Need an escape from the hectic pace of Amsterdam? Why not plan a day at the Amsterdamse Bos? It’s a huge park on the edge of the city where you can leave behind the hustle and bustle and chill out in the woods or picnic on huge grassy lawns.

Planted in the 1930s and 40s, the Bos is now a mature forest covering almost 800 hectares. It offers a diverse range of outdoor pleasures including lakes for boating, wading pools for the kids, the Openlucht theater presenting outdoor plays and music, a bison reserve, a campground, numerous bike, horse and pedestrian paths (all separate), and a wonderful feeling of being far away from the city.

On a recent warm day, I found many people lying in the sun, canoeing on a lake, one guy working with a laptop and cellphone dressed in a suit (sweating profusely), kids cooling down in the wading pool, many were sitting under umbrellas at several outdoor cafes, sipping sodas.