Amsterdam BY: KARIN ENGELBRECHT

16 Feature: Harvest Time 20 Top Tips: Dinner on the Fly 21 Fine Dining: Tacite 22 Meet the Maker: World of Flavours 23 Dining Out: Lucky Duck 24 Feature: Sunday Roast 27 Column

Find out more about food and drink in Amsterdam at iamsterdam.com/ restaurants

Rotate Just off Leidseplein, this crimson-and-cocoa jewel box of deep red marble, rich brown leather and warm wood is where Amsterdam’s influencers, footballers and fashion crowd have already claimed their tables. Every detail feels considered, from the bespoke red-and-white plateware to the house-branded soy sauce. The fire-grilled carabinero prawns are sweet, smoky and gloriously juicy, while the buttery chu-toro arrives as delicate pink tuna parcels with pickled onions in a seafoam-green jalapeño sauce. If your best outfit has been waiting for an excuse, this is it. KLEINE-GARTMANPLANTSOEN 5, ROTATE.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Harvest Time 16 | EAT & DRINK

Few cakes enjoy cult status in Amsterdam. Café de Jaren’s famous appelschnitt (€6.20) is one of them. NIEUWE DOELENSTRAAT 20, CAFEDEJAREN.NL

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VARIOUS LOCATIONS

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MOSVELD.DEBAKKERSZONEN.NL

An Apple a Day As autumn arrives, Amsterdam takes on a familiar aroma: cinnamon, baked apples and buttery pastry wafting from bakeries and cafés. This is the story behind one of the Netherlands’ most iconic flavours, appeltaart..

t is no coincidence that apples have become the flavour of the Dutch autumn. For centuries, the Netherlands’ cool climate and fertile river valleys have been ideal for growing apples, with orchard-rich regions such as the Betuwe and Limburg producing abundant harvests. Unlike delicate summer fruit, apples can be stored for months in cool cellars, making them a natural choice for autumn and winter baking. The Dutch were baking apple pies long before they became a café staple. The earliest known recipe in the Dutch language appears in Een notabel boecxken van cokeryen, printed in 1514,

Think apple turnover, but butterier. De Bakkerszonen’s flaky appelflap (€2.75, or four for €10) is autumn wrapped in sugar-crusted puff pastry.

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already calling for warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger and cloves. As global trade brought those spices within easier reach, apple pie gradually evolved into the comforting classic we know today. Today, it is a fixture in Dutch cafés, where a generous slice of apple pie, served with whipped cream, remains one of life’s simplest pleasures. And the tradition continues to evolve. Whether baked into buttery pastries, shaken into seasonal cocktails, pressed into crisp local cider or picked straight from the orchard, apples remain at the heart of the Dutch autumn. Here are some of our favourite ways to experience apple season.

Harvest Time 18 | EAT & DRINK

’t Papeneiland

PRINSENGRACHT 2, PAPENEILAND.NL

Fitz’s Bar

Inspired by the ‘scents that evoke places and memories’, Gault&Millau’s Cocktail Bar of the Year 2026 lets guests sample a selection of edible perfumes before choosing their cocktail. The stylish Roaring Twentiesinspired interior, polished service and inventive menu make every visit feel like an occasion. For autumn, don’t miss the crisp Lady Astor, where cider and horseradish add bite to gin and Pimm’s, or the indulgent Pomology, layering Calvados, apple shrub, apple pie meringue and apple crumble into a liquid dessert. Both capture the season beautifully. MAURITSK ADE 61 FITZSBARAMSTERDAM.COM V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Café ’t Papeneiland

Looking for a slice of Amsterdam history with your traditional Dutch appeltaart? This charming familyrun Delft-tiled café, housed in a building dating back to 1642, offers both. Perched on one of the city’s prettiest canal corners, it combines classic brown café charm with a waterside terrace that’s perfect for watching Amsterdam drift by. Tucked away on what was once known as ‘Papists’ Island’, the building is also swathed with myth: back when Catholic worship was banned in Protestant Amsterdam, a tunnel ran beneath the canal to a hidden church on the opposite bank. The tunnel has now been proved to be a fabricated rumour, but who cares – after all, not many cafés can claim their apple pie comes with a side serving of religious intrigue.

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Winkel43

Fancy a change from beer or wine? Tucked away in the Jordaan, Amsterdam’s only dedicated cider shop is a treasure trove for anyone keen to discover what cider can really be. With more than 150 ciders and poirés from small producers across Europe, this specialist shop goes far beyond the sweet supermarket versions many of us know. Expect everything from crisp and refreshing to complex and rustic, with expert advice on hand if you’re not sure where to start. This delicious detour is a great reminder that apples can be every bit as interesting as grapes.

On Saturdays, an organic farmers’ market fills the Noordermarkt and queues form quickly at this famous corner café. The reward? A generous slice of chunky apple filling, rich buttery crust and, if you’re lucky, a hint of oven warmth still lingering. NOORDERMARKT 43, WINKEL43.NL

Appels & Peren Cider Shop

ROZENGRACHT 220B APPELSENPEREN.AMSTERDAM

Proeflokaal Arendsnest Taste your way beyond the city limits at this cosy canal district tasting house, where you can sample cider from Utrecht and Gelderland. Or try one of 52 beers on tap and over 50 bottled brews – all from the Netherlands. HERENGRACHT 90, ARENDSNEST.NL

Fruittuin van West

Deguelle Patisserie

Pick over 20 varieties of seasonal fruit including heirloom apples and local pears at this organic orchard in Nieuw-West. Rent a bike, follow the Haarlemmervaart westwards, and make a day of it.

Discover the deeply delicious world of the Limburgse vlaai at this Oost-based bakery. This Limburgian speciality looks like a large, open fruit pie but is actually more like a sweet pizza, baked with a bread-like dough. The appelkruimelvlaai is not to be missed.

Beer isn’t the only Dutch tipple worth packing. UWE Heavy Apple (€11.96 at Appels & Peren cider shop) is a dry craft cider that deserves suitcase space.

TOM SCHREURSWEG 48 FRUITTUINVANWEST.NL

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EERSTE OOSTERPARKSTRAAT 128 DEGUELLE-PATISSERIE.NL

Top Tips

Café Americain has been the theatre district's grand meeting place for generations, and offers twoor three-course theatre menus (from €37.50) in Art Deco splendour.

20 | EAT & DRINK

LEISDEPLEIN 28, CAFEAMERICAIN.NL

Dinner on the Fly

Find out more about food and drink in Amsterdam at iamsterdam.com/ restaurants

Whether you’re heading to the theatre, catching a train or taking a flight, these restaurants serve delicious dinners without the wait.

L’Entrecôte et les Dames

OVERTOOM 28 CHEZ-CHLOE.NL

Before the curtain rises at ITA, DeLaMar or Bellevue, settle in at this charming Oud-West newcomer. Whether you’re after a glass of wine and a few bites or a full à la carte dinner, simply let the staff know when your show starts and they’ll pace your meal accordingly. A climate-controlled cellar showcases more than 250 wines, while the Frenchinternational menu features refined seasonal dishes.

Chez Chloé

Choux

CHOUX.NL

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DE RUIJTERKADE 128

VAN BAERLESTRAAT 47 ENTRECOTE-ET-LES-DAMES.NL

Bistro Baret

This Michelin-starred marvel has built its reputation on inventive, vegetable-led cooking. Just a short walk from Amsterdam Central station, its three-course theatre menu (€52.50, table available until 8 pm) lets you fit in a memorable meal before boarding the Eurostar, catching a train to Schiphol or strolling along the IJ to Bimhuis or Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ.

More than 20 years on, this Parisian-style bistro opposite The Concertgebouw is still sticking to the same winning formula. Sleekly dressed waitstaff serve salad, followed by your choice of entrecôte with herb butter sauce or Dover sole and fries. Walk in from 5.30 pm, and you’ll be out in 45 minutes. Do not skip the real-deal mousse au chocolat.

The kind of bistro you’ll wish you had around the corner, this candlelit spot is just a two-minute walk from Royal Theatre Carré. Every dish on the menu is designed to be served quickly so that you can order à la carte and still make the show. Stick to the classics: oysters, steak frites or the fish of the day. They’ll have you out in time for curtain-up. KORTE AMSTELSTRAAT 18 BISTROBARET.NL

Dining Out

After honing their craft at two Michelin-starred Aan de Poel, chef Joris Koudstaal and maître Daan van Splunteren strike out alone at their first restaurant, Tacite.

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Tacit Approval One of Zuid’s most exciting recent openings pairs understated elegance with vibrant French-international cooking.

acite takes its name from the French word for ‘unspoken’. That restraint extends to the interior, with natural wood, soft beige tones and crisp white tablecloths creating an elegant backdrop. But while the restaurant whispers, the cooking speaks volumes. Rather than chasing gimmicks, the kitchen lets impeccable technique and confidenta flavours do the talking, while the young front-of-house team’s attentive service is polished without ever feeling formal. French foundations meet international accents throughout the menu.

A bite of langoustine tartare on a spelt blini is so good it elicits an involuntary groan of delight; stewed fennel is lifted by mussels and orange, while monkfish comes with North Sea shrimp, lime leaf and a deeply flavoured bisque. A perfectly cooked ballotine of guinea fowl with chanterelles and artichoke demonstrates the kitchen’s classical pedigree, before cherries, yoghurt ice cream and lemon thyme provide a refreshing finale. It’s an experience that’s polished enough for a business dinner, yet warm enough to make you want to return. CORNELIS KRUSEMANSTRAAT 15, TACITE.NL

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Meet the Maker 22 | EAT & DRINK

If you’ve never tried bara (Surinamese bean fritters), now’s your chance. World of Flavour’s Baramaribo’s contemporary version is filled with spicy chicken (€9.50).

Behind a World of Flavours

July Bennett (39) created World of Flavours, a pop-up food village in Zuidoost showcasing local food entrepreneurs.

ith a background in finance rather than hospitality, July Bennett may seem an unlikely champion for one of Amsterdam’s newest food destinations. Yet after spending nine years helping build and manage the much-loved World of Food, she saw first-hand how difficult it was for many entrepreneurs when it closed. Rather than wait for its anticipated return, Bennett created World of Flavours: a temporary home where independent food stalls can showcase cuisines from around the globe, giving small food businesses the chance to thrive until at least the end of 2027. Helping entrepreneurs grow is what Bennett enjoys most.

From former World of Food traders to first-time business owners, she’s proud to provide a platform where they can flourish. She’s equally passionate about changing perceptions of Zuidoost. While some still see the area through outdated stereotypes, she sees a community where neighbours genuinely look out for one another. She hopes visitors coming for concerts or football matches will stay to discover the vibrant neighbourhood through its multicultural food. Her pick? ‘Order the baked funchi from Yvette’s Kitchen. It’s a comforting Caribbean speciality that’s still surprisingly hard to find elsewhere in Amsterdam.’ JOHAN CRUIJFF BOULEVARD 300, WORLDOFFLAVOURS.NL

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Dragon’s Den Dinner beneath a Chinese dragon? That’s just the evening’s starter at this exuberant pan-Asian newcomer.

ucky Duck is the kind of place where dinner could easily stretch into a wonderfully spontaneous night out. While the kitchen closes at 10 pm, the bar stays open until 1 am (and until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays). Influences of China, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan run through everything here, from its gloriously over-the-top interior to its menu. In the open kitchen, a diverse team of chefs, including a dedicated sushi chef,

prepares everything from crispy rice cubes topped with bluefin akame tuna, hamachi and salmon to Wagyu gyoza with black garlic and goma ponzu. The shrimp roll with mango, cucumber and furikake is another standout, but the toro nigiri crowned with caviar is the must-order. On Saturdays, a DJ spins vinyl and keeps the atmosphere buzzing well into the night. VOETBOOGSTRAAT 13 LUCKYDUCKAMSTERDAM.COM

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@ LINDE BRENDS

Dining Out

All the fragrant, fiery flavours of Thailand’s favourite soup are cleverly reimagined in this Tom Yam Cooler (€16).

Sunday Roast 24 | EAT & DRINK Enjoy a Sunday Roast in the Vondelpark at Café Vertigo.

Weekends Done Well

he beauty of Amsterdam’s Sunday roast scene lies in its variety. Some restaurants stay close to the British blueprint, while others treat it as a starting point rather than a rulebook. At Williams Farmhouse, all the classic trimmings are present in elegant farmhouse-style surroundings, while Café Vertigo serves a traditional roast overlooking Vondelpark. Mr Porter takes things in a more decadent direction with its Sunday Feast: perfectly cooked steaks, pork belly with crisp crackling, Yorkshire puddings, cocktails and views of the Royal Palace on Dam Square.

Café Nieuw Amsterdam keeps the focus firmly on sharing, bringing together fennel sausage, slow-cooked beef, crispy pork belly, seasonal vegetables and gravy for a leisurely afternoon around the table. At Nela, the communal spirit lives on in a family-style brunch built around meat skewers cooked over the restaurant’s open fire. Even vegetarians are well catered for: Mr. Watson Botanical Roast Room’s charcoal-grilled lion’s mane [a meaty mushroom] steak is every bit the worthy centrepiece. However you like your Sundays, Amsterdam has a table waiting.

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Whether you’re craving a textbook British roast or a creative reinvention, Amsterdam has made the Sunday ritual entirely its own.

On the first Sunday of every month, Lazuur in Noord offers a three-course Sunday roast with ever-changing seasonal roast themes.

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PURMERPLEIN 8, RESTAURANTLAZUUR.NL

Café Caron The Sunday roast at this French bistro in De Pijp takes a decidedly Gallic approach to the British classic. It begins with an optional starter of snow peas, Brillat-Savarin cheese, pearl couscous and a poached egg dusted with sumac, before a family-style roast arrives with potatoes and a bracing green salad. Alongside classic roast chicken, there’s always a second centrepiece, which might be côte de boeuf, bavette, fish or a vegetarian dish. © CAFÉ GEORGE

FRANS HALSSTRAAT 28, CAFECARON.NL

Café George

Newly introduced at the recently refurbished Café George, this is one of Amsterdam’s finest British-style Sunday roasts. Generous slices of rare Dutch Holstein entrecôte come with crispy beef-fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, honey-glazed carrots, charred pointed cabbage, tender-crisp broccoli and rich gravy. We’d happily add a dollop of horseradish sauce, but otherwise it’s hard to fault. A vegetarian pie is available. Served every Sunday. LEIDSEGRACHT 84, CAFEGEORGE.NL

The Cottage

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A proper Sunday roast is the draw at this neighbourhood favourite in Oost. Run by a Dutch couple with a clear understanding of British pub traditions, it serves rotating roasts of beef, lamb or pork, alongside all the classic trimmings. There’s always a vegetarian option, too. Word has spread well beyond the local postcode, judging by the number of beaming British expats at the tables. LINNAEUSSTRAAT 88 THECOTTAGE.AMSTERDAM

€24.50

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Artist Jan Rothuizen draws and writes what he sees, hears, and thinks as he walks and cycles through Amsterdam. In this ‘soft atlas’ of everyday life, we pass familiar landmarks such as the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Red Light District. Rothuizen

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also introduces us to Amsterdam’s lesser-known places and residents like the Hash Museum, the Turkish barber Ekmel, and the elderly Mrs. Kooy. In his successful The Soft Atlas of Amsterdam (worth €32.99) Rothuizen gives a fresh perspective on the city. DELIVERY COSTS INCLUDED WITHIN THE NETHERL ANDS. SEE ABOL AND.NL FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Dam Life

Lauren Comiteau is a journalist and writer who has covered the Netherlands for Time Magazine, CBS Radio and others since 1996. She lives in Amsterdam with her two daughters and Jack Russell.

C H ET N MOU © JO H A

PO SS E

COLUMN | 27

Offline Living The city’s youth are ditching digital and going analogue; here’s where you can, too.

ou see them everywhere around town. Young people sipping oat milk lattes at a sidewalk café with a journal and pen in hand. Bespeckled college students reading a book on a Vondelpark bench. Those old Pentax and Leica cameras strung around taut necks. Apparently, while I, a Gen Xer, was likely busy writing in my phone’s notes, the youth among us deleted their apps and went in search of connection (or, as they say, ‘face-toface’). The Amsterdam Gen Zers I meet these days, my two daughters included, are picking up knitting, pottery and crossword puzzles or heading to nearby Alpaca farms to walk with the animals. I asked a colleague of mine at The American Book Center (ABC) in Amsterdam if more young people were flooding its aisles. Not only are Gen Zers particularly avid book browsers, but she’s noticed they’re also flocking to ‘disconnecting and slowing down’ events, including one the bookstore held with the Prose Posse, which organises communal reading events complete with book swapping and socialising at The Hoxton hotel and museums citywide. It’s such a welcoming contrast from the Millennials I know, who have their phones welded to their hips expecting instantaneous gratification. My Millennial landlord has renovated our Amsterdam apartment to such a high-tech spec that my washing machine basically speaks to me.

My mother’s caregiver asks an app to adjust the lights, while my mother asks it to fetch me. We even operate the bidet by app (I didn’t say it was easy being an analogue girl in a technological house). One 25-year-old waitress tells me she’s bought an additional phone to use when she wants to unplug. It’s not the so-called ‘dumb’ phone many of her friends are buying that can only call and text, but her moderately intelligent mobile device can’t get her scrolling social media feeds during a night out. She even has a friend who turns off his phone on trains to – gasp! – speak to strangers (which trust me is a particularly challenging task for a Dutch person). I applaud this move to disconnect to reconnect, whether it stems from Instagram insecurity, a desire for post-COVID 19 reconnection or simply a nostalgia for all things past. I look forward to the day my daughters gift me a framed photo (and breakfast in bed while they’re at it) instead of sending their latest selfies by app. In the meantime, check out the Instagram pages (somewhat ironic, I know) of the Analog Club Amsterdam (mostly for camera enthusiasts), The Offline Club (which includes crafts and nature getaways), One for the Books and the Silent Book Club, which often holds its reading parties in the city’s parks. As an analogue reader of this tangible magazine, I’ve no doubt these events will prove to be page-turners.

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What’s On Where to go and what to see BY: TOM FLANAGAN, LESIA JOUKOVA, LISA POST

30 Feature: The Night Watch 32 Exhibitions 36 Pop & Rock 37 On a Budget 38 Interview: Nadine Froughi 44 On Stage 46 Feature: New Clubbing 50 Family & Kids 53 Classical & Jazz 54 Feature: IDFA

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ADE 30 years

Over the past 30 years, Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has grown from a local gathering into the world’s leading festival and conference for electronic music, bringing together artists, professionals and fans from across the globe. The 2026 anniversary edition celebrates this legacy with highlights including Jean-Michel Jarre as guest of honour; a strong focus on emerging scenes from Brazil, MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa; and an extensive programme of performances, talks and networking events shaping the future of electronic music. Scan the QR code for a dive into the full ADE programme. 21-25 OCTOBER AMSTERDAM-DANCE-EVENT.NL

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Exhibition 30 | BY: TEA GUDEK ŠNAJDAR

Following five years of research that began in 2019, the Rijksmuseum started a thorough restoration of its most famous painting. And they are doing it in front of the public.

Operation Night Watch V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Can’t wait to see The Night Watch in all its glory? Restore your own with this jigsaw puzzle (€19.95).

WHAT’S ON | 31

RIJKSMUSEUMSHOP.NL

The team is currenly stripping away old varnish.

f you’ve walked through the Rijksmuseum’s Gallery of Honour lately, you’ve likely spotted an unusual sight. Enclosed in a large glass studio, Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is surrounded by experts in black coats with bold white letters on their back reading: Operation Night Watch. Armed with microscopes and special tools, they are restoring the masterpiece in front of the museum’s curious visitors. But how do you restore a painting that’s almost 400 years old? ‘I think it’s important for people to realise that when they are in front of The Night Watch, they are not looking at a brand new painting, but at a 384-year-old object,’ says Esther van Duijn, one of the ten conservators on the project. ‘And it’s been through a lot.’

Remnants of the past

During the treatment, conservators are not only protecting Rembrandt’s brushstrokes and original pigments, they also have to deal with remnants of dozens of restorations the painting has undergone over the centuries. It is slow,

The process will uncover some of the painting’s historical ‘scars’ which you can’t usually see meticulous work. The team is currently stripping away old varnish, revealing greyish areas on the outer edges. It’s Rembrandt’s original paint layer, dulled by age and microscopic damage. ‘We are working in vertical columns from the outside inwards, so the main figures remain visible until the last moment,’ Van Duijn explains. ‘We have nine columns in total, and we’ve almost finished the first two; that has taken about a year and a half.’ Once the old varnish is entirely removed, the conservators will apply a new one, bringing the more saturated colours back. Only then will they add minor retouches, placing them between new layers of varnish. This ensures the original paint remains untouched V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

and any modern repairs can be easily identified and reversed.

Old scars

The process will also uncover some of the painting’s historical ‘scars’ which you can’t usually see. In 1975, The Night Watch was slashed with a knife, and removed varnish already reveals one of the twelve cuts, near the drummer’s figure. In 1990, someone threw acid at the canvas. The marks from that attack are currently hidden, but they will become visible once the old varnish is completely removed. After the restoration, these damages will become invisible again. When the restoration is complete, most visitors will simply see The Night Watch as they always have. Yet beneath its renewed surface lies years of painstaking work. Every decision made in the glass studio is intended to preserve not just Rembrandt’s paint, but the painting’s long and eventful history – ensuring it can continue to be seen, studied and restored for generations to come. RIJKSMUSEUM.NL

Exhibitions

Bright New World

his year marks the 125th anniversary of the Dutch Housing Act, yet the housing shortage is worse than ever, despite the beautiful workers’ palaces built (such as the Museum Het Schip building itself) at the beginning of the 20th century. Follow an interactive timeline through the history of housing in the Netherlands at Het Schip’s latest exhibition, which covers everything from the post-war necessity of young people living with their parents, to the squatter riots, the liberalisation of the housing market and today’s growing homelessness.

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UNTIL 11 OCTOBER, HETSCHIP.NL

Disco

In 1970s New York, clubs and private lofts filled with music, movement and people seeking a moment of escape from a city marked by tension and uncertainty. Disco music and the vibrant scene surrounding it developed during this transformative period and went on to undergo a remarkable evolution in the decades that followed. Through original club objects, photography, fashion and performance, Disco at the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam explores how disco became a culture of freedom, resistance and self-expression. FROM 9 OCTOBER AMSTERDAM.WERELDMUSEUM.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

32 | WHAT’S ON

In November, the city turns into a contemporary art festival during Amsterdam Art Week, when galleries, museums and project spaces open their doors for tours, symposiums and artist talks.

WHAT’S ON | 33

18-22 NOVEMBER, AMSTERDAMART.COM

Chez Matisse

A highlight of the cultural season, Chez Matisse at the H’art Museum shows how French painter Henri Matisse transformed modern art through his bold use of colour, shape and simplicity. More than 80 works are on show, including the famous The Romanian Blouse. The exhibition also highlights Matisse’s influence on artists such as Picasso and Rothko, with examples of his colourful paintings and paper cut-outs. FROM 3 OCTOBER, HARTMUSEUM.NL

Samangat! Moluccans in Amsterdam © HENRI MATISSE, THE ROMANIAN BLOUSE, 1940, COLLECTION CENTRE POMPIDOU

Since Prime Minister Rob Jetten formally apologised for the Dutch government’s historic mistreatment of the Moluccan community, interest in their history has grown. This outdoor exhibition on the history of Moluccans in Amsterdam comes at the right time. Through 16 striking photographic portraits by Eva van Kesteren, highlighting a range of individuals and communities, you’ll gain a vivid impression of Moluccan life in the city. Samangat means ‘Keep your spirits up!’ or ‘Stay strong!’ – a fitting sentiment for the exhibition. UNTIL 22 OCTOBER, KOP VAN JAVA

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On stage, nothing is quite what it seems; roles, masks, costumes and sets can amplify, refine or hide identities. The Art of Transformation exhibition dives into the topic of transformation on stage: photographer Diana Blok captures actors on film dressed in their dream roles of the opposite sex, artist Arne Hendriks explores the set changes of the Slingelandt theatre, and creative producer Danny van Zuijlen writes about revue performer Louisette.

Art is not a Crime © HENRY CHALFANT, WRITER'S SCENE

The Art of Transformation

UNTIL 29 NOVEMBER, ALL ARDPIERSON.NL

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Photographer Henry Chalfant played a defining role in preserving and legitimising New York’s graffiti movement. Through his iconic images, films and publications, he transformed graffiti from a fleeting street phenomenon into a globally recognised cultural and artistic movement. This autumn, street art museum Straat celebrates Chalfant’s legacy with the exhibition Art is not a crime. Henry Chalfant: Capturing Graffiti Culture, NYC, 1977-1987. FROM 9 OCTOBER STRA ATMUSEUM.COM

curated by

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The story of Amsterdam in Motion 15 minutes from Central Station amsterdaminmotion.com

Exhibitions

Abracadabra at the Jewish Museum invites you to experience the Golden Age of Magic and discover spectacular illusions for yourself.

WHAT’S ON | 35

Yayoi Kusama

FROM 25 SEPTEMBER, JCK.NL

The Edge of Things Internationally acclaimed photographer Nadav Kander returns to the spotlight with solo exhibition, The Edge of Things. Spanning four decades of work, the showcase brings together his haunting landscapes, intimate portraits and quietly powerful studies of the human form. From the Yangtze River and Chernobyl to portraits of Barack Obama and David Lynch, Kander’s stunning images invite you to pause, look closer and discover the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary. FROM 18 SEPTEMBER, FOAM.ORG

If you want to lose yourself for a while, step inside one of Yayoi Kusama’s installations, where the boundary between museum visitor and infinity dissolves. Where does the space end and where do you begin? The Japanese artist settled in New York during the 1960s, where she became renowned for her groundbreaking artistic experiments. Now aged 97, she continues to captivate audiences of every generation – and the Stedelijk Museum is honouring the eternally youthful grande dame with a major retrospective. FROM 11 SEPTEMBER, STEDELIJK.NL

Materialising Memories

FROM 3 SEPTEMBER, OSCAM.NL

After a major renovation and move, Zuidoost’s OSCAM opens Materialising Memories by artist Bevan Agyemang during the closing day of Amsterdam Fashion Week. Marking the grand opening of the new Bijlmerplein 97 location, the exhibition celebrates fashion, art, and community through co-created works exploring identity, memory, and cultural connection.

Masterpiece Amsterdam

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This exhibition from Amsterdam City Archives and Amsterdam Museum brings together 17th-century cityscapes that trace Amsterdam’s transformation from a trading port into a major European city. Paintings of the newly built canal belt, the Town Hall on Dam Square, bustling markets and the busy waterfront on the IJ reveal both the city’s rapid expansion and everyday urban life. It also showcases how artists shaped Amsterdam’s image and how these historic views still influence perceptions of the city. FROM 6 NOVEMBER AMSTERDAM.NL /STADSARCHIEF

Pop & Rock

Kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop fuses reggae, soul, techno and jazz for a sound that could only ever be its own.

36 | WHAT’S ON

12-14 OCTOBER, PARADISO.NL

One of the year’s breakout pop stars, Slayyyter’s third album Worst Girl in America has sent her stratospheric, and rightly so. A blend of blistering beats, riotous punk-infused lyrics and a vocal range that never fails to surprise, Slayyyter’s latest LP is as much about the dancefloor as it is deliverance. Check out ‘Dance!’ for a suitable introduction to her sound before you head to Paradiso this October. 19 OCTOBER, PARADISO.NL

Slayyyter Muna LA’s own sirens Muna arrive on the back of their fourth LP Dancing on the Wall, a rougher and more textured take on their indie-pop sound than ever before. Best known for killer melodies and queer anthems, there’s a good chance you’ll be dancing one moment, then crying (in the best sense) the next – all in the space of one night.

Bloc Party & Interpol

20 NOVEMBER

Two heavyweights of indie rock unite for a night at AFAS Live. Rock band Bloc Party and New York post-punk darlings Interpol co-headline a special gig, with a roster of their classic hits on show, from the British band’s seminal LP Silent Alarm to Interpol’s Antics. One for the rock purists.

MELK WEG.NL

17 NOVEMBER, AFASLIVE.NL

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On a Budget WHAT’S ON | 37

Open Monument Day

Outdoor drawing in Noord Discover Noord from a new perspective during this free drawing walk. Led by visual artist and teacher Liesje van den Berk, you’ll explore the neighbourhood through drawing exercises that invite you to slow down, observe and see your surroundings in new ways. No drawing experience is needed and materials are provided.

DOORNOORD.LIESJEBERK.NL (IN DUTCH)

Every year on the second weekend of September, thousands of monumental buildings throughout the Netherlands are freely accessible to everyone. A highlight on the programme in Amsterdam is the Van Gendt Hallen, an industrial cathedral on Oostenburg island, home to five impressive factory halls. Although the site has not officially opened yet, Open Monument Day offers a unique opportunity to take a sneak peek inside. The complex was once a major industrial hub where locomotives and marine engines were built, offering a fascinating glimpse into the area’s rich manufacturing heritage. 12 & 13 SEPTEMBER, OPENMONUMENTENDAG.NL

Free Lunch Concerts at The English Reformed Church Concealed within the nook of the historic Begijnhof almshouse garden, the English Reformed Church holds free monthly lunchtime concerts at 1 pm. This autumn season, catch the Nottingham High School Choir and Band as well as Choir of Ely Cathedral’s hour-long performance, open to all. 19 & 26 OCTOBER, ERC.AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam City Archives

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Delve into the city’s rich history at the Amsterdam City Archives. Located in the building’s basement, the Treasure Room is free to visit and includes original photographs, drawings, maps, objects and documents that tell the capital’s story. VIJZELSTRA AT 32 AMSTERDAM.NL / STADSARCHIEF

Interview

It’s Nadine’s World Stand-up comic and internet darling, Nadine Froughi’s blend of intercultural comedy has helped her build a universe entirely of her own – now she’s inviting everyone inside it.

38 | BY: TOM FLANAGAN

WHAT’S ON | 39

hen Nadine Froughi moved to the Netherlands, she never imagined she’d end up doing comedy. But 15 years later, the 31-year-old stand-up comic has built a loyal audience both on stage and online. With more than 40,000 followers and a string of sold-out shows, her observations on Dutch office life, cultural mishaps and identity across countries have struck a chord with both locals and internationals. Born in the UK to an American mother and Iranian father, and now fluent enough to pass as Dutch, Froughi knows a thing or two about what it means to exist between cultures. More than anything though, she’s funny. Really funny. I suppose the best place to start is to explain a bit about yourself and where you grew up. ‘I was born and raised in the UK, in Solihull, England. I lived there until I was about nine, and then my parents divorced. My mum is from Alaska, my dad is from Iran, but both of them ended up in Scotland as teenagers, and that’s how they met. But then my dad moved to the Netherlands, and my mum moved back to Scotland to an island in the Outer Hebrides. If you’re a teenage girl with a desire to see the world, I don’t recommend it. My brother was always very popular. He was good at sports, everyone loved him, and I was just this kind of weird, nerdy older sister.’ You moved to the Netherlands when you were 16 to study at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Did you find it hard to learn Dutch? ‘I kind of learned it by osmosis over the years. I think a lot of it came from my little brother who was born when I was 18. I was watching kids’ television, reading kids’ books – all the stuff I’d missed. It’s honestly the best way to learn a language.’ When did you start doing comedy? ‘My main job is in B2B content marketing at a tech company. Comedy started after lockdown because I was very depressed – I spent a lot of time by myself and I didn’t really have a hobby. Before, I would go for coffee or drinks with friends, trying restaurants. Once all that disappeared, I realised I was missing something. I saw an ad for an improv class and took it.’ Why improv? ‘An American influencer I followed said she met her husband at an improv class. I thought: “That’s a good idea.” I have yet to met my husband, but actually having now been to several improv classes, that sounds like a horrible idea.’

‘I was worried people would expect me to perform my TikToks live’

When did it stop being a hobby? ‘My improv instructor told me I kept trying to force everyone into my joke, and maybe I should try stand-up instead. So like a lot of people, I started doing open mics. I still remember the first time I got paid – €30. I thought: “Money for this? That’s crazy.”’ Your online comedy feels very different from your stand-up. ‘Completely different. The online stuff started because one video went viral. It was about a Dutch person realising they had to order their coffee in English. It hit 100,000 views and now it’s around 800,000 views. Since then, I’ve posted a video every two days. Every time I post something that’s not the accent, people don’t like it as much, so I try to fit whatever I want to talk about into that. And office stuff.’ Why do you think both Dutch people and internationals connect with your comedy? ‘Dutch people can see I understand their culture. It’s not a total outsider saying, “Isn’t this country terrible?” That’s never what my content is. This is my home; I love it here, and everything I make comes from that place. People from abroad recognise their own frustrations and funny moments too. One of the cornerstones of Dutch humour is zelfspot. When I first moved here, my Dutch friends used to ask why I talked about myself like that all the time. I’d say, “Because it’s funny”. They’d tell me, “No, that’s a British thing”. Zelfspot is something a little different from British self-deprecation.’ How have friends and colleagues reacted? ‘Sometimes they’ll ask, “Was that one about me?” It never is – or if it is, it’s about somebody from two jobs ago. Mostly I’m observing things other people have noticed too. I also joke about expats because I’m part of that world. I’m very pro-migration. I’m never saying, “If you don’t like it here, leave”. But I also can’t go to another stand-up show and hear another expat comedian make a joke about Dutch people being cheap.’

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Interview

Follow Nadine on IG (@lefrough) or TikTok (@nadinefroughi). And don’t miss her autumn shows in September and October.

WHAT’S ON | 41

‘I cried a lot during those shows’ What can people expect from your stand-up? ‘My current show is called Daydreamer. I describe it as a show about delusions and daydreams. It has musical numbers, PowerPoint presentations, and follows all the little rabbit holes my brain goes down. It’s about identity, love and the things you don’t say out loud. I was worried people would come expecting me to perform my TikToks live. I’ve seen people do that and it’s not fun at all. One of the biggest themes is loneliness, and that’s what people seem to connect with most.’ Is loneliness something you’ve experienced in Amsterdam? ‘It was part of why I got into comedy in the first place. I came up against this thing of having people around me but

still feeling lonely, which I think a lot of people experience, especially if you’re single. A lot of the people who follow me are new here. Somebody came up to me and said she’d only been in Amsterdam a month and my videos had really helped. I love conversations like that. I hope I’m not scaring people, but helping them understand what they’ve gotten themselves into. If that helps people feel a little less lonely, I really like that.’ What would you say to someone who’s just arrived? ‘Be proactive. I think it can be difficult to make friends here, and that’s something you have to actively pursue, making friends, dating and building relationships at work. The first culture shock I had was how direct everyone was. I got used to it very quickly because I realised I actually liked it.’ What do you love about Dutch culture? ‘I love the tradition of treating everyone on your birthday, and the way, as soon as the sun comes out after dinner,

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Interview WHAT’S ON | 43

‘It doesn’t feel like something that matters, until someone tells you it mattered to them’

But I think it’s important. Someone might spend all day worrying about family they can’t reach, reading terrible news, and then come to a comedy show. It doesn’t feel like something that matters, until someone tells you it mattered to them. That’s something I won’t forget.’

everyone goes out for ice cream. People think the Netherlands is cold and individualistic, but I don’t think that’s true. Community is just expressed differently. My Dutch friends have been incredibly loyal. I’ve always felt very safe and very welcome.’ What’s been the defining moment of the past year? ‘Doing Daydreamer for the first time in Amsterdam. It sold out, so we added another show and I ended up performing it twice back-to-back. As things had been going so badly in Iran, I decided to turn it into a fundraiser. The ticket money and donations went to two organisations in the Netherlands – one supporting refugees and one supporting undocumented people – because of my own family history. People didn’t just come for an hour of comedy. They really connected with what I was trying to do. I cried a lot during those shows.’ The situation in Iran must have added another layer to the show. ‘Around that time somebody from Iran came up to me after a club set. She said, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to come because everything has been so bleak.” Then she said, “I really needed this. I really needed to laugh.” I still get emotional thinking about it. People have asked me, “How can you keep telling stupid jokes when people are being slaughtered?”

Is that the power of comedy? ‘We’re the lucky ones. People in my family made a big, scary journey so I could have this life. They didn’t leave everything behind so I could sit here and be sad. I think we owe it to the people who came before us to live fully.’ What do you hope people leave your shows with? ‘I hope they laughed a lot and that they feel a little bit seen. If they found me through Instagram, I hope they got to know me a bit better. But mostly, I hope they had a really good time. When you work in tech, you can work really hard all day and still wonder what difference you’ve actually made. Then I go and do 15 minutes of stand-up, people laugh, and someone comes up afterwards to say they really enjoyed it. That feels like I did something worthwhile. Then I don’t have any questions about what I’m doing with my life. I know I’m doing something good.’ Catch Nadine at the Comedy Café on 6 September, Droog on 10 September and Comedy Café on 22 October. For other dates, head to linktr.ee/lefrough.

Nadine’s Amsterdam – what does that look like? ‘I love Noord because it still feels very much like Amsterdam, and if you want a break from the busiest parts of the city, it’s great. My favourite shawarma is Tigris & Eufraat in Oost. Cocktail bar Vice Versa will always have a special place because that’s where I did my first open mic. I also love Stacks. People can be a bit sniffy about American food, but it’s very, very good. And at Buikslotermeerplein, there’s an Afghan food truck that does the best soup. I always go back.’

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On Stage 44 | WHAT’S ON

Swan Lake © PETROVSKY & RAMONE

This season’s classical highlight is undoubtedly the Swan Lake ballet on the National Opera & Ballet stage. Experience Tchaikovsky’s masterful score interpreted through the choreography of Rudi van Dantzig in the immortal tale of Odette and Prince Siegfried’s love, betrayal and deception. 15 OCTOBER-8 NOVEMBER OPERABALLET.NL

Opium Flower How do you rediscover your own voice when straddling two opposite cultures? Opium Flower explores this through the story of three women who travel to the Netherlands from Asia. The intercultural dance production draws from Chinese philosophy and Western dance to create a touchingly poetic one-hour performance that leaves a lasting impact. The story focuses on women facing language barriers, societal expectations and cultural divides. Through dance, live music and performance, the symbolism of the poppy flower’s resilience shines through. 28 NOVEMBER, PLEIN-THEATER.NL

Two Gentlemen of Verona At once a romantic comedy and a sly satire, Two Gentlemen of Verona explores what happens when friendship collides with desire. Staged by the We Love Shakespeare Ensemble at Mike’s Badhuis theater, this early Shakespeare work serves up mistaken identities, reckless pursuits and plenty of chaos – all laying the groundwork for his later plays and proving that matters of the heart have always been complicated. 27 & 28 OCTOBER, BADHUISTHEATER.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Reframing the real life of radical writer Tove Ditlevsen, The Copenhagen Trilogy at ITA crafts a captivating play where the political and personal collide in a depiction of addiction, artistry and defiance.

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29 OCTOBER, 10 & 17 DECEMBER, ITA .NL

The Car Man

Matthew Bourne brings award-winning The Car Man to Carré: a dance production based on Bizet’s opera Carmen in which the cigarette factory is swapped for a greasy 1950’s garage-diner where the arrival of an enigmatic stranger sends the small town into upheaval. The familiar opera score is enmeshed with music by Terry Davies to a striking effect. Expect grit, mature themes and tension aplenty in this capti vating dance thriller. 25-29 NOVEMBER, CARRE.NL

King Me

An evening with Fran Lebowitz

Settle in for a night of stand-up comedy and Trump-inspired improvisation in Greg Shapiro’s King Me at Bellevue theatre. Having cut his teeth on the Boom Chicago stage, Shapiro is now in his ninth solo show. This time round prepare for laughter and, possibly, tears, as the comedian sets the scene for the upcoming US midterm elections and dares to look at the future with a positive eye while reflecting on 250 years of independence that brought back the concept of a king.

American author, cultural critic and sharp-tongued wit Fran Lebowitz brings her trademark observations on politics, art and everyday life to Amsterdam for a rare live appearance. In conversation with journalist Twan Huys, the Pretend It’s a City star will tackle contemporary culture, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. One for the fans. 29 OCTOBER MEERVA ART.NL

18 & 19 SEPTEMBER, THEATERBELLEVUE.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Clubbing

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46 | BY: CALLUM MCLEAN

Clubbing New Style Nightlife in Amsterdam is changing. From straight-edge to cutting-edge: this is club culture, reimagined.

s vibrant as it is during the day, it’s at night that Amsterdam’s culture truly comes alive. Or at least, that’s how it’s always been. As in many other European countries, there are fewer and fewer clubs, and young people in particular seem to be clubbing less, while some older clubbers shy away from late closing times. ‘The full picture is nuanced,’ explains Amsterdam’s Night Mayor, Freek Wallagh.

‘The economic reality for more and more people is that they can no longer afford to party all night. You can see that, as a result, they’re making different lifestyle choices and are developing different consumption patterns. Club culture is changing, but just as with any culture it’s not ending – contrary to what some media have led us to believe – it’s just going in new directions. People are partying differently.’

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A bold experiment to tackle falling attendance, shared membership system Nachtpas offers unlimited entry to Garage Noord, Radio Radio, SkateCafe and Nachbar for €24.50 per month. NACHTPAS.NL

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It is precisely because of alcohol and drugs that a dance floor can become toxic such as LoFi and Bret, regular Sunday events such as Kinky Sundays at Radion, and early-hours promoters like Orphic and Breakfast Club. For many others, though, it’s the drinking and drug-taking that put them off – leading to a rise in sober clubbing. Parties like Ambrosia and Sober Morning Coffee Raves have strict sobriety policies, offering ‘ecstasy without the XTC’. ‘It’s precisely because of alcohol and drugs that a dance floor can become very toxic’, explains Amari Stanienda, co-founder of event Sober. ‘The concept brings people together. At our parties, you’ll see a person in their fifties in jeans and a T-shirt dancing exuberantly alongside an expressive queer person with a little fan.’

Affordable?

Nevertheless, many of these events are no more diverse – or affordable – than traditional nights. Recent reports frequently quote promoters and clubbers fed up with a nightlife that feels increasingly white. ‘More ownership of spaces and venues by Black people and people of colour!’, puts one respondent succinctly in a 2026 report co-commissioned by the City of Amsterdam. These concerns have led to a growing number of nights creating more inclusive spaces. Diaspora Radio, for example, curates programming that ‘celebrates diversity and underrepresented perspectives’, alongside voices like Steppin’ Into Tomorrow. Meanwhile, Amsterdam has a history of cutting-edge queer nightlife, many of them also trying to address the affordability crisis. Queer events at Pamela and De Trut still offer free

Warm Bad at Toekomstmuziek Sociably timed and socially conscious, Warm Bad is a dance party to improvised live music on Monday evenings: ‘the artist’s weekend’, as co-organiser Marnix Dorrestein puts it. The informal format distills that special ‘unpredictability and organised chaos’. Supported by arts funding, this is also a rare and fragile case of affordable, ‘humandriven nightlife’ as prices soar elsewhere. NOVEMBER, DATE TBC

ADE Often including Sober itself, there are countless unusual party opportunities at Amsterdam Dance Event. The annual festival and conference aims specifically to shape the future of international club culture. That means not only forward-thinking club nights – including daytime, sober and free parties – but also cultural events and panel talks.

For some, this is a timing issue: club nights start prohibitively late, especially for those with families or 9-to-5 jobs. There are more daytime alternatives now than ever. Weekenders at clubs such as Garage Noord and Raum mean you can stroll in for a midday dance and be home for dinner. The same goes for daytime parties at venues

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Early and sober

21-25 OCTOBER, AMSTERDAM-DANCE-EVENT.NL

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Sober at Parallel This queer-led techno party runs regular afternoon raves at Parallel and other venues, with a focus on inclusive euphoria – without chemicals or alcohol. If that weren’t enough, the Sober team also host talks, screenings and workshops to celebrate queer and sober partying and build a stronger community of conscious clubbers. 27 SEPTEMBER, PARALLEL.AM

Discover Gardens, Castles and Lakes 30 minutes from Amsterdam

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Clubbing WHAT’S ON | 49

and these...

Vroeg Zat Perfect for thirty- and forty-somethings who have kids standing at their bedside the next morning or have sports commitments, Vroeg Zat is an early party, starting at 7 pm. Musically, it swings back and forth from disco to pop, from reggae to rock, and from happy to hip-hop, and all those nice danceable tunes in between and beyond. Make sure you get in on time... 3 OCTOBER, MELK WEG.NL

or affordable entry, as do former squats including Vrankrijk, OT301 and De Nieuwe Anita. Garage Noord, Kink and Diaspora Radio go one step further, offering free entry by request to disadvantaged clubbers. Garage Noord also offers €10 ‘community tickets’ to mailing list subscribers, besides being part of new initiative Nachtpas.

Ambrosia events are all about going out without alcohol or drugs. Phones are put away and talking on the dancefloor is discouraged, creating an environment focused on music, movement and being present. Expect a mix of techno, trance and Afro-inspired rhythms, and a crowd there primarily to dance. 24 OCTOBER, AMBROSIA.DANCE

99dB at OT301

Club culture is here to stay – whatever form it takes So there is hope yet. In fact, a 2026 report actually found that 90% of respondents still participate in Amsterdam’s late-night culture. As one respondent describes it: ‘Night culture doesn’t necessarily have to happen at night. It’s about building alternative realities and spaces where we can experiment with other ways of living together.’ In other words, club culture is here to stay – whatever form it takes.

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Rather than a big club night, young Amsterdam-based techno collective 99dB focuses on carefully selected DJs, raw and energetic techno, and a crowd that comes to dance. With Techno with Attitude as its motto, this night is all about authentic underground techno, available to all: tickets are €8-10. 9 OCTOBER, OT301.NL

Ambrosia at ADE

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Ambacht in Beeld

Sint Maarten

In Amsterdam, Halloween has become increasingly popular over the past few years. At the same time, it has its own long-standing tradition: Sint Maarten, celebrated on 11 November. On this evening, kids go through their neighborhoods with handmade lanterns and singing songs at people’s doors. In return, they receive sweets or small treats. In the Indische Buurt in Oost, this evening is particularly wonderful: the neighbourhood hosts Super Sint Maarten, a parade with enormous illuminated lanterns, puppets, music, and people in costumes. It’s a sight to be sure, adding extra warmth and light to this already special night. 11 NOVEMBER, SUPERSINTMA ARTEN.NL

Cinekid

Don’t miss this year’s Cinekid Festival at Pathé Amsterdam Noord. Marking its 40th anniversary, the film festival has prepared a nostalgic agenda full of the finest Dutch children’s films and series, and workshops and masterclasses for all ages. Kids can join meet-and-greets with film actors or head over to the MediaLab for interactive VR experiences and games during the autumn break. 10-25 OCTOBER CINEKID.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

26 & 27 SEPTEMBER AMBACHTINBEELDFESTIVAL.NL

This September, NDSM Loods will be transformed into a massive makers' workshop where you can learn all about handmade trades, from jewellerymaking to wood-turning. The perfect introduction to artisan crafts, Ambacht in Beeld has plenty of activities for all ages. Weave your own bookmark, print your own fantasy insect, create postcards using potato stamps or make your own soap. Booking your desired activities in advance is advised.

After last year’s sold-out debut, Mega Kids Disco returns to AFAS Live with an afternoon full of live music, dancing and family fun.

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27 SEPTEMBER, AFASLIVE.NL

Children’s concerts at The Concertgebouw The Concertgebouw’s autumn programming boasts not one, not two, but five Baby Concerts for babies up to 18 months of age. For kids aged 6 years and up, the free Children’s Lunchtime Concerts offer the perfect chance to enjoy great music in the Recital Hall during the autumn holidays. Both concerts last 30 minutes: a perfect taster of classical music in one of the world’s best music halls.

Jeugdland Climbing, building and going on adventures – it’s all possible at Jeugdland, an outdoor playground in Oost where kids get to play on their terms, join free walk-in workshops that tackle everything from building go-carts and huts to fun science experiments with the help of workshop masters. With DIY kits, gnome trails and outdoor sports, this is the place to be as long as you’re prepared to have fun, come rain or shine. JEUGDL ANDAMSTERDAM.NL

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De Kinderboekwinkel

Rijksmuseum’s Family Game

A beloved children’s bookshop since 1975, De Kinderboekwinkel just moved to Rozengracht 101-103, and it’s well worth a visit for a bit of bookish magic. There’s plenty of choice to be found on their floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the cosy play area and café are perfect for spending some well-deserved quality family time. KINDERBOEK WINKEL.NL

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Museum visits don’t have to be stuffy. Certainly not with the Family Quest at Rijksmuseum... Young and old, everyone can unravel the Rijksmuseum’s secrets, as long as you work as a team. There are eight special mysteries to uncover within an hour with the help of a special guiding device, and a special surprise awaits at the end. The game is available in multiple languages and requires prior booking. RIJKSMUSEUM.NL

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Uniquely Great

For the first time ever, Amsterdam’s biggest orchestra pays a visit to the capital’s largest concert hall in this musical meeting of the titans. For three days in October, the Royal Concert gebouw Orchestra will perform at the Ziggo Dome under the moniker Uniquely Great. Step into the world of Joe Hisaishi’s best and beloved scores from Studio Ghibli films or surrender to the classics including Beethoven’s iconic ‘Ninth Symphony’ on the second night. 2-4 OCTOBER CONCERTGEBOUWORKEST.NL

Cello Biennale Amsterdam The Muziekgebouw and Bimhuis play host to the world’s largest cello festival. Complete with top celloists from all over the globe, you’ll find experimental performances, new talent and even a special night dedicated to dance and club music. Grab a passe partout for the entire festival or pick the nights that appeal.

Contra

Housed in a former academic building, restaurant and jazz bar Contra is now one of the city’s buzziest late-night spots.

29 OCTOBER-7 NOVEMBER

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Harmony After two years of renovation, Amsterdam’s iconic Gashouder opens as a new cultural venue. One of its first highlights is Harmony. Across ten immersive music ‘ceremonies’, you can sit or lie down on a giant mattress covering the entire floor, listening to artists such as Jon Hopkins and Sven Väth. The bring together contemporary classical music, ambient and electronic sounds, blurring the boundaries between genres. Music, light and visuals create an intimate experience designed for deep listening. 17-22 NOVEMBER, HARMONY.NOW

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On Screen

Want more tips on things to do in Amsterdam? Follow instagram. com/iamsterdam

54 | BY: ROXY MERRELL

Documentary at Your Doorstep IDFA invites you to discover new perspectives and remarkable stories from across the globe through documentary film.

rom the mountains of rural Mexico to the streets of Glasgow, from personal stories of survival to extraordinary moments of collective action: there are few better ways to explore the world than through documentary film. Every November, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) brings stories from across the globe to cinemas and venues throughout the city, inviting you to slow down, look closer and connect with experiences beyond our own.

Films on solidarity

This edition presents a focus programme on Common Ground, which explores how we live together amid social and political division. Through new films, documentary classics and in-depth conversation, the programme examines ideas of solidarity, community, citizenship and the civic function of public space – all in search of hope and courage in dark times. This year’s Guest of Honour is Salvadoran-Mexican filmmaker Tatiana

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WHAT’S ON | 55 Huezo (pictured), whose quiet observations of everyday moments are known to reveal profound emotional and political truths. Alongside a retrospective of her films, you can also discover the ten documentaries that have shaped her own career. Highlights include Huezo’s own Prayers

Don’t miss these... © TEEMU KEKONNEN

There are few better ways to explore the world than through documentary film for the Stolen, a powerful story of friendship, family and survival in a rural Mexican mountain village dominated by violence. A remarkable piece of film history is William Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a documentary that will transport you to a 1972 gathering of influential Black artists and thinkers, offering a rare glimpse into a pivotal cultural moment through independent American cinema. And Everybody to Kenmure Street by Felipe Bustos Sierra captures an extraordinary act of civil resistance, when Glasgow residents prevented the deportation of two of their neighbours.

Follow your curiosity

For 11 days, film screenings, new media experiences and professional events will unfold in iconic buildings across Amsterdam. From the 1920s Art Deco grandeur of Pathé Tuschinski to the striking architecture of Eye Filmmuseum and beloved neighbourhood arthouse cinemas, IDFA turns the city itself into part of the festival experience. You don’t need to know your verité from your mixed media: the joy of IDFA is following your curiosity. Wander into a screening, stay for a filmmaker talk or step inside an immersive installation at IDFA DocLab where documentary moves beyond the cinema screen. Whether you catch a single screening or spend a whole day exploring the programme, you’ll leave with powerful stories that linger long after the credits roll.

West Beach (Film) Festival Swap the cinema seat for a beach chair at West Beach (Film) Festival, where films unfold beside the waters of Sloterplas. With surrealism as this year’s theme, the festival blends screenings with art, music, workshops and local collaborations – turning a neighbourhood gathering into a small world of its own. Free and open to all, welcoming a pay-as-you-like contribution. 16-20 SEPTEMBER, @WESTBEACHFILMFESTIVAL

Vue Amsterdam Located in Houthaven – one of Amsterdam’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods – the new Vue megacinema operates 15 screens, making it the largest cinema in the Netherlands by number of auditoriums. The venue offers a broad film programme, from blockbusters to independent films, plus the added bonus of making their own popcorn. VUECINEMAS.NL

Imagine Film Festival Ready for a thrill in time for Halloween? Each autumn, Imagine Film Festival brings the best of science fiction, horror, fantasy and genre cinema to Lab111 and other cinemas in the city. From new releases to cult classics and experimental film, the festival invites you to explore the boundaries of your imagination. 29 OCTOBER-8 NOVEMBER IMAGINEFILMFESTIVAL.NL

12-22 NOVEMBER, IDFA.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

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City Guide

58 Map 60 Feature: Mystic Spots 64 M icro district: Czaar Peterstraat 66 What to do in: Zuid

Explore Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods

With our online guide, you’ll find out everything about the newest spots in town for food, drink and more: iamsterdam.com/new

Sluishuis and Écluse Overlooking the water of IJburg, Café Écluse is a place to slow down and enjoy the view. Located in the Sluishuis, this café serves up coffee, freshly baked treats, breakfast, lunch and drinks by the water. Inside, the atmosphere is light and cosy, while the terrace offers the perfect spot on sunny days. The Sluishuis itself is one of Amsterdam’s most striking contemporary landmarks, designed by BIG and Barcode Architects. A walk to the rooftop reveals a 360-degree view of IJburg, the harbour and the surrounding landscape. It’s spectacular. HARINGBUISDIJK 1A, ECLUSEAMSTERDAM.NL

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Map 58 | CITY GUIDE

ITA

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Halloween in Amsterdam Amsterdam makes Halloween delightfully atmospheric, even for newcomers. Expect costumes and pumpkin-decorated pubs, but also great parties hosted at locations throughout the city. A standout is the Rave To The Grave boat party, where you can dance on the water accompanied by creative costumes, theatrical surprises and energetic music. 31 OCTOBER COMPLETEAMSTERDAM.COM

Black Moon Botanica

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Spooky Spots As autumn leaves fall and Halloween draws near, the city’s gloomy corners whisper of hidden knowledge, spiritual havens and ancient spells.

ucked between Amsterdam’s canals, historic façades and bustling shopping streets are small shops where the city’s past meets its more mysterious side, carrying traces of a long relationship between Amsterdam and the world of mysticism. This long-standing association with mysticism is rooted in Amsterdam’s history of relative religious and intellectual tolerance. In the 17th century, the Dutch Republic, shaped by its fight for independence, developed a reputation as one of Europe’s most

open societies. Driven by commerce as much as conviction, Amsterdam welcomed merchants, scholars and religious minorities from across the continent, creating an environment where unconventional ideas could circulate more freely than elsewhere.

Hermeticism and witchcraft Among the philosophical currents that flourished was Hermeticism, an esoteric tradition inspired by writings attributed to the mythical Hermes Trismegistus.

There is a long relationship between Amsterdam and the world of mysticism

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Step into Amsterdam’s witchy past through the new 1666: Amsterdam game, from the Assassin’s Creed’s creators. The city becomes haunted by black magic, spells, and shapeshifting adventures.

Blending philosophy, astrology, alchemy and spirituality, Hermetic thought explored the hidden relationships between the cosmos, nature and the human soul. Amsterdam became an important centre for the publication and exchange of these ideas, leading some historians to describe the city as a European capital of Hermetic thought. This was also the time when witch persecutions were the order of the day, but the courts of the Netherlands were generally more sceptical than those in neighbouring countries. That pragmatic approach helped preserve a climate in which alternative spiritual traditions could survive, even if they remained on the fringes of society. Today, echoes of that history can still be found in Amsterdam’s independent esoteric bookshops and botanical apothecaries.

Spotlight On…

6x Mystic Shops Black Moon Botanica With its carefully chosen decorations inside and out and a friendly staff happy to answer questions about the projects and esoteric tools, you can find all things tarot, handmade candles, crystals, runes and herbal tea blends here. Great for beginners and workshops, the place feels like a miniature museum. SPIEGELGRACHT 30

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Fabula Rosa A cosy spiritual shop that is your go-to for crystals, extensive tarot/oracle cards, books and incense. They also stock yoga mats, meditation cushions, Palo Santo, sage, singing bowls and salt lamps, making it a peaceful spot to browse and pick up tools for mindfulness or magic. ROZENGRACHT 15D

Gems by Shy Near Central Station, Gems by Shy offers personalised crystal selections based on energy and aura. Owner Shy helps you choose stones tailored to your physical and mental needs, with a focus on ethically and sustainably sourced gems. The small shop also carries jewellery and candles.

Mystic shops

One of the best-known examples is Black Moon Botanica on Spiegelgracht, housed in a restored 17th-century building just steps from the Rijksmuseum. Founded by astrologer and herbologist Brooke Mackay-Brock, who handcrafts many of the items alongside her husband, the shop offers vegan ritual candles, herbal blends and more. ‘These shops serve as anchors for connection and exploration,’ Mackay-Brock notes. ‘They provide approachable entry points for those interested in these traditions, sustaining the city’s open-minded heritage.’ These spaces are more than retail shops: they function as community hubs where you can explore herbalism, astrology, tarot, folklore and ritual practices through books, workshops and conversation. In a city known for its museums and canals, they offer a quieter connection to a centuries-old tradition of curiosity and intellectual openness.

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Fantasyshop Chimera

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Open since 1991, this shop feels like stepping into an enchanted forest with dragons, unicorns, trolls and fairies, accompanied with clothing, jewellery and fun accessories. DAMSTRAAT 7

Elements of Energy This magic shop centres on Feng Shui and Nine Star Ki astrology. They offer a great selection of crystals, candles and teas, plus workshops and consultations for selfdevelopment. They also have shamanic supplies and plant medicine. NIEUWE KERKSTRA AT 1

Sosoul Inner Sanctuary A ritual space for crystals, cacao ceremonies and guided sessions, this serene sanctuary near Noordermarkt also offers a curated shop with incense, jewellery, journals and ceremonial matcha or cacao. ANJELIERSSTRAAT 46

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Micro District 64 | BY: GARVAN Ó DEAGHAIDH

Czaar Peterstraat O

Between historic façades, independent makers and carefully curated shops, Czaar Peterstraat is defined by craftsmanship and character.

n the eastern edge of Amsterdam’s city centre, there is a street where the city’s past and present meet. Everything you need to know about Czaar Peterstraat can be found within its history. In the 17th century, it was populated by shipbuilders and their spirit is carried on in the present day, with the street’s focus on craft, artisanship and global produce. Few places in Amsterdam bring together such a distinctive mix: Ethiopian speciality coffee at Kaffa Koffie, Italian wines at Enoteca Sprezzatura, everything about cacao production at the Cacaomuseum and vintage design at shops filled with wood-panelled furniture – all within a few steps of one another. By the late 19th century, Czaar Peterstraat had grown into one of Amsterdam’s busiest shopping destinations, even becoming the street with the highest number of cafés in the city.

But decades of economic change in the 1960s and 1970s saw activity move elsewhere, and before its first major redevelopment in 2003, the street struggled with decline, poverty and crime. That transformation marked the beginning of a revival. Czaar Peterstraat regained its energy and identity, eventually being named the Netherlands’ nicest shopping street in 2016. Czaar Peterstraat may not have always been perfect, but as any good shipbuilder or craftsman will tell you, good things take work. And now, following another major redevelopment, it is ready for its next chapter and perhaps another attempt at reclaiming that title. After more than a year of partial closures due to construction, this storied street is fully reopening with a new garden, improved tram connections and expanded cycle lanes, all designed with the public in mind – just in time for autumn.

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5 Enjoyed your Ethiopian coffee at Kaffa Koffie? You can drink it at home too with their own Kaffa beans (€7.10 for 250g).

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3 De Koffie Broeder

Pansy

Come for speciality coffee and stay for an ever-so-cosy downstairs alcove area that feels more like a stylish grandmother’s living room than a café. Meanwhile, the terrace out front is a peoplewatching paradise.

Part shop, part studio and creative workshop space, this is where to go for handmade ceramics, artworks, prints and more – all in their signature pastel aesthetic. If you feel

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like learning how to do it all

DEKOFFIEBROEDER.NL

yourself, their workshops have rave reviews.

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2 Fromagerie Abraham Kef This is Czaar Peterstraat’s home of cheese and everything related. Pick from a range of Dutch, Italian, Spanish and English cheeses, then pair with a selection fit for a Roman emperor – red wines, purple grapes, fig jams, French baguettes, artisanal sausages and more. CZAAR PETERSTRAAT 137, ABRAHAMKEF.NL

Counter

A chic and community- focused spot that acts as a natural wine bar and restaurant on Thursday and Friday nights. During the week, their lunch combo – soup, a sandwich or quiche and a dessert for €10 – is hard to beat. CZAAR PETERSTRAAT 174 @COUNTER.AM

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Zuid 66 | BY: GARVAN Ó DEAGHAIDH

Art, culture, delicious food and greenery – Zuid has it all. Amsterdam’s most luxurious district combines old world and high culture to gorgeous effect.

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The Height of Culture

The Electric Museum Tram Line revives the past with a unique collection of historic trams. Ride and experience the fully restored streetcars in all of their former glory. MUSEUMTRAMLIJN.ORG

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uid is perhaps most well-known for its connections to old ‘high’ culture, tradition and grandeur. The stately Museumplein’s broad expanse is populated by such cultural behemoths as the Rijksmuseum – its origins dating back to the 18th century – the Van Gogh Museum and the Royal Concertgebouw.

Then, nearby you have Vondelpark, a big draw for locals and visitors alike. It is 120 acres large, built in the late 19th century, modelled after an English landscape garden, named for a 17th-century poet… you get the point. Opera, poetry and art all flow from Zuid. There are red brick buildings, arched ceilings and striking towers to boot. But more alternative, modern and diverse places exist too. The bar-heavy De Pijp district is also home to the famous Albert Cuyp Market and hosts of newer secondhand shops. You’ll find the classically Dutch brown cafés accompanied by Greek gyros places, high-end Spanish cuisine or a Scandinavian café – aptly named The Scandinavian Embassy.

Albert Cuyp Market

You’ll find the classically Dutch brown cafés accompanied by Greek gyros places

The Museumplein tunnel is a true Zuid highlight.

Further south of centre, high culture is swapped out for skyscrapingly high buildings, and the red brick for metal and glass at the Zuidas. Just beyond lies Buitenveldert, a quieter, greener counterpart. Originally developed in the post-war years, the neighbourhood is known for its spacious residential streets, parks and international community. Bordered by the Amsterdamse Bos and the Amstelpark, it offers a slower pace while remaining well connected to the city’s business district and cultural heart.

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24hr Zuid

Amsterdam’s most popular and iconic market needs no introduction, but we’ll give you one anyway. Founded in 1905, it houses 260 stands that operate six days a week, selling everything from vintage clothes and textiles to Vietnamese spring rolls and freshly made stroopwafels. Be sure not to miss the cute café and jazz hub Badcuyp on the corner. ALBERT CUYPSTRAAT, ALBERTCUYP-MARKT.AMSTERDAM

This all-day neighbourhood event showcases the best of Zuid. Community organisers and event spaces come together for a day of art, culture, food, music and more at some of the area’s best spaces. Our favourites: watching the stars from the roof terrace of the NHOW RAI hotel and a poetry workshop at soul food & poetry bar Labyrinth. Scan the QR code for the full programme to see what else is happening. 10 OCTOBER IAMSTERDAM.COM

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3 Cinetol A favourite of many in Amsterdam’s burgeoning creative scene, Cinetol is a café, bar and small-stage venue in one. Head here any time for the ‘Tolbar’, a cosy living room-style eatery and bar (terrace included of course). But the stage that hosts about 250 concerts a year is where Cinetol shines; upcoming artists cut their teeth in an intimate environment made for experimentation. TOLSTRA AT 182, CINETOL.NL

4 Record Mania This cosy shop is practically bursting with vinyls, CDs and band merchandise. Everything’s secondhand, so no sustainability concerns here, while the range of genres is as wide as they come – everything from classical to pop and metal. Dust off that record player and dive in for some analogue charm and 90s nostalgia.

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Miniature Museum

Take a journey through the city and time in an experience that feels like it’s straight out of Gulliver’s Travels; this museum takes iconic moments of Amsterdam’s history and turns them tiny. There’s the Red Light District, the Anne Frank House, Pride, and Dam Square in 1675. The miniatures are created with incredible detail and accompanied with short films, texts and artworks, giving you a new perspective on all things Amsterdam. PAULUS POT TERSTRA AT 8 MINIATUURMUSEUMAMSTERDAM.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

10 Le Fournil de Sébastien bakery, owned and operated by a French family, offers all the expected classics done well: their madeleines are renowned far and wide.

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OLYMPIAPLEIN 119, LEFOURNIL.NL

6 Boekhandel Jimmink Known for being the place that Anne Frank’s father Otto bought her diary, this bookshop stocks an extensive selection of books and postcards that’s well worth checking out if you’re in any way literary inclined. Afterwards, don’t forget to stop at the Anne Frank statue at Merwedeplein nearby.

Amsterdam Marathon

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The TCS Marathon arrives in Amsterdam with an equally energetic schedule acting as a warm-up before the run itself on 18 October, starting at the Olympic Stadium. Expect everything from a ‘marathon expo’ where you can connect with fellow athletes and explore new running products, to a pasta party and a kids run. 16-18 OCTOBER, TCSAMSTERDAMMARATHON.NL

BOEKHANDELJIMMINK.SHOP

Before the brand-new Hartwig Museum for modern art opens in 2028 at Zuidas, the site is home to Hartwig Proxy. This testing ground, imagined as a meeting place for the neighbourhood, organises all sorts of activities: on 24 September, you can join the vocal freedom workshop and on 10 October, they’ll host a special programme for 24hr Zuid. Check their website for more details. PARNASSUSWEG 213 HARTWIGPROXY.NL

7 Hartwig Proxy

8 Horta A Spanish restaurant that brings the flavours of southern Europe to Amsterdam’s south. Order the classic paella – either chicken or seafood – with rice sourced from head chef Polo Alemany’s hometown. They also bring the Menu de Día concept with them from across the continent, meaning you can gratefully indulge in two or three dishes for €29 or €39 at lunchtime. PARNASSUSWEG 219, HORTA.NU

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INSIDER TIP

9 ‘Britton’s bakery in De Pijp has the best – and fluffiest – cinnamon rolls in town. Getting one has become my Sunday ritual.’ Elea Jürß (20), Liberal Arts and Sciences student

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72 Map 74 Feature: From Sea to City 80 Water History 82 Art & Culture 84 What to Do

Beyond the City Discover the Amsterdam Area

Find out more about what to experience around Amsterdam at: iamsterdam. com/area

Almere A city built on land reclaimed from the sea, Almere didn’t exist 100 years ago. Created in 1975, this modern city is the major hub of Flevoland, a polder land that functions as the country’s newest province, and a testament to both water management and architecture. And as a relatively new city, Almere was a blank slate on which architects could make their mark. The city now boasts incredible buildings and monuments by world-famous architects, all within one square kilometre of each other. Make sure to check out The Wave, a massive structure that mimics the motion of the water. V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Map 72 | BEYOND THE CITY

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Spotlight On… 74 | BY: LOU GRAYSON

The land art work Pier+Horizon by Dutch artist Paul de Kort in Flevoland is inspired by historical landscape lines and Mondrian’s Pier and Ocean. The trunks move when the wind changes direction, making the ever-changing character of the landscape visible.

BEYOND THE CITY | 75

From Sea to City Stand anywhere in Flevoland and the ground beneath your feet holds a secret: just 40 years ago, the province wasn’t there at all.

he entire province of Flevoland was once open water – part of the Zuiderzee, the vast inland sea that once lapped at Amsterdam’s shores. Today, this same ground holds forests, farmland and six municipalities. With around a quarter of the Netherlands lying below sea level, the Dutch have spent centuries cultivating a unique relationship with water. And like any good relationship, it hasn’t always been easy. Lakes expanded, villages disappeared and storms repeatedly reshaped the coastline. Over time, the Dutch became increasingly

skilled at managing their watery landscape, digging drainage ditches, building dikes and harnessing windmills before turning to steam power.

Dry pumping the land

You can still see the scale of this ingenuity at Cruquius, where one of the world’s largest steam engines helped pump the Haarlemmermeer dry in the 19th century (read more about that on page 79). But they didn’t stop there, and in 1891 engineer Cornelis Lely proposed an audacious plan: close off the Zuiderzee entirely.

The Dutch have spent centuries cultivating a unique relationship with water

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Spotlight On… 76 | BEYOND THE CITY result – he died in 1929 – but the province’s capital, Lelystad, bears his name. On 1 January 1986, this reclaimed land officially became the Netherlands’ 12th and youngest province: Flevoland.

A landscape with a future

After a catastrophic flood convinced parliament to act, the 32-kilometre Afsluitdijk was built, turning the saltwater sea into the freshwater IJsselmeer and clearing the way to pump the old seabed dry.

The Noordoostpolder emerged first, in 1942, leaving the once-remote island of Schokland stranded amid new farmland. The vast polders of Eastern and Southern Flevoland followed through the 50s and 60s. Lely never saw the

Forty years later, Flevoland is no longer just an engineering feat. It is home to hundreds of thousands of people, with cities, villages, nature reserves and farms growing where waves once rolled. You can celebrate the province’s 40th anniversary by exploring the landscape for yourself – tracing the history of Schokland, wandering the new nature of Marker Wadden, or exploring the urban experiment that is Almere, birthplace of the air fryer (who doesn’t love a good bitterbal?). Plant your own two feet on this geological marvel, and you might just find yourself indulging in an expertly fried snack on expertly designed land.

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Schokland

Until the Noordoostpolder was drained around it in 1942, Schokland used to be an island in the Zuiderzee. The ‘island’ was left stranded amid farmland, which had a huge impact on the people who lived there. Its centuries of habitation, from Neolithic settlers to 19th-century fishing families, earned it a spot as the Netherlands’ first Unesco World Heritage Site. Walk its old shoreline and you’re tracing the edge of a sea that’s no longer there. MUSEUMSCHOKLAND.NL

Batavialand Museum

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In Lelystad, Batavialand Museum tells 7,000 years of the Dutch fight against water, and their adventures upon it. Alongside exhibits on land reclamation and the Zuiderzee Works, you’ll find a full-size replica of the Batavia, a 17th-century VOC ship, moored at a working historic shipyard. It’s a fitting stop for anyone curious how the sea shaped both this landscape and Dutch history at large. BATAVIALAND.NL

The world’s largest steam engine, built to defeat the ever-expanding Haarlemmermeer, still stands at Cruquius Museum, where you can watch it in action and learn how steam power tamed the water. CRUQUIUS-MUSEUM.NL

BEYOND THE CITY | 77

Flevoland 40 years x Open Monument Day On 11 September, Flevoland takes centre stage for the national opening of Open Monument Day. A special opening show and cultural discovery tour will bring seven of the province’s monuments to life, exploring stories of new land, pioneering communities and modern heritage. It’s a chance to discover the remarkable places that have shaped the Netherlands’ youngest province.

Find out more about what to experience around Amsterdam at: iamsterdam. com/area

11 SEPTEMBER

Antony Gormley’s Exposure (aka: Squatting, or Pooping, Man) sits on an embankment at the beginning of the Houtribdijk in Lelystad.

OPENMONUMENTENDAG.NL/OPENING

Marker Wadden

This archipelago of artificial islands is proof that reclaiming land doesn’t always mean building on it. Marker Wadden is built from sand and silt dredged from the Markermeer and was designed to give nature room to grow. Hop on the ferry from Lelystad to spot rare birds, wander the marshes, and see how water is given back its space. NATUURMONUMENTEN.NL/NATUURGEBIEDEN/ MARKER-WADDEN

Riff Flevoland is home to some monumental artworks spread across the land. Artist Bob Gramsma created Riff, PD#18245 in 2018 to mark the centenary of the Zuiderzee Act (Zuiderzeewet), the 1918 law that enabled the reclamation of the Zuiderzee and the creation of Flevoland. Through its cast of excavated earth, the sculpture reflects the transformation of landscape, turning the history of land-making into a physical monument. L ANDARTFLEVOL AND.NL

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Experience

IJmuiden Raw at Sea Enjoy space and adventure. Go to our wide beaches with plenty of room for wind and water sports. Visit the largest sea lock of the world, country estates, the best dance festivals in the summer or National Park Zuid-Kennemerland with various walking and cycling routes. Or put your towel on the beach and enjoy the sun and the sea. Experience IJmuiden Raw at Sea. It takes only 35 minutes to get there! Take bus 382 from Amsterdam Sloterdijk station. More information? Visit ijmuiden.nl/en

Amsterdam life, delivered Your monthly dose of events, culture, free workshops and city updates.

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ADVERTORIAL | 79

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VISIT HAARLEMMERMEER

Imagine standing where waves once threatened entire cities. Through bold engineering, determination and the power of steam, the Water Wolf became the thriving Haarlemmermeer of today: a story you can still experience firsthand.

Cruquius Museum

or centuries, the Haarlemmermeer was feared as the Water Wolf: a turbulent inland lake that swallowed farmland and edged ever closer to the cities nearby. By the early 19th century, the threat to Amsterdam and Haarlem had become impossible to ignore, prompting one of the Netherlands’ most ambitious engineering projects. Between 1849 and 1852, three enormous steam pumping stations worked day and night to drain the lake, transforming more than 18,000 hectares of water into fertile land. This feat of innovation changed both the Dutch landscape and the country’s relationship with water forever.

Conquering the Water Wolf

Experience history

Steam power

Today, this extraordinary story comes to life at the Cruquius Museum, housed in one of the original pumping stations. Here you can stand beside the world’s largest steam engine of its kind, discover how Dutch engineers conquered the Water Wolf in the 19th century, and explore interactive exhibitions that reveal the ingenuity behind the reclamation of Haarlemmermeer. The museum offers a glimpse into the Netherlands’ centuries-old battle against the sea and remains one of the country’s most impressive examples of industrial heritage.

To complete the story, visit the stoomgemaal Halfweg, the world’s oldest and largest operational steam-powered pumping station with paddle wheels. On selected opening days, the historic engines are fired up, allowing you to hear the machinery thunder into action, smell the coal-fired boilers and witness water management exactly as it once worked. Together, these remarkable sites tell the story of how engineering, determination and innovation turned a dangerous lake into the thriving landscape the Haarlemmermeer region is today. visithaarlemmermeer.nl/en

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Water History

The relation of the Netherlands and water goes way back, and you can experience it all through the region.

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Defence Line of Amsterdam Unesco site De Stelling van Amsterdam (the Defence Line of Amsterdam) once protected Amsterdam against the Netherlands’ enemies – with water. Built between 1880 and 1914, it’s a network of forts, locks, dikes, ammunition depots and barracks that could control flooding and thus slow, deter or repel invading forces. Now, you can roam the bastions along this 35-kilometre-long ring of fantastic forts and imagine life hundreds of years ago. Muiden and Weesp are excellent starting points for exploring it through bike routes that take you past the most beautiful highlights, Fort aan de Ossenmarkt and Fort Uitermeer (picture). The latter can be viewed from the delightful restaurant, Porterhouse.

Museum Stoomgemaal The oldest and largest operating scoop paddle-wheel steam pumping station in the world, Stoomgemaal Halfweg is a testament to the water history of the region. Set up in 1852 after the draining of the Haarlemmermeer to get rid of excess water, the station is now open to the general public (only on weekends until 8 November) and remains a marvel of engineering, with its great wheels leaving you mesmerised as you watch them turn. HAARLEMMERMEERSTRAAT 4

Juttersmu-Zee-um

Forget about messages in a bottle – these are the real deal. Washed up on the beach at Zandvoort and collected by beachcombers through the ages, this collection of treasures is displayed at the Juttersmu-Zee-um. Admission is free, and there’s plenty to see – from buoys, bones and shark teeth to letters in bottles and even part of a rocket. Added bonus is that you’ll have lots of fun imagining the stories behind the objects. STRANDWEG 2, JUTTERSMUSEUM.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

STOOMGEMAALHALFWEG.NL

The Dutch word for going out in windy weather, uitwaaien is the ultimate activity to clear your head. A good place is the beach near Heemskerk for autumnal escapism.

BEYOND THE CITY | 81

Waterleidingduinen

The Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen make up a nature reserve that supplies Amsterdam with drinking water. The hundreds of dunes filter rainwater, the first step in producing fresh drinking water for the city’s residents. But it’s also a great place for a walk. While bikes aren’t allowed in, there’s a dedicated cycle path connecting the park to the coastline. AWD.WATERNET.NL

Watertoren Aalsmeer Presiding over the water, the 50-metre-high Art Deco Aalsmeer watertoren (water tower) is one of the region’s architectural showpieces. Swing by for an exhibition about local water management before climbing to the top for breathtaking views of the surrounding region. You can also take an open or covered boat tour via Westeinder Rondvaart through a maze of islands and let knowledgeable skippers fill you in on the region’s horticultural history. KUDELSTAARTSEWEG 16 AALSMEER-WATERTOREN.NL V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

Minimuseum De Waterwolf This tiny museum is steeped in history – and water. Located between Edam and Hoorn at one of the lowest points in the Netherlands, this little building charts the story of the drowned village of Etersheim. It also dives into the battle against the sea, while showcasing a range of archaeological finds discovered during the works on the Markermeerdijk, which had a pivotal role in inland water management systems. LA AGHOLLAND.COM

82 | BEYOND THE CITY

Sluipweg by Hans van Houwelingen De Hoorn des Overvloeds by Hans Koetsier

Explore art and culture beyond Amsterdam in cities and towns abundant with museums, historic architecture and creative communities. One of the highlights? A fort filled with art.

he monumental Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen, just outside Haarlem, is one of the Netherlands’ first concrete buildings and is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam, a large-scale 19th-century defence plan that was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1996. Since 2005, the fortress has been a destination for art, a special place where visual art and military heritage come

together. Highlights include Hans van Houwelingen’s Sluipweg, a striking pathway made of reclaimed tombstones that invites reflection on memory and mortality. This autumn, resident artists Ella Prokkola and Mia Milgrom explore human-polder relatioships, and a new exhibition examines why we continue to take risks despite uncertain consequences (until October). KUNSTFORT.NL

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Art Fort

From paintings to installations to photography: during Kunstlijn Haarlem, more than 200 participating artists showcase their work at studios, creative hubs, museums, galleries and iconic historical locations. 7-8 & 14-15 NOVEMBER, KUNSTLIJNHA ARLEM.NL

For the art lovers and the culture seekers, this route takes you to the most beautiful art spots of Haarlem.

BEYOND THE CITY | 83

3 5 4

Haarlem Art Route 1

Mutek

Mutek, the Museum of Applied European Art, is located in the former second-class waiting room of Haarlem station. Its current exhibition about 120 years of applied art features art movements such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Nieuwe Kunst, Art Deco, Amsterdam School, Space Age and Memphis Design. PLATFORMS 3 & 6, HA ARLEM STATION MUTEKMUSEUM.NL

2 Teylers Museum Teylers opened its doors in 1784 and is now known as the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Fossils, instruments, books, coins and drawings: the collection is truly unique. From the start, it fostered

interest in both the arts and sciences – charting our knowledge of planet Earth and life itself. Free with the I amsterdam City Card. SPA ARNE 16, TEYLERSMUSEUM.NL

3 Kunst Centrum Haarlem Ready to dip your toe in art collecting, or just looking for a cool piece to crown your couch? Art rental service Kunst Centrum Haarlem has art for every taste and budget. You can buy, but you can just as easily rent your favourite art piece here. GEDEMPTE OUDE GRACHT 117-121 KUNSTCENTRUM-HA ARLEM.NL

4 Frans Hals Museum The Frans Hals Museum is Haarlem’s museum of fine arts. It houses the

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largest collection of Frans Hals paintings in the world, as well as works by other famous artists from Haarlem, such as Judith Leyster, Cornelis van Haarlem and Jacob van Ruisdael. Don’t forget: entry is free with the I amsterdam City Card. GROOT HEILIGLAND 62 FRANSHALSMUSEUM.NL

5 Art De Zout This pop-up gallery offers space for contemporary, accessible and affordable art. There’s lots of colour and expression. Art lovers, day-trippers, and passers-by: this is the place to discover and experience art. GROTE HOUTSTRA AT 125 @ART_DEZOUT

What to Do

What’s on around Amsterdam? Everything for your agenda this autumn.

84 | BEYOND THE CITY

Animal-spotting in national parks National Park Nieuw Land offers the chance to spot spectacular wildlife. Located just east of Amsterdam, its expansive fields and wetlands thrive in the autumn months, and sighting birds, deer, foxes and hares is common. If you arrive in September or October, you may witness the deer mating season, marked by the clashing antlers of the stags. Make sure to visit the nearby Nature Park Lelystad, which is home to otters, moose, bison, and wild boar.

Haarlem Vinyl Festival

2-4 OCTOBER, HAARLEMVINYLFESTIVAL.COM

Dubbed the world’s first multi-day festival dedicated to vinyl, the Haarlem Vinyl Festival has become a staple of the city’s seasonal programme. You’ll find it all here: art, culture, listening sessions, vinyl talks, and live shows with DJS spinning new and old tunes – catch electro duo Weval perform on the opening night. Spread across the city’s best venues, such as De Koepel and Jopenkerk, this is a great way to get a feel for Haarlem and create a soundtrack to remember it by.

Autumn harvest at Olmenhorst Apple pie is a Dutch favourite treat (just read our article on page 16), but to truly get a feel for the flavours of autumn, why not pick your own fruits and vegetables? Many pick-your-own farms close after the summer, but a few stay open through October and even November. Olmenhorst orchard, located in Lisserbroek, offers the chance to pick your apples and pears. After you’re done, savour the fruits of your labour quite literally at De Fruitloods for high tea. OLMENHORST.NL

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Design meets art where ordinary furniture and discarded pieces are reimagined into beautiful installations, all by Diederik Schneemann at Museum Jan in Amstelveen.

BEYOND THE CITY | 85

UNTIL 1 NOVEMBER, MUSEUMJAN.NL

Herman Kruyder Zelfportret met penseel, Kunstmuseum Den Haag One of the Netherlands’ most striking Expressionists reemerges at Singer Laren’s newest exhibition. Dismissed as a mad genius, Herman Kruyder’s art has since been appraised in a new light and continues to be in this first monographic presentation of his work in 30 years. With a strong sense of colour, careful compositions and lyrical takes on man and nature, there’s only method and magic here.

Het kalf, Singer Laren, Collectie Regnault.

FROM 23 SEPTEMBER, SINGERLAREN.NL

Zandvoort Art For two days in September, this annual event transforms the area’s major beach town into an art lover’s muse. Featuring 100 artists at 26 locations, take the art route through Zandvoort and admire the installations and works that range from sea spirit art to contemporary sculpture. 26 & 27 SEPTEMBER, ZANDVOORTART.NL

Regenten van het Sint Elisabeths Gasthuis, Frans Hals

Hals-Rembrandt The two masters of Dutch art, Frans Hals and Rembrandt van Rijn, unite for a special showcase demonstrating the broad spectrum of their talents. Experts in portraiture, these 17th-century painters helped establish the Netherlands as a home of world-class art. Catch a special selection of their works this autumn at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. FROM 6 NOVEMBER, FRANSHALSMUSEUM.NL

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86 | ADVERTORIAL / IN PARTNERHIP WITH ARTT

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Explore the City and Beyond

Get out and explore, and do it the easy way with one public transport ticket that can take you anywhere.

Get inspired • See the iconic windmills of Zaanse Schans • Wander past industrial heritage at Wormerveer • Discover art and culture at Amstelveen’s museums • Find hidden gems and local’s favourites in Noord, Zuidoost and Nieuw-West Cobra Museum Amstelveen

Zaanse Schans

ooking to step away from the buzz of Amsterdam for a while? Just beyond the canals lies a whole new world waiting to be explored. Within minutes, you can find yourself cycling past historic windmills, breathing in the fresh sea air along wide sandy beaches, or discovering local flavours in charming villages. From colourful summer landscapes to characterful places such as Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Volendam, the Amsterdam

Wormer

region is full of unexpected experiences. Ideal for a spontaneous day trip or an easy getaway off the beaten track – without ever travelling far.

Travel the region with ease Exploring couldn’t be simpler with the Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket. Enjoy unlimited travel by train, tram, bus and metro across the entire region – no hassle, just freedom to discover at your own pace. V I S I T I A M ST E R DA M.CO M

How it works The Amsterdam & Region Travel Ticket is available for 1, 2 or 3 consecutive days and gives you unlimited access to public transport throughout the region. Simply check in and out whenever you enter or exit a bus, tram, train or the metro. Your ticket activates on your first check-in. Tickets are valid on all metro, tram and bus lines operated by GVB, Connexxion and Meerplus – including night buses – as well as on NS trains within the Amsterdam Area. Tickets can be purchased online, at the I amsterdam Store at Amsterdam Central station, or at selected hotels, campsites and public transport ticket desks across the region. Ready to go? Grab your phone, scan the QR code and start your journey beyond the city.

Historical Amsterdam PHOTO COLUMN | 87

BY: CLEO BOUWMAN

If someone told you this photograph was taken in the 19th century, you would probably believe them. Until you notice the cars. This photograph wasn’t taken centuries ago, but in 1963.

t’s hard to believe that one of Amsterdam’s oldest canals, the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, looked like this only a few decades ago. Instead of tour boats drifting through the canal, the water is almost completely hidden beneath floating rubbish. Plastic bags, wooden crates, paper and household waste stretch from one bridge to the next. For much of Amsterdam’s history, this scene wouldn’t have surprised anyone. The canals served as an open sewer and an easy place to dump whatever was no longer wanted. Household rubbish, market or butcher’s leftovers and even the contents of chamber pots often ended up in the water. In canals such as Oudezijds Achterburgwal, where the water barely moved, the waste simply lingered. On warm summer days, the smell became impossible to ignore.

Wealthier Amsterdammers often escaped to their summer houses outside the city. Visitors joked that they could smell Amsterdam before they could actually see it. Amsterdam established its municipal cleaning service in 1877. Better waste collection and the introduction of sewer systems gradually changed the city. But not overnight, of course. This photograph, taken almost a century later, captures the consequence of centuries of treating its waters as a dumping ground. Today, the same canals that once carried waste, now carry tour boats, paddleboards and even swimmers. Once treated as a convenient dumping ground, they have become one of Amsterdam’s greatest treasures – showing how profoundly a city and the way it cares for its environment can change over time.

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The Story of the Tulip

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Sending You Off ‘What’s better after a chilly, wet day in Amsterdam than submerging your body in a 75°C sauna, followed by a quick cold plunge in the mysterious waters below? Few things beat it, if you ask me. You can experience this yourself at Kuuma Sauna, located in Marineterrein. And if you’re not in the mood for a self-inflicted brain freeze, you can still soak up the beautiful waterfront views from the warmth of the sauna.’ Lou Grayson, editor

‘I love to walk around Sloterpark in NieuwWest with my grandmother, or take a canoe out onto the Sloterplas (without my grandmother). Afterwards, we settle down at Boothuis, which is the perfect spot for a coffee with a view of the water. Plus: they have excellent pizza!’ Cleo Bouwman, writer ‘Outdoor swimming – yes, even in autumn and winter – in Amsterdam can be divisive for those who prefer crystal-clear water, but for me the cleanest and nicest spots are on the northwestern corner of the Nieuwe Meer lake. With countless sandy shores, you can almost forget you’re still in the city.’ Callum McLean, journalist

BEST OF WATER IN AMSTERDAM, ACCORDING TO THE MAGAZINE’S TEAM | 89

managing editor Karin Thybaut art director & basic design Yke Bartels, Saskia Franken designer Marit Moeskops senior editor Tom Flanagan proofreader Julia Gorodecky contributors Barbara van den Berg, Cleo Bouwman, Lauren Comiteau, Kitana Crowelle, Marjolein van Damme, Karin Engelbrecht, Tom Flanagan, Lou Grayson, Tea Gudek Šnajdar, Lesia Joukova, Callum McLean, Roxy Merrell, Garvan Ó Deaghaidh, Lisa Post, Jorge Velez, Monique Wijbrands

‘My favourite Amsterdam water is in Amstelveen: De Poel. This lake was formed by peat excavation; fortunately, it was never reclaimed and was included in the plans for the Amsterdamse Bos. I love taking a walk around De Poel, finishing off with a nice cup of coffee on the terrace of Sunday, a floating foodbar by the water, while enjoying the beautiful views.’ Marit Moeskops, designer

‘Nothing beats sitting waterside watching the boats glide by, the sunsets as they dip into the horizon, and the steady flow of people as they cycle past. All while enjoying a drink or something to eat. Two places that top my list are Bistro van Houten (with their unbeatable cheese fondue), and Café ’t Smalle with their floating terrace.’ Julia Gorodecky, proofreader

advertising partner@iamsterdam.com or +31 20 702 61 80 want to become a distributor? partner@iamsterdam.com subscriptions €24.50 for subscriptions, visit iamsterdam.com/magazine didn’t receive your copy? klantenservice@aboland.nl publisher amsterdam&partners print Rodi Rotatiedruk ISSN 2589-6717

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I amsterdam Magazine autumn 2026