Amsterdam gardens open to the public
Hidden behind the stately façades of the houses along Amsterdam’s canals lie some of the city's best-kept secrets:
private gardens. For
one weekend in June, you can look behind these impressive canal-side homes and step into a completely different world, where a quiet green oasis welcomes visitors.
Canal house life
Very few of these
canal house gardens are usually open to the public year-round, but each year some 30 of them are accessible to visitors during
Open Tuinen Dagen, or
Open Garden Days. Presented by the
Museum Van Loon you’ll see both classic and contemporary gardens, all beautifully manicured with hedges, ponds and fountains. Indulge yourself and romanticise the canal house life and how the other half lived as, according to the Open Garden Days website, many of these
stately homes were occupied by families only in the colder months, vacating to their summer estates when it got warmer.
For more information
A ticket allowing access to all of the gardens costs €20 at the door, €18 if you buy in advance. You can purchase tickets in advance via
the Museum Van Loon website, exchanging your voucher for a ticket on the day of the event. The gardens are open from 10:00 to 17:00 on each day of the event.