Vondelpark & Old West Neighbourhood

About the audio tour

For many people, Amsterdam is one of their favourite cities in the world, loved for its canals, monuments and museums, rich history, open skyline and relaxed, easy going attitude towards life. But there is much more to discover and I believe you will enjoy more if you look for the hidden gems and go off the beaten track.
By sharing my favourite routes I'm giving you a good insight and understanding why living in Amsterdam is so special to me (and that's not queueing for hours to get into a museum or strolling in the Red Light District, for sure!).
I’m going to take you on a journey through my neighbourhood in Amsterdam and share my stories with you. Starting in the Vondelpark, we'll make our way through a vibrant 19th century neighbourhood with a local atmosphere and end the tour at a former tram depot (De Hallen) which is now a centre for media, culture, fashion, food and crafts.

Major Landmarks

Vondelpark, Vondelchurch, Horse riding school, Helmers-neighbourhood, Kinker-neighbourhood, Mosque, Bellamystreet, Ten Kate Market, De Hallen

Directions to starting point

The main entrance of the Vondelpark is located at the Stadhouderskade, in between Zandpad and Vossiusstraat. It's just a minute walk from the Leidseplein where trams 1, 2, 5, 7 and 10 stop, as well as busses 752, 753, 754 and 758. It's also very close to the Rijksmuseum and the Museumplein.

Tips

Places to stop along the way:

Vondel CS, Vondel church, Hollandse Manege / Horse riding Museum, WG terrain, Lab111, have coffee or lunch at JP Heijestraat, Mosque, Café Kosterverloren, Boer Geert at the Ten Katemarket. Foodhallen, Filmhallen and the Maker Store in De Hallen where local artists / producers offer their products.

Best time to walk:

This walk can be done on any day. Mornings will be more quite and afternoons & evenings will be more lively. The Horse riding museum is open from 10AM-5PM daily. The Ten Kate Market at the end of the walk is open from Monday to Saturday from 9AM to 5PM

Precautions:

Watch the traffic when you're crossing streets. Bicycles are very common; the local cyclers are going fast and don't always follow the rules. At the same time tourists seem to enjoy cycling and going very slowly without thinking of any traffic rule.