Amsterdamse Bos

Amsterdamse Bos
Amsterdamse Bos in the summer of 2006
Type	Public park
Location	Aalsmeer, Netherlands Amstelveen, Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°18′39″N 4°49′57″E / 52.3108°N 4.8325°E / 52.3108; 4.8325Coordinates: 52°18′39″N 4°49′57″E / 52.3108°N 4.8325°E / 52.3108; 4.8325
Area	10 km2 (2,471 acres)
Operated by	City of Amsterdam
Visitors	4.5 million
Open	All year

The Amsterdamse Bos (English: Amsterdam Forest ) is an English park or landscape park in the municipalities Amstelveen and Amsterdam. And although most of the park is located in Amstelveen, the owner of the park is the City of Amsterdam. The park was mainly build in the early thirties, mostly by the forced labour of the unemployed, who risked to lose their benefits. Annually, almost 4.5 million people visit the park, which has a size of 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) and is approximately three times the size of Central Park. In it, one can find animal parks, several sporting clubs, a rowing course, gardens and remembrance monuments.

Throughout the decades, the location has seen different gatherings, political manifestations and (i.a., free) concerts. These often took place on the so-called Vietnam Meadow. Despite extensive protests, this part was turned into a tennis venue in 1994.

Bosbaan

An important part of the park is the rowing course called de Bosbaan (“Forest course”), which was opened in 1937. The course was an alternative for rowing on the Amstel river, or on the canal surrounding the polder of the Haarlemmermeer, which were the two traditional locations for rowing competition. It is the world’s oldest artificial rowing course. In 1977 it hosted the World Rowing championships. In order to meet international competition regulation, the Bosbaan was widened to 118 meters (8 lanes for competition and an additional preparation lane). In 2014 the Bosbaan hosted the World Rowing Championship for a second time.

The area of the park called Zonneweide is an area designated for naturist recreation.