Editor:  De Redactie • Publication:  01 January 2018

Guide

Guide

Oosterpark

The Oosterpark is situated in one of the most diverse and liveliest areas of Amsterdam, with numerous bars and restaurants scattered around it. It’s a favorite hang-out for locals on any sunny day, for either picnicking, outdoor sports or a relaxing walk. The children’s paddling pool and play garden makes that the Oosterpark is a favorite for families with small kids.

park hotel arena oosterpark

Located in the park you’ll find two good restaurants. PARK is situated in Hotel Arena, serving anything from brunch to dinner and cocktails. The spacious restaurant and terrace overlooking the park is a perfect spot for business meetings, relaxation and tasty food. At the Tropenmuseum, an impressive building showcasing world cultures, you’ll find restaurant De Tropen. Go there for their International cuisine during the day and if you have the time, a visit to the cultural museum.

oosterpark roots festival amsterdam

Events at the Oosterpark

Every year the Oosterpark hosts numerous events of which the Roots Festival and Keti Koti (both in Juli) are the most known. During Roots festival numerous stages will be set up, giving artists from all over the world a chance to share their craft. Music, theater, dance and storytelling are just a few things you will get to see. Scattered around the park you’ll find food and fashion stalls, offering you a wide selection of International products. Keti Koti is the celebration of the ending of slavery in the former Dutch colony Suriname. Expect dance, music, colorful traditional Surinamese attire and a lot of tasty food!

Birds at the park

The Oosterpark is home to a number of well-known city-bred birds such as great tit, hedge sparrow, robin and winter king. In winter months the great spotted woodpecker and the tree creeper can be seen regularly. Since a few years, the park is also frequented by hundreds of ring-necked parakeets and some parrots escaped from the nearby Royal Artis Zoo.

amsterdam parks

History of the Oosterpark

The Oosterpark was the first large park that was built by the municipality of Amsterdam in 1891. Other parks in the city like the Vondelpark were private or a lot smaller, like the Sarphatipark situated in de Pijp. The Oosterpark was designed in English landscape style by the landscape architect Leonard Springer.

Throughout the years many artworks and monuments were added to the park, like a stone bench in memory of the writer Justus van Maurik, made by Eduard Jacobs and a sculpture by Jan wolkers as a monument for the literary movement of the Tachtigers. In 2002, the National Monument of Slavery, designed by Erwin de Vries, commemorates the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands. In 2007 a monument was revealed in memory of the filmmaker and columnist Theo van Gogh. The statue, called ‘The Scream’, is a design by Jeroen Henneman and shows the complexity of its theme: the freedom of expression.

 

In the neighbouhood

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Oosterpark
Oosterpark, Amsterdam
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