Amsterdamse bos - Amsterdam Forrest

The Amsterdamse Bos measures almost 1000 hectars (about 2 by 5 kilometers). It is owned by the city of Amsterdam and situated within the municipalities of Amsterdam, Amstelveen en Aalsmeer. Annualy the forest attracts 4,5 million visitors, mostly from Amsterdam and surrounding areas. So, it is still the very same city woodland the designers of the original Boschplan had in mind in the 1920’s. Under the motto 'Five years' work for a thousand men' the planting of the woods of the Amsterdamse Bos began in 1934, a task which provided work for 20,000 unemployed people during the crisis years. The last tree in this forestation project was only planted in 1967. With its 137 km of footpaths, 51 km of cycle paths and 50 bridges, the Bos is one of the largest city parks in Europe, contains 150 indigenous tree species, an exotic arboretum and more than 200 bird species.