Amsterdam boasts about 30 parks, whose greenness and cleanness constitute a peaceful and pleasant refuge from the busy life of the metropolis. The city's largest park, Vondelpark, is the most popular in the region and receives more than 10,000,000 visitors a year. Many locals choose to spend a beautiful sunny afternoon amid its old, leaning trees and neat gravel paths. You might want to pack a couple of sandwiches and have a whole-day picnic in one of the quiet corners of this vast stretch of greenery. The amphitheatre often hosts free evening concerts of classical music, as well as theatre plays. Children can have fun at the six enclosed playgrounds. Nearby, municipal botanical gardens dating back to the 17th Century offer a great place to spend a few quiet hours with your family or friends among exotic palm trees and a variety of tropical plants.

If you’re visiting Amsterdam with children, they'll certainly enjoy a visit to the Artis Zoo. It was established in the 18th Century and is home to more than 6,000 animals. Representatives of species from all continents have been gathered over an area of 14 hectares. Rare plants from distant climatic zones occupy four greenhouses. The Artis Aquarium presents reconstructions of various ecosystems, including the natural environment of the Banggai Cardinal Fish, an endangered species inhabiting the coast of Indonesia. Seven aquaterraria exhibit an impressive collection of reptile species, including curious-looking mountain toads and salamanders. The zoo complex also includes a very good geological museum with precious stones, fossils and dinosaur skeletons. The zoo's planetarium hosts a permanent exhibition devoted to space exploration and astronomy. In the evening, the telescope hall opens its doors to all those eager to take a closer look at the night sky.