Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland

Being on De Duizendmeterweg means you are right in the heart of the Amsterdamse Bos park, which was designed at the beginning of the 20th century as an urban forest for enjoying nature and recreation. The construction started in 1934 as a job creation project. More than twenty thousand unemployed people worked with shovels and wheelbarrows to realise the ‘Boschplan’ (Forest Plan). Work even continued during and after the Second World War, with the last tree being planted in 1970. Large areas of the forest are designed in the English landscape style with winding water features and rolling grass lawns. It also features elements from German public parks and an exceptionally large number of bridges, each with their own unique design. Deliberately designed sight lines and 'vanishing points' make the forest seem bigger than it actually is. In good weather, you can see the Zuidas district of Amsterdam from the Heuvel.

• The Vijverwandeling or Pond Walk (red) shows the most romantic side of the forest. The route takes you along the open-air theatre (the Bostheater), curves around the Grote Speelweide recreational area and then winds along the reedy banks of the Kleine Vijver pond. Great crested grebes, sand martins and cormorants often fish here and from early spring, the ground is covered with a carpet of flowers. When standing at the edge of the pond, you have a good view of the striking Heuvel.
• The Heuvelwandeling or Hill Walk (yellow) takes you through both natural and park forest landscapes. Walk past playgrounds and paddling pools and climb the Heuvel. This is where children completed the construction of the forest on the tree planting day of 1970. The wheelbarrow on the Grote Speelweide recreational area commemorates the people who built the forest.