Amsterdam Greater Amsterdam

It doesn’t hurt to leave the chaotic Canal Ring sometimes. Here are some major sights that just don’t fit on our maps.

Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) . Sculpted in 1934, the forest impressively spans 10 sq. km southwest of the city center. With 19km of bike trails, excellent picnic spots, weaving waterways, a small petting zoo, and a picturesque pancake house, these woods may well be the city’s best-kept secret. The expansive green space feels more like a park than a forest at times, with several football pitches and roads covering the land; however, many quiet acres do provide a much-needed repose from the city of red lights. With six pedestrian routes and 13 bike paths, the forest provides a natural environment for daily exercise. Upon entering the forest at Van Nijenrodeweg, you’ll see an odd, dark, wood building on your left; this is the Visitors Center, an excellent source of information about the park. The helpful map of the Bos is €5. (☎545 6100; www.amsterdamsebos.nl. Open Tu-Sa noon-5pm, Su 10am-5pm.) From the Visitors Center, you’ll see the Bosbaan Canal, used as a practice area for local rowing teams. Rental bikes are available at the main entrance at Van Nijenrodeweg. (☎644 5473; e.waaijer@arjo.nl. €4 per hr., €6 per 2hr., €9 per day.) Better yet, dip your feet in the Grote Vijver, a 20min. walk from the main entrance along the left side of the Bosbaan canal, with 3hr. canoe, water bike, or electric boat rides. (☎645 7831; www.kanoverhuur-adam.nl. 2 people per canoe, €8; 2 people per water bike, €8; 5 people per electric boat, €22.) At the opposite end of the Bosbaan from the Visitors Center is Boerderij Meerzicht, a combined pannenkoekenhuis and petting zoo. Pancakes in the large but homey restaurant run €4.80-9, sandwiches go for €3-4.20, and thee and koffie cost €2. At the “petting” zoo next door, actual petting isn’t always permitted, but you can always feed the deer and goats through the fence. (☎679 2744. 1st pancakes served 11am. Open daily 10am-7pm.) The nearby openluchttheater (open-air theater) puts on a different Shakespearean play (in Dutch) every summer; check the website for the current production and playing times. (☎643 3286; www.bostheater.nl.) In the same building as the Visitors Center is the Bosmuseum, a fun spot for kids with interactive nature exhibits, including an underground tunnel that allows visitors of all ages to explore life beneath the earth’s surface. (☎676 2152. Open Mar.-Oct. daily 10am-7pm; Nov.-Feb. F-Su 10am-6pm.) The forest offers plenty of green for field hockey, cricket, and tennis and has numerous fishing ponds. Keep the scale of the park in mind; if you’re walking, you will have to trek a fair distance before reaching the first sights. (Main entrance at Nieuwe Kalfjeslaan 4. Bus #170 or 172 from Centraal, Dam, Westermarkt, Leidseplein, Museumplein, or Stationsplein to Van Nijenrodeweg—or just ask for Amsterdamse Bos. ☎545 6100; www.amsterdamsebos.nl.)

Arena Stadium. The Dutchman’s undying passion for football—soccer to some—is magnificently demonstrated by the state-of-the-art, 52,000-seat stadium built in Amsterdam’s outskirts in 1996. ArenA, a massively modern creation, even boasts Europe’s first mobile domed roof that slides open or closed depending on weather conditions. For a small nation, the Netherlands enjoys a distinguished football history, having reached two back-to-back World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978. Amsterdam’s love for “the beautiful game” is devoted to the Amsterdamsche Football Club (AFC) Ajax, the Netherlands’s most successful football club. The team, founded in 1900, is almost unanimously supported by Amsterdammers. AFC rewards its fans with consistent high-level play, having won both the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Championship in 2002. With 40,000 season ticket holders, the stadium’s 12,000 remaining tickets ( €30 and up ) sell quickly but are usually still available in the weeks before matches. However, games against hated metropolitan rivals like Feyenoord Rotterdam, PSV Eindhoven, and FC Utrecht usually sell out instantly and are often reserved for locals to ensure that diehard fans pack the seats. Be aware that local hooligans occupy the west side of the ArenA (F-Side), where they’ll be madly cheering Ajax to victory. A tour of the facility will take you onto the actual field—home to large concerts, an ice skating rink in the winter, and club football matches. The bilingual tour, which also covers the press room and the upper stands, is recommended for those with an interest in European football or stadium design; those without a bloodthirsty passion for kicking around a checkered ball may find it dull. The small museum attached to the stadium gives visitors an impassioned look at the town’s pride and joy, delving into the “World of Ajax” through videos, famed uniforms, photographs, and team documents. (ArenA Boulevard 1. Museum: ArenA Boulevard 3. Metro #50 or 54 or bus #29, 158, 174, 177, or 178 to Strandvliet or Bijlmer/ArenA. 3 zones; 4 strips. Enter on the far side of the stadium, near gate F, across from the Villa Arena mall. Tickets ☎311 1333, 311 1336, or 311 1444; www.amsterdamarena.nl, team website www.ajax.nl. Open Oct.-Mar. M-Sa 10am-5pm, Apr.-Sept. daily 10am-6pm. Guided 1hr. tour of stadium 11am, 12:15, 1:30, 2:45, 4:30pm. Additional tours July-Aug. 12:45, 4, 5pm instead of the 4:30 tour. €9, under 12 and over 65 €8.)