Nature and Parks in Amsterdam

"Amsterdam’s diversity is on full display when locals from Suriname, Turkey, Morocco, and Eastern Europe vent at the “speaker’s stone” in this large park in East Amsterdam every Sunday at 1:00 PM. Designed in the English landscape style, Oosterpark has a natural feel, with a pond populated by grey herons and a few rare, wild parrots. Among the numerous monuments are one commemorating the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands in 1861 and another honoring Theo van Gogh, a distant cousin of the painter who was murdered in 2004 by a Muslim extremist. Streams, walking paths, and a children’s wading pool make this a great place to chill, with fewer tourists than Vondelpark or Westerpark — except in July, when Oosterpark hosts the Amsterdam Roots Festival, the city’s largest world music event." - MATADOR_NETWORK