Amsterdamse Bos

My buddy Sander runs in the Amsterdamse Bos every Saturday morning. When I asked him why he does not just run in Vondelpark, which is way closer to his apartment, he looked at me like I had suggested he run on a treadmill. "The Bos is different," he said. After joining him a few times, I get it.

The Amsterdamse Bos is Amsterdam's forest park, and when I say forest, I mean forest. It is three times the size of Central Park in New York. You could spend an entire day here and not see it all. There are running paths, cycling paths, a rowing lake, a goat farm, a pancake house, an outdoor theater, and actual stretches of woods where you cannot see the city at all. My buddy says the moment he enters the Bos, his brain "turns off in the good way."

The goat farm — Geitenboerderij — is one of those Amsterdam things that sounds silly until you go. It is a small farm where you can pet goats, see chickens and pigs, and buy fresh goat cheese and goat ice cream. Yes, goat ice cream. My friend's kids go nuts for this place, and honestly, so did I. It is free to enter and the ice cream is genuinely good.

The pancake house — Boerderij Meerzicht — is a classic. It is an old farmhouse by a lake that serves traditional Dutch pancakes the size of your head. My buddy and I stop here after his Saturday runs and I order the bacon and cheese pancake every single time. It is one of those places where you are sitting outside by a lake eating pancakes and you forget that you are technically still in Amsterdam.

For running and cycling, the Bos is ideal. The paths are mostly flat (this is the Netherlands), well-maintained, and scenic. There is a 5K loop, a 10K loop, and enough paths that you can easily piece together a half marathon if you are ambitious. My buddy does the 10K loop and says it is the best running route in Amsterdam. The rowing lake — the Bosbaan — is beautiful to run alongside and there is usually rowing practice happening, which is oddly meditative to watch.

Getting there: the Bos is south of the city, technically in Amstelveen. By bike it is about 25 minutes from the Jordaan. You can also take tram 5 to the edge and walk in. My recommendation: rent a bike and cycle there. The ride down is flat and pleasant, and once you are in the Bos you can cycle to the far corners that walkers cannot easily reach.

It is completely free to enter. The goat farm is free. The pancake house is pay-what-you-eat obviously. Bike rental is the main cost if you do not already have one. My friend rents from the places near Centraal Station for about 10-15 euros per day.

Best time to go: spring and summer are gorgeous, but autumn in the Bos is genuinely beautiful — the trees change color and the whole place feels like a painting. Winter is quieter and colder but there is something peaceful about having the paths almost to yourself. My buddy runs year-round and says January in the Bos is his favorite because "it is just you and the trees."

One thing to know: the Bos is big enough to get mildly lost in. Download the map from their website or just use Google Maps. My friend rode her bike confidently into the forest, missed a turn, and ended up at the complete opposite end from where she wanted to be. She considered this "an adventure." I considered it "poor navigation."

If you want to escape the city without actually leaving, the Amsterdamse Bos is the answer. Sander would tell you the same thing, right after his Saturday morning run, while eating a pancake the size of a pizza.