Amsterdam – Loslopen.net

While the majority of people seem to walk their pups at the very convenient but leash-only Vondelpark near the centre of Amsterdam, just a bus ride away brings you to the Amsterdamse Bos, a huge area with massive off-leash pathways and wide open fields for running, playing or training in. Don’t forget, dogs travel for free on busses in the Netherlands!

Start at the bus stop “Amsterdamse Bos” and walk towards the Bosbaan, a wide canal famous for its rowing events. If you are coming by car then there is a large car park near the restaurant De Bosbaan (lovely lunches…) but of course you pay Amsterdam parking prices to park there.

There is a pleasant pathway to the side of the Bosbaan, but it is leash-only, and therefore not covered in these pages.

From the restaurant, we walked past the Bosbaan towards the Klimbos (children’s climbing area), and then veered south, following the main pathways. This point is still leash-only, until you come to a painted sign on the floor which marks the start of the loslopgebied. From here on, just follow the extensive labyrinth of pathways, walk around the Kleine Vijver lake and wind your way back, that alone will be around a 7-8 km walk. To the right of the main pathway is a dog free zone which allows dogs on-leash between October and March. It’s up to you if you want to explore them, we didn’t because we were having too much fun running free in the fields!

One thing you need to know, this is not a secret spot by any means. It can be busy. Even on cold winter days on a late lunchtime walk, expect a mixture of private dog walkers, large pack walkers (blatantly ignoring the signs of 3 dogs per person), office workers taking a lunchtime stroll and, surprisingly, horses crossing your path. Having said that, this area is so large and with so many wide open spots, you can find a way to avoid uninvited attention.

There are many cycle paths throughout the areas, but it has been nicely planned in such a way that these paths run parallel to walking areas, separated by grassy banks or trees so that walkers and cyclists rarely cross paths, even over the little bridges in the park.

The Amsterdamse Bos is also a location of several events throughout the year, some of which will close large areas of the park. If your plan was a long, calm walk in the woods, then check the calendar before setting out.

Pros:

Huge area with wide open spaces
Easily accessible from Amsterdam via public transport
Lots of watery areas for hot summer days

Cons:

High parking fees if public transport is not an easy option for you
Can be busy
Hosts a number of large events

Location:

Bosbaan

This is a relatively large area of watery fields, combined with a kids play area. It is somehow not so busy for dog walkers and I don’t understand why because it is just a 20 minute drive from Amsterdam, but it just seems to be one of those places that only the locals know about. Until now…

Park at the Brasserie De Jutter (Weidelandpad 3, 1448 MB Purmerend), and walk over the little wooden footbridge to the back of the restaurant and into the fields. This short walk is a leash only area but as soon as you are into the fields then you can release your furry ball of energy.

From this point on, simply follow the pathways. Some are obvious and paved with gravel, and some are simply trodden. You will find yourself curving around fields, over little bridges and if it has been raining then you will walk past a lot of muddy pools! Essentially what you will be doing is walking parallel to a large and long water body in a route that can be as indirect as you like. Note, there are a lot of ducks and geese in some spots here but they can be avoided by crossing bridges or doing detours over the fields.

At some point you can go over a bridge where you will come across a children’s play area. Leash your pup to go past this area and you can re-release him when you are well out the way again. You can turn around here and follow the water back to the restaurant where I recommend you stop for a tasty lunch or at least a coffee as a thank you for them letting you use their car park for free.

Pros: