Amstelveen is a city and municipality near Amsterdam in northern Holland.
The city is just a few minutes from the Ajax Johan Cruyff stadium and Amsterdam Schiphol airport.
Today, let's head to this charming city and discover what it has to offer.
Amstelveen: article summary
Amstelveen: a little history
In the 13th century, the Amstelland region was divided into Ouder-Amstel (east of the Amstel river) and Nieuwer-Amstel (mainly west of the Amstel river).
Nieuwer-Amstel was founded in 1278 and was thus known as Aemstelle. Amsterdam was granted city rights in 1300 and thus separated from Amstelland.
In 1342, Amsterdam received the first time a piece of Nieuwer-Amstel, enlarged in 1387.
The Nieuwer-Amstel church community was created when a new church was built west of the river Amstel.
Until 1334, the church remained subordinate to a clergyman from Ouderkerk. Originally, the village was located in the peat extraction area west of the river.
A remarkable entry into the modern age
The name Amstelveen has existed since 1964 for the part of Nieuwer-Amstel that remained after the area was annexed by Amsterdam.
Formerly a rural community, Amstelveen formed the heart of the Nieuwer-Amstel region as a small village.
In 1915, Amstelveen was connected to the Haarlemmermeer rail network, with a station in the old village and a few smaller bus stops.
There were railway lines running in three directions: Aalsmeer, Amsterdam and Uithoorn. The 1915 station building still stands and serves as a store.
After the Second World War, the Nieuwer-Amstel district became overcrowded and many residents were forced to move to Amstelveen. to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
In 1964, the name "Amstelveen" was changed from the name of a small village in Nieuwer-Amstel to the name of the entire municipality.
What to see in Amstelveen
Amstelveen has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions. The town is home to a variety of cultural venues, and a visit to these institutions is always worth a detour.
Culture plays an important role in the way the people of Amstelveen welcome their visitors. Some very interesting sites to see.
Amstelveen Concert Band
Harmonie Orkest Amstelveen was founded in May 1922 as Fanfarecorps Bovenkerk. The orchestra, which started out with just twenty musicians and borrowed instruments, has become very popular in the Netherlands.
Among the founders were names like Botman and Blesgraaf, who still have an influence on the orchestra today.
In 1986, the name was changed from Fanfare to Harmonie Orchestra. The 45-member orchestra rehearses every Thursday evening. at the Noorddam Center in Bovenkerk.
Puppet theater
The Amstelveen Puppet Theatre is housed in a former kindergarten and is home to many creative artists.
The theater was founded in 1966 by renowned puppeteer Jan Nelissen. For ten years he was the theater's permanent and unique puppeteer.
The theater aims to show as many facets of the business as possible:
- Puppet play
- Combined performances with actors and dolls
- Modern object play
The Cobra Museum
The Cobra Museum of Modern Art is a museum of modern art. The museum contains an extensive collection of artworks by Dutch modern artists, in particular members of the Cobra movement.
The Cobra Museum was founded in 1995. Cobra was the most important international avant-garde movement in European art after the Second World War.
The Cobra movement lasted only 3 years, from 1948 to 1951, and the museum houses works of art from this period, as well as much more recent works. by various artists from the Netherlands and other parts of the world.
The Jan Van der Togt Museum
The Jan van der Togt Museum in Amstelveen is a museum of modern art. The museum was founded in 1991 by Jan Van der Togt (1905-1995), an industrialist and collector of contemporary art.
The museum's permanent collection comprises paintings, sculptures and an important collection of modern glass art.
These include masterpieces by avant-garde Czech glass artists such as Vaclav Cigler, Libensky and Ales Vasicek.
In addition to exhibiting part of the permanent collection, the museum organizes several exhibitions each year featuring the work of a selected artist.
How to get to Amstelveen
There is a regular bus service between Amsterdam Central Station and Amstelveen. Buses leave every 15 minutes and take around 40 minutes to get to Amstelveen.
Some buses do not run directly from Amsterdam Central Station to Amstelveen, so journey times can exceed 20 minutes. To get there, you can use :
- Bus routes 347, 348, 357 or 358
Amstelveen is a charming little town that you can visit while in Amsterdam. Just a few minutes from the airport, it's a place you'll want to visit. You and your family can discover the rest of Holland.
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