With over 10 million visitors each year, the Vondelpark is the most famous park in the Netherlands. This number of visitors equals 21 visitors per square meter. In comparison, the Central Park in New York is visited by approx. 5 people per square meter. It is a big number for such a small country....
The Vondelpark was named after a Dutch poet, Joost van den Vondel, and was initiated by a group of Amsterdam noble men and business men in 1864. In 1953, it was sold to the city council. The decentralised city council Stadsdeel Oud-Zuid is now responsible for maintenance of the park. In 1996 the park has been awarded the status of governmental monument (rijksmonument). This status reflects the historic and cultural value that the park represents. With this status the park has become one of the crown jewels of the city of Amsterdam.
The Vondelpark is situated in the centre of Amsterdam, just a five-minute walk from the Leidseplein and at walking distance from the famous Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum. The Vondelpark consists of 470.000 m2 and is divided into 16.000 m2 grass and sideways, 2.000 m2 rose bushes, 8.000 m2 water, 11.000m2 trees and bushes and 10.000 m2 tarmac and playgrounds. The total distance of the park if you use the so-called large round is 3.3 km long.
At the southern side of the park you can rent inline skates at the Vondeltuin. If this skating, walking or cycling makes you thirsty, the park has 4 places where you can have a drink or something to eat. In summertime, roughly from June till the end of August the open air theatre has performances 4 days per week for free. If you want to relax and watch a nice film, the Filmmuseum is a nice venue to get to know more about the film and watch a film.
There are ambitious plans for the renovation of the Vondelpark by the owner, the City district Amsterdam Oud- Zuid. A large-scale renovation has taken place in the park since 1999. This is urgently needed because every year the park attracts 10 million visitors. Because of this intensive use and problems with the water management, the 140-year-old park has deteriorated into a poor condition. As the park is also justifiably a living monument (it was listed by the state in 1996), its huge value is also based on the grand design of the lines and shapes.
The renovation will ensure that the park is conserved for future generations. In the modifications an attempt is always made to achieve the right balance between the importance of the Vondelpark as a state monument and its intensive use by many visitors. The park will be completed in all its glory at the beginning of 2010.
The government is actually carrying out the renovation itself. The Foundation Hart voor het Vondelpark is endeavouring to achieve a good quality design for the park, i.e., the additional image that such an internationally famous park deserves. Aspects such as the toilets, park furniture and (the disappeared) park kiosks will be developed on the basis of a design competition. Cooperation with businesses and private initiatives will be involved in the execution. The private contribution (on the initiative of the Friends of the Vondelpark) with which the original Cuypers drinking fountain was restored, is a good example of this.
The situation regarding the Renovation of the Vondelpark
The renovation of the Vondelpark will be completed in 2010. The last work on the maintenance, the so-called core features of the park, will start in May 2008. This involves placing the final top layer on all the paths for pedestrians and asphalt paths, raising the lawns and plating all the shrubs, providing foundations for trees, installing the final drainage and renovating the remaining entrances. These activities will take place throughout the park. You will be sent detailed information about this.
Renovation of Parkrand Noord
These are the latest activities involved in the renovation of this part of the park, Parkrand Noord. The attention is focused particularly on improving the growing conditions for the vegetation and the majestic Platanenlaan. You will notice that these trees, which are only 50 years old, are dangerously crooked and that we have had to remove some of them for the safety of the users. The cause of this is the very high water table. Plane trees can tolerate a great deal, but really hate having wet feet. Therefore a deep drainage trench will be dug along the entire avenue to ensure that the root system can root down to a sufficient depth so that the trees are better anchored.
Strongly anchored trees
On the edge of the wood next to the avenue, the trees also dislike the high water table. However, it is not possible to provide deep drainage here and therefore the trees are planted at a raised level. If this raised ground consisted only of lumpy soil, the ground level would eventually drop down to the lower level again over the years. Therefore the city district has carried out several foundation tests to provide the foundation for the trees. On the edge of the wood, the trees are supported using posts. A tree is supported with foundations every 30 metres. In this way a strong skeleton is created along the edge of the wood, because strongly anchored trees which grow to full maturity not only look wonderful in the park, but at the same time protect the other trees.
Flourishing and fascinating plants
All the edges and open spaces in the shrubbery will be planted with beautiful flowering plants. Along the gate around the paddling pool of the playing pond there will be a hedge where it will be possible to enjoy the sun, protected from the wind. After sowing the lawns and planting the shrubs the project area will be accessible again, and only the new vegetation will remain fenced of for a few months.
The paths will soon be ready for intensive use
In this area the route of the path from the Frederiksstraat to the Brandbrug (no. 455) will also be modified. This will once again result in an attractive and flowing connection in the spirit of the original design by Louis Paul Zocher. All the paths will be given their definitive top level. The city district and the government department for historical monuments attach a great deal of value to the natural look of the paths. For this reason, a semi-metalled surface which looks good in the landscape will be used. However, the walking paths in the Vondelpark are used very intensively and this results in a great deal of wear and tear. After years of tests, the strongest and most suitable material available on the market has now been selected.
Renovation of Parkrand Zuid
The activities for the renovation for the part of the park, Parkrand Zuid will take place here until October 2008. First a large subterranean channel will be constructed between the Koningsvijver near the Koningslaan and the Grote Vijver near the open air theater. The water will run through the ponds of the park like a woodland stream. This is particularly in order to improve the quality of the water. Stagnant water is liable to become smelly and can lead to botulism and blue algae. Because the water runs along the plants on the bank and falls down a waterfall, it is oxygenated. This promotes the health of the ecosystem of the ponds. In addition, it also looks wonderful.
Ground water
Along this edge of the park, the trees suffer a great deal from the water which flows from the higher city perimeter. The wooden foundations of different premises next to the park are in danger of drying out because the water table is too low. Other properties have cellars which are at risk of wet conditions as a result of the weather. Therefore measures have been taken along the edge of the park here by the owners of the premises together with the Water network, to improve the ground water system for everyone. This will also resolve the oldest problem for the park for the time being.
Strong anchor for trees
On the edge of the wood the trees fall over too easily because of the high water table. Therefore the trees are planted on a raised area. If this raised area merely consisted of lumpy soil the ground level would fall back to the old level eventually over the years. Therefore the city district has carried out several foundation tests to provide the foundation for the trees. On the edge of the wood, the trees are supported using posts. A tree is supported with foundations every 30 metres. In this way a strong skeleton is created along the edge of the wood, because strongly anchored trees which grow to full maturity not only look wonderful in the park, but at the same time protect the other trees.
A large number of the horse chestnut trees which create the appearance of the park have been felled at the level of the three-way junction in the asphalt path. The horse chestnut originally comes from the Caucasian mountains and does not like wet feet. This weakens them, they are affected by fungal diseases, and the wood of the trees becomes very sensitive to breakages. Nevertheless, it would be a shame if only damp-loving species grew in the park. This monumental group of horse chestnuts which determines the appearance of the park will be given a different type of foundation. There is sufficient space to remove the peat and replace it with a supportive sandy soil. The existing 40-year-old trees will also be given better growing conditions and will in this way hopefully be saved from premature death.
Flowering shrubs and herbs
All the edges and open spaces in the shrubberies will be planted with beautiful flowering plants. For example, a good group of Mock Orange will be planted near the group of horse chestnuts. Walkers will soon come across all sorts of flowering herbs by the path between the shrubs. When the lawns have been sown and the shrubs have been planted the project area will be accessible again, and only the new vegetation will remain fenced off for a few more months.
The paths will soon be ready for intensive use
In this area only the route of the paths near the entrance of the Koninginenweg will be modified. This once again creates a beautiful flowing connection in the spirit of the original design by Louis Paul Zocher. All the paths will be given their definitive top level. The city district and the government department for historical monuments attach a great deal of value to the natural look of the paths. For this reason, a semi-metalled surface which looks good in the landscape will be used. However, the walking paths in the Vondelpark are used very intensively and this results in a great deal of wear and tear. After years of tests, the strongest and most suitable material available on the market has now been selected.
Widening the cycle path on the Picasso meadow
The route from the Kattenlaan to the Koninginneweg is the North-South connection for cyclists and walkers through the Vondelpark. Part of this route goes through the Picasso meadow. However, this path is too narrow for the cycle traffic on such as important route and it will also carry pedestrians. Therefore when the Renovation plan was confirmed in 2001 it was decided to widen the cycle path to 3.5 metres and to give it a more flowing design. In addition, there will be a separate walking path by the water’s edge.
For more information, please see the links section on this site.
open menu
Mail de redactie
Mail dit artikel
Print deze pagina
Terug naar boven
Home
Amsterdam.nl
Sitemap
Amsterdammail
Contact
Stadsdeelgids
Stadsdeelplattegrond
Loket Oud-Zuid
Lettergrootte