Amsterdam's most mixed district on foot: the city's first big municipal park with the national slavery monument, roti and the Dappermarkt where Oost does its shopping, then under the railway into the Indische Buurt, whose streets are named after Indonesian islands, along the Javastraat to the old bathhouse on the Javaplein and the jenever distillery in a former pumping station in Flevopark. Note: the Linnaeusstraat is being rebuilt until the end of 2027 and tram 19 stops at Muiderpoort.
Best time: A weekday or Saturday from late morning (the Dappermarkt runs Monday-Saturday, about 09:00-17:00); end with a jenever in Flevopark in the late afternoon
The route, stop by stop
- 1Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
Start at the museum's grand building on the corner of Linnaeusstraat and the Oosterpark (Linnaeusstraat 2). The street outside is a building site until the end of 2027. 5 min outside, or 2 hours inside.
- 2National Slavery Monument, Oosterpark
The Oosterpark was the first large park laid out by the city, partly on a relocated old cemetery. The national monument to the Dutch slavery past was unveiled by Queen Beatrix on 1 July 2002; every 1 July the Keti Koti festival ('broken chains' in Sranan) marks abolition here. Look for the grey heron nests along the Linnaeusstraat side and the memorial to filmmaker Theo van Gogh, murdered nearby in 2004. On Sunday afternoons locals speak their mind at the Speaker's Stone. 30 min.
- 3Roopram Roti
Eerste van Swindenstraat 4: a no-frills roti shop by the market; order the roti chicken, served on the bone. 20 min.
- 4Dappermarkt
Dapperstraat, a market street since 1910 and the everyday market of Oost: produce, fabric, Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish and Moroccan goods. The fish stalls are the place to try kibbeling, herring or eel. Mon-Sat. 30 min.
- 5Javastraat
Cross under the railway by Muiderpoort station (built 1939, which ended the Indische Buurt's isolation from the city). On the Javastraat, Moroccan butchers and Surinamese roti shops sit next to concept stores: the Middle Eastern deli Tigris & Eufraat and the cake shop Majesteit Taart are iamsterdam's picks. 30 min.
- 6Timorplein and Studio/K
A short detour north: the square's renewal was finished in 2010 with Studio/K (Timorplein 62), an art-house cinema, cafe and club whose programme is put together by about 50 students. 10 min, or stay for a film.
- 7Javaplein and Badhuis
One of the last public bathhouses in Amsterdam was built on the Javaplein in 1942 and worked until 1982; it is now the bar-restaurant Badhuis (Javaplein 21). 20 min.
- 8Distillery 't Nieuwe Diep
Flevopark was planned in 1908 by the naturalist Jac. P. Thijsse and built from 1928; it holds the heritage-listed Jewish cemetery Zeeburg, in use from 1714. In a former pumping station almost surrounded by water, Distillery 't Nieuwe Diep pours its jenevers and liqueurs on the terrace; check its opening days before you go. 45 min.
More walks in Amsterdam
- Old centre: Centraal, the Wallen and Dam to the Begijnhof
- De Pijp food-grazing walk: market, broodje pom and bakeries
- Canal ring and Jordaan: Anne Frank to the Nine Streets
- Jewish Quarter and Plantage to the windmill brewery
- Across the IJ: free ferries to Eye, Noord and NDSM
- Jordaan brown-cafe crawl
- Amsterdam School in Plan Zuid: from the Coöperatiehof to De Dageraad and the first skyscraper
- Noord by bike: the Waterland dyke from Nieuwendam to Schellingwoude and Durgerdam
- Western Islands and the Spaarndammerbuurt: herring wharves to Het Schip