OFF THE BEATEN TRACK ON A BEATEN TRACK

When I created this blog to document trips through irregular and overlooked landscapes I never thought that one month later I would be here writing about Amsterdam City Centre, one of the most visited and photographed locations in Europe.

One week after the Coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of public spaces within the city, the normally overcrowded Saturday morning streets and tourist hot-spots are almost deserted. For the first time in its 800 year history, the city centre has become almost irrelevant now that it offers nothing for people to consume. Meanwhile the Vondel Park is a hive of activity for those seeking a brief respite from the necessary indoor social isolation.

Today I explored the sights of abandoned Amsterdam, taking in the traditionally busy locations via brisk 5km cross-sectional city walk from Centraal Station to Vondel Park.

Saturday 21st March 2020
10:00 - 11:30am

1. Stationplein and Amsterdam Centraal Station.
2. Ticket gates and Middentunnel, Amsterdam Centraal.
3. Stationhal main exit, Amsterdam Centraal. According to Wikipedia, Amsterdam CS normally accomodates 192,000 passengers per day.
4. Ticket gates, Metro Station Amsterdam Central

5. Rokin, heading towards Dam Square
6. Dam Square and the Royal Palace.
7. Entrance to the Anne Frank House Museum. In 2019 it received 1.3 million visitors (average 3,500 per day).
8. Leidsestraat.

9. Leidseplein, a popular destination for those looking for bars, restaurants and nightlife.
10. Max Euweplein
11. The Rijkesmuseum. The most visited museum in The Netherlands. In 2019 it welcomed 2.7 million visitors through its doors (average 7,400 per day).
12. Museumstraat. The public passage through the centre of the Rijkesmuseum with one lone violinist busking.

13. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam's second most visited destination.
14. The Stedelijk Museum. The city's municipal modern art museum.
15. Willem Sandbergplein between the Stedelijk Museum (left) and Van Gogh Museum (right).
16. Entrance to the Vondel Park at the end of the P.C. Hooftstraat.