It's time to revisit Amsterdam
Amsterdam has shaped the globe, evolving from a humble herring-fishing outpost to a beacon of international maritime, trade, engineering, art, and culture.
As it approaches its 750th anniversary in 2025, this iconic world treasure is once again pioneering vibrant community and sustainability efforts that enhance the diverse and creative spirit of the city now and in the future.
Climate challenges have inspired the Dutch capital to forge a new path © Jan de Ridder / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersPreparing Amsterdam for the Future
The climate challenges faced by this low-lying city, situated approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) below sea level, combined with a rising population (expected to exceed 1 million by 2030) and a growing number of visitors (projected to reach 25 million by 2025), have motivated the Dutch capital to pursue a new direction.
A couple explores the Tropenmuseum. Enhancing the city's livability for residents while providing enjoyable experiences for visitors lies at the core of Amsterdam's tourism objectives © Jan de Ridder / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersReimagining tourism
Enhancing livability for residents while ensuring an enjoyable experience for visitors is central to Amsterdam’s tourism objectives. This involves managing visitor numbers through initiatives such as closing the cruise ship port, cracking down on unlicensed accommodations, and limiting the number of hotels in the city center. Additionally, it includes improving quality of life by discouraging rowdy crowds in the historic district with earlier closing times for bars and clubs.
New residential developments are accommodating the increasing population © Koen Smilde / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersUrban Growth
Beyond the iconic gabled facades of Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed canal ring, new residential neighborhoods are emerging to house the expanding population. In the east, IJburg is constructed on a series of artificial islands in the IJmeer lake, featuring the innovative double-cantilevered Sluishuis building, which produces more energy than it consumes, along with opportunities for swimming and water sports like wakeboarding and e-foiling at Amsterdam’s beach.
The western former lumber ports of Houthavens are home to the iconic Pontsteiger building, which features apartments, a hotel, and public spaces, rising majestically from the river like a giant’s chair and designed to harness passive solar energy. Creative developments are emerging around the once-neglected shipyards of Amsterdam Noord, with plans for more projects that will span both banks of the IJ at the upcoming ‘port city,’ Haven-Stad.
Amsterdam's extensive system of cycle paths is complemented by facilities such as Centraal Station’s two newly opened underwater bike-parking garages, capable of accommodating 11,000 bikes © Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersGreen by Design
Green infrastructure is essential to Amsterdam’s growth strategy, aligning with its goal to achieve zero emissions by 2030 and to become a fully circular city by 2050, focusing on reducing, recycling, and reusing materials. In this bike-friendly city, where bicycles outnumber residents, the extensive cycleway network is supported by facilities like the two state-of-the-art underwater bike-parking garages at Centraal Station, which opened in 2023 and serve 50 percent of the city’s cyclists.
A “green by default” philosophy is transforming urban spaces by replacing manmade materials like bricks and paving with lush greenery, ensuring that existing and newly established parks are accessible within a 10-minute walk and nature reserves within a 15-minute bike ride.
Warm air is circulated into the tropical greenhouses of Hortus Botanicus © Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersRenewable energy drives both canal traffic and public transport, with Schiphol Airport operating entirely on solar and wind power. Innovative projects include the Westerdok’s Bubble Barrier, which creates a line of bubbles to lift plastic waste to the surface for collection; a shared heating and cooling system between the art museum H’ART and the tropical greenhouses of Hortus Botanicus; and even a prototype park bench at Artis Zoo made from 65 percent elephant manure and 35 percent recycled plastic.
Heritage conservation is thriving as well; the organization Stadsherstel has restored and revitalized hundreds of historical monuments in Amsterdam and its surroundings, including notable churches like Amstelkerk and De Duif, which serve as stunning venues for concerts.
Venturing beyond the city center reveals a realm of new experiences, such as the Amsterdam RAI hotel © Koen Smilde / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersGaining a New Perspective on Amsterdam Today
Amsterdam’s open and inclusive nature invites exploration of insightful and sustainable attractions, as well as engaging, often quirky community-driven initiatives. Moving beyond the city center also unveils a treasure trove of discoveries.
Street art tour at Heesterveld Creative Community © Koen Smilde / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersEngaging Explorations
Meaningful experiences include “plastic fishing” from the waterways in boats crafted from recycled materials with Plastic Whale, or navigating the canals aboard a former refugee boat while hearing personal stories from guides with Rederij Lampedusa. Tours That Matter offers itineraries that delve into important themes like urban agriculture, tolerance, freedom, migration, and gentrification. The Amsterdam Architecture Foundation, ARCAM, hosts tours that start from its unique, curvilinear zinc-plated building, featuring exhibitions on the city’s eco-conscious urban design.
STRAAT is the largest museum in the world dedicated to graffiti and street art © Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersUnique attractions and cultural venues
Inspiring locations that foster discussion and dialogue include the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, which highlights global cultures through universal themes like the effects of climate change on cultural heritage. The Black Archives houses a small museum dedicated to the Black emancipation movement within the Dutch context. The world’s first sustainable fashion museum, Fashion For Good, encourages consumers to rethink their habits and offers a ‘sustainable fashion action plan.’
Additionally, the Museum of the Mind | Outsider Art advocates for artists, often facing psychological or intellectual disabilities, whose creative expressions remain unaffected by mainstream artistic trends or commercial pressures. The revitalized former western gasworks site has evolved into the cultural hub Westergas, featuring digital art, an organic brewery, music venues, festivals, and the lush Westerpark adjacent to it.
A massive, vibrant mural of Anne Frank adorns the exterior of STRAAT © Jonas Nusselder / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersA quick, free five-minute ferry ride for passengers and cyclists from Centraal Station brings you to Amsterdam Noord, one of the city's most vibrant creative neighborhoods. In the massive former shipbuilding warehouse known as NDSM-Loods, around 250 artists operate from approximately 80 studios, complemented by a large gallery space called NDSM Fuse. Nearby, a striking multicolored mural of Anne Frank adorns an adjacent warehouse that hosts STRAAT, the world's largest museum dedicated to graffiti and street art.
At the nearby NXT Museum, artists, scientists, sound engineers, coders, and designers come together to create immersive ‘new media art,’ including data sculptures utilizing technologies such as robotics, facial recognition, AI, and VR. Prepare for the unexpected at Sexyland World, a uniquely dynamic venue where each of its 365 co-owners hosts different concerts, club nights, exhibitions, or events throughout the year.
Expansive parks with meandering paths include the stunning Oosterpark © Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersPublic Spaces
Noord’s industrial charm borders the countryside, including Amsterdam’s oldest forest, WH Vliegenbos. At the western edge of the city, the 700-hectare (1,730-acre) green expanse known as Tuinen van West serves as a center for urban agriculture—featuring farms, nurseries, food producers, and a pick-your-own orchard—as well as recreational activities with cafes, bars, and events. In the southwest lies Amsterdam’s largest forest, the expansive Amsterdamse Bos.
Lush parks with winding trails include the beautiful Oosterpark in the multicultural Oost (east), alongside the flower-filled Amstelpark and Beatrixpark, both located in Amsterdam’s Zuid (south). Renowned sculptures appear in the green spaces of Zuid during the Sculpture Biennale ARTZUID, which runs from May to September in odd-numbered years.
Boats on the canal celebrate Pride in Amsterdam © Ozan Yilmaz / Getty ImagesExciting events and celebrations
A diverse array of festivals, events, and creative collaborations infuse Amsterdam with energy year-round. Multicultural festivities include the Amsterdam Roots Festival, a vibrant mix of circus, dance, theater, music, art, food, and storytelling from non-Western cultures, and Keti Koti, which honors the abolition of slavery in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. The Caribbean and Surinamese Kwaku Festival features DJs, dance, workshops, street food, and football activities.
As one of the world’s pioneering LGBTIQ+ capitals, Amsterdam hosts numerous rainbow-community events, including the grand celebration of Queer & Pride, which features a spectacular waterborne Pride parade. Additionally, over 140 films are showcased during the ‘Pink Film Days,’ known locally as Roze Filmdagen, held at Westergas.
Westergas is among the many venues that host Amsterdam’s renowned electronic dance music event, the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).
Amsterdam’s dining and drinking scenes are elevating sustainability to new heights © Koen Smilde / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersThe evolution of dining and drinking
Amsterdam's food and drink scenes are embracing sustainability like never before. The canal-side Café de Ceuvel is built from recycled materials and operates entirely off-grid. Wilde Zwijnen focuses on game, line-caught fish, and locally sourced vegetables, while the historic Park Frankendael features the Michelin-starred (and Michelin Green Starred) restaurant De Kas, which grows its ingredients in onsite gardens and stunning glasshouses.
Greenhouses also supply produce for the plant-based restaurant and bar at the sustainable art/design/life sciences center Mediamatic. Jacob’s Juice, a juice bar in De Pijp, repurposes surplus fruits and vegetables from the Albert Cuypmarkt, the city’s largest street market, into refreshing juices and smoothies. The charming Jordaan bistro Bonboon offers exquisite four- and five-course all-vegan dining experiences.
Amsterdam is brimming with amazing spots to discover unique souvenirs © Koen Smilde / Courtesy of amsterdam&partnersUnique shops and innovative artisans
Mirroring Amsterdam’s eclectic, creative spirit along with its commitment to inclusivity and sustainability, the city boasts remarkable spots to find unique souvenirs.
At the cultural hub De Hallen, which has been transformed from old tram sheds, Denim City specializes in repairing and upcycling denim, while the Maker Store offers clothing, prints, stationery, and gifts crafted by local creators. Organic-cotton t-shirts are designed by local artists at Collect the Label. Mercer produces sneakers using sustainable materials like pineapple leather, and Property Of… creates backpacks and totes from recycled plastic that mimics canvas. Colourful Goodies features charming dolls in a variety of colors and traits. For a glimpse into the future of Dutch design, X Bank serves as a stunning showcase.
Any of these venues would be an excellent choice for finding the perfect keepsake from a city that is continuously reinventing itself.
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