Sport
& Activities in Amsterdam:
Amsterdam
is a city with sport enthusiasts and has nearly 800 sports clubs. The most popular
sports are football, tennis, athletics, hockey and ice-skating. Cycling is probably
considered a part of their lifestyle as every Dutch owns his own bicycle!
Athletics
Amsterdam
hosts at least four major running events throughout the year:
Dam
Tot Damloop: One of the largest and most popular running events with
over 20,000 participants every year. The runners have to run from Amsterdam to
the centre of Zaandam.
Amsterdam
Marathon: The race starts and ends at the renovated Olympic Stadium.
Course passes through the Old city and Vondelpark and is held in October.
Vondelparkloop:
Held in January around the park.
Grachtenloop:
conducted in June... a run around the canals.
Football
Football,
the national sport of the Netherlands is a very popular in Amsterdam. One of the
renowned football club is Ajax
Amsterdam a team in the Dutch
Football League. The "Admirals", an American football team are
a very popular too.
Basket
A
sport that is increasing in popularity now. Amsterdam Astronauts team play in
the Dutch premier division. Games are normally played at Sporthallen Zuid near
the Olympic Stadium.
Baseball
The
Amsterdam
Pirates are a popular local team that play in the Dutch Major League.
Bowling
Apart
from private bowling alleys, several clubs offer bowling lanes. For more information
on events and competitions related to bowling you can contact the Netherlands
Bowling Federation at 010 473 5581. Here are some bowling alleys in Amsterdam:
Amstelborgh/Borchland
Borchlandweg
6 12, 1099CT Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0) 205633333
Pim's Bowling
Buikslotermeerplein 4, 1025EV Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0)
206340030
Knijn
Bowling
Scheldeplein 3
1078 GR Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0)
206642211
Access: Tram 4.
Bowlingvereniging
Amsterdam
Scheldeplein 3
1078 GR Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0)206342750
Sportcentrum
De Kegel
Bovenkerkerweg 81
1187 XC Amstelveen
Phone: +21(0)206455557
Bowlingclub
Noordam
Buikslotermeerplein 300
1025 GB Amsterdam
Health
& Fitness
Splash
HealthClub
One of the finest heath clubs in Amsterdam with two
branches at Looiersgracht and Leidseplein. Open from 7 in the morning till midnight
all days of the week, this club offers latest fitness equipments and personal
trainers. Facilities also include sauna, steam, massages.
Splash
HealthClub Looiersgracht
Looiersgracht 26-30
1016 PH Amsterdam
Phone:
+31 (0)206248404
Splash HealthClub
Leidseplein
Lijnbaansgracht 241
1017 PH Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0)204220280
Sporting
Club Leidseplein
Located centrally in Leidesplein, this sporting club
is popular amongst students. You can buy a day card. Facilities include gym, sauna
and aerobic classes.
Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 18
Amsterdam, NH
1017 RC
Phone:
+31 (0)20 620 6631
Open Mondays to Fridays from 9am till midnight; 10am-6pm
over weekends.
Fitness
& Health Garden
Located
near Waterlooplein, the health club offer gym facilities, along with classes for
yoga and aerobics. Premises also include a massage sauna rooms and a solarium
.
Jodenbreestraat 158
Phone: +31 (0) 0203200233
Saunas
In
the Netherlands, saunas are open to both males and females, although some saunas
have some time slots reserved for women only. Some Saunas are:
De
Keizer
De Keizer is a pleasant sauna housed in an 18th century canal side
home in Keizersgracht: It offers a steam room, massage room, and a bar and coffee
facilities.
Keizersgracht 124.
Art
Deco Sauna
As the name indicates this sauna located Herengracht
in has deco glass panels and very stylish interiors. It offers a steam room, Finnish
sauna, solarium, massage, Shiatsu and beauty treatments.
Herengracht
115,
Phone: +31 (0)206238215
Access: Tram 1, 2, 5, 13, 17, 20.
Open
11am-11pm Mon-Sat; 1-6pm Sun.
Skateboarding,
Inlining & Rollerskatingd
Skating
was very popular hobby years ago when the Dutch ice skated for long distances
and on frozen canals. However, of late the conditions have not been very favourable
to continue this. If you are visiting Amsterdam over winters, you can try skating
on a frozen canal. However, you need to be careful as the ice tends to be very
thin esp. under bridges. You can try ice skating on some lakes or ponds in the
outskirts of Amsterdam. A safer idea would be to go to the one of the indoor skating
rinks. Several skaters use the bike paths in the city and the Vondelpark esp.
during summers. Sometimes in summers, a huge crowd joins the "Friday Night
Skate" which start from the Vondelpark and goes for nearly 15 kms.
Here
are some rollers skates and skateboard rental locations:
Rent
A Skate
There are two outlets in Vondelpark,
one at the cafè near Amstelveenseweg and the other at Melkgroothuis.
Vondelpark
7
Access: Tram 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 20.
Balance
Skate
rental includes guards for knees and elbows. Helmets cost extra.
Overtoom 464-6
Skiing
Although
Amsterdam does not offer hills and slopes for skiers and snowboarders, the sport
is still practices indoor halls specially maintained for these sports. In fact,
the largest indoor skiing and snowboarding facility is located near Amsterdam.
Here are some indoor ski spots in Amsterdam:
Ski-Inn
Indoorskibaan
Wg-plein 281
1054 SE Amsterdam, Oud-West
Indoorski
& Sun Amsterdam Noord
J. van Hasseltweg 114-118
1022 WZ Amsterdam,
Noord
Jaap Eden Kunstijsbaan
Radioweg
64
1098 NJ Amsterdam, Watergraafsmeer
You
can rent ski equipment at:
Ski-point
Treubweg
15
1112 BA Diemen
Phone: +31(0) 20 6901044
