AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE Includes area map & transport advice CASTLES & GARDENS of Amsterdam EXPLORE THE FORMER COUNTRY RETREATS OF AMSTERDAM’S GOLDEN AGE MERCHANTS OR SEE THE CITY’S OLD DEFENSIVE FORTS – ALL WITHIN AN HOUR OF THE CITY CENTRE. 3 AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE CASTLES & GARDENS Free entrance museums Free canal cruise Free public transport Amsterdam WELCOME TO THE and more CASTLES & GARDENS OF AMSTERDAM The countryside of Amsterdam was always a popular region for the rich merchants of the Golden Age. Each summer they would leave their primary CONTENTS residences in the heart of Amsterdam, retreating to P. 0 4 FORTRESS STRETCH extravagant castles and estates Home to many old castles, fortified towns and ruins, the picturesque fortress with acres of beautifully stretch offers a vivid window into medieval times. manicured gardens. South-east of Amsterdam, on the banks of P.09 HISTORICAL RIVER ESTATES the Amstel River and the River Vecht, you can still bike and Take a trip south of the city and enjoy the grandeur and nature of the histori- boat past these historic houses. cal river estates that dot the banks of the winding River Vecht. Some are open to the public GET while others leave you dreaming P.12 PUBLIC TRANSPORT MAP of an aristocratic life by the 24 48 72 OUT OF water… At the leisure lakes of P.14 LEISURE LAKES Amsterdam, meanwhile, hours hours hours TOWN BUS Near Amsterdam you’ll find a number of lakes perfect for a day of fun on the watersports enthusiasts and PASS water. Rent a boat, canoe or surfboard to explore, enjoy and relax. nature lovers will find plenty to €49 € do, to explore and relax. 59 €69 +€10 P.18 AMSTEL RIVER COUNTRYSIDE www.iamsterdam.com/cityescapes Follow the Amstel River out of the city and in no time at all you’ll be cycling past grazing cows, country houses and historic P.22 VISITOR P.23 TIP Many of the best attractions INFORMATION villages. around the Castles & Gardens Transport tips, Visitor a number next to an attraction corresponds to the are an enjoyable bike ride from Information Centres, location on the map on pp.12-13 Amsterdam. See p.23 for rental where to stay, where to A a letter next to an attraction corresponds to the options near Central Station eat & more. nearest Visitor Information Centre, listed on p.22 and Amstel Station. Available at the I amsterdam Visitor Centres (across from Central Station and at Schiphol Airport, Arrivals 2) published by Amsterdam Marketing editor-in-chief Bart van Oosterhout art direction & basic design Loes Koomen project iamsterdam.com/citycard manager Pauline Saathof designer Zlatka Siljdedic copy editor & writer Megan Roberts City Card 2015adv 148x210.indd 1 3/20/15 9:14 4 MINI CASTLES & GARDENS fortress stretch 5 TIP Travel by boat from AMSTERDAM CASTLE Amsterdam to Pampus Fortress stretch Island and Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot and get a 25% discount with your I Home to many old castles, fortified towns and ruins, the MUIDERSLOT amsterdam City Card. Boats picturesque fortress stretch – part of the UNESCO World depart Tuesday-Sunday Heritage list – offers a vivid window into medieval times. from IJburg in Amsterdam. (+31 (0)20 427 8888 www.veerdienstamsterdam.nl (4 April - 1 November). A square castle with a drawbridge, five towers, battlements and embrasures, Muiderslot is a true medieval water stronghold on the River Vecht. DEFENCE LINE OF Built around 1285 by Count Floris V, an ally of the AMSTERDAM French Court and later of the British King Edward, Floris was later brutally murdered by his own The Defence Line of FORT PAMPUS Amsterdam (Stelling van nobles. Some 300 years later Muiderslot was home Amsterdam) is a remarkable to ‘Dutch Shakespeare’ Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft. At low tide Pampus Island used 135-kilometre-long defensive Today, it is an informative and fun day out for the to block the access of seagoing ring made up of 46 forts and whole family. Take a tour through the impressive ships to the port of Amsterdam. batteries as well as a multitude knight’s hall, towers, dungeon and armoury; stroll Late in the 19th century, an island of dykes and sluices, encircles through the beautiful herb and vegetable gar- fort was built on the site as one VISIT 1,000 YEARS the Dutch capital. The Stel- dens that still retain the atmosphere of the Dutch of a ring of 46 fortifications and ling was mostly constructed Renaissance and enjoy the fantastic views from batteries surrounding Amsterdam. between 1874 and 1914 and the ramparts. A special interactive tour for kids It was abandoned in 1933 when showcases the Dutch genius OF HISTORY – where they can play dress-up and even try their the Zuiderzee was closed off from for hydraulic engineering: the possibility for flooding hand at jousting – comes highly recommended, as the North Sea to become the he charming town of its classical town centre still the land lies at the heart of do the falconry displays (daily in July and August, IJsselmeer, the biggest lake in Muiden is a must for encompassed by two elaborate this defensive system, which except Monday). the Netherlands. These days, the FORT OSSENMARKT boat lovers, with star-shaped canals and stone is characterised by ingenious FREE entrance with your I amsterdam City Card island and abandoned fort have countless ships walls. Weesp’s forts and logistics. During both World open 1 April-31 October a mysterious air and make for an Tsailing into and out of the windmills, meanwhile, offer up Wars the Stelling was manned Herengracht 1, Muiden interesting day out for visitors historic harbour. It is also a taste of the Golden Age. by soldiers, although it didn’t +31 (0)294 256 262 of all ages. Catch the ferry from home to the grand Amsterdam All of these towns are fantastic witness any action. Nowadays, www.muiderslot.nl either Muiden or Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot, which starting points for exploring a large portion of this monu- (4 April-1 November). looms over the mouth of the the UNESCO World Heritage- ment is open to the public and +31 (0)294 262 326 makes for a great day out for River Vecht, the Netherlands’ protected Defence Line of www.pampus.nl young and old. Special bike MUIDEN most beautiful river. As well as Amsterdam. routes (in English) have been The fortified town of Muiden sits near providing a historic snapshot developed along the most the IJmeer, just east of Amsterdam. TIP Get a 25% discount with your Dating back to the tenth century, it it’s also a fun-filled museum beautiful highlights (April- I amsterdam City Card is now known for its peaceful streets, for all the family. Nearby, October). cosy cafés, historic landmarks and Naarden is one of the most www.defencelineamsterdam.com picturesque harbour. The town is remarkable examples of a a key link in the Defence Line of preserved fortified town, with Amsterdam. Pass through Muiden’s centuries-old walls and prepare for a stroll through one of the country’s oldest communities. DE 6 MINI CASTLES & GARDENS fortress stretch 7 Weesp grand town hall, windmills, forts and the River Vecht adorn the fortified town of Weesp. The Atown centre boasts more than 188 national monuments. One of the most eye-catching is the town hall built in 1772-’76 and designed by Jacob Otten Husly, the architect behind the grand Felix Meritis building on Amsterdam’s Keizersgracht. These days, the town hall houses a small museum for porcelain, one of the oldest industries in Weesp (www.museumweesp.nl). Until the 1970s, the town was home to a chocolate factory owned and operated by the renowned Van Houten family. Today, NAARDEN the family’s influence can still be seen in the Van Houten aarden was once a modern military defence post and church and the grand 99-room Villa Casparus. E it is still one of the best-preserved fortified towns in DUTCH FORTRESS MUSEUM NEurope. From the air, the town’s layout resembles a Swallowed by the Zuiderzee, gigantic snowflake, comprising six bastions, a double rampart massacred and burned by the and a double ring of canals. This unique configuration meant Spaniards, occupied by the Naarden was used as a rallying point for Allied bombers French and Prussians and later during World War II. Must-sees include the Town Hall dating by Napoleon’s troops: the from 1601, with its imposing crow-stepped gable, The Spanish history of Naarden can be found House, one of the last remaining medieval buildings, and The at this fascinating museum, Big Church with its famous 16th-century paintings illustrat- comprising canons, weapons, ing scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The Arsenal uniforms, engravings and an was originally a weapons repository dating from 1688, and is audiovisual presentation, plus now the home base for Dutch interior designers and a top historical reconstructions every third Sunday of the month. restaurant, which in combination offer the perfect opportunity Visitors can also learn about to combine history and contemporary design. The city offers FORT UITERMEER the ‘New Dutch Waterline’: by plenty of good restaurants and pubs where you can experi- flooding large sections of land From the centre of Weesp ence typical Dutch gezelligheid (cosy atmosphere). Also enjoy with water too shallow for boats follow the River Vecht to the the museums, excellent boat rides, festivals, galleries, little and too deep to march through, southeast, where you’ll find shops, cosy cafés and beautiful natural surroundings. this military line of defence, de- the ruins of the Uitermeer www.vvvnaarden.nl D signed in 1815, helped to keep fortress , which was blown Holland out of war for more up in World War II and is than a century.