Remember when I went to Almere for the first time last year? I can say that this was one of the surprises of the year. After a weekend on the Kemphaan I went home with a completely different image. The surroundings of Almere are beautiful. Green, diverse and a perfect destination to go out of the city for a weekend without having to drive too far. You may have already seen it on Instagram Stories, but we recently went to Almere for another weekend for a dose of nature, outdoor living and good food and drinks. In this article I have collected all the tips from this last weekend for you. Complement them with the hotspot tips from the earlier article and you’ll have all the ingredients for a wonderful weekend away. Have fun!
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8 X suprising tips for a weekend in the natuur in Almere
Stay in a vineyard: In-Netherlands, you are reading it right! In the green oosterwold district in Almere you can stay in a vineyard. At Life Contains Beautiful Things you can check in to one of the three tinyhouses. There you will wake up overlooking the grape vines and take a dip in the natural pool in the middle of the vineyard in the morning. Tip: Book one of the culinary packages including breakfast, picnic and mountain bikes.
Life Contains Beautiful Things
Picnic in the nature swimming pool
Nature experience centre de Oostvaarders: Have you ever been to the Oostvaardersplassen? Maybe you know the nature reserve as part of The New Land National Park. Because of the beautiful nature, a visit was still high on my Dutch bucket list. Nature experience centre de Oostvaarders is a visitor centre and restaurant under one roof. I would say first go to the visitor center and do not skip the crow’s nest. When we were there we could spot hundreds of heck cattle and red deer through the binoculars. Pavilion De Oostvaarders is the restaurant with a view over the Oostvaardersplassen where you are at the right place to eat and drink before or after a walk or bike ride. Are you there like us on Saturday? Then they also serve high tea! Also keep an eye on the agenda of the visitor centre, as activities for young and old are organized almost every weekend.
NATUrelifeCENTer DE OOSTVAARDERS
Spot animals from the PANORAmaroum
high tea with a view over the oostvaarderslake
Ronde Oostvaardersplassen on a doppio bike: I have to confess that I had never ridden an electric bike until after our high tea at Natuur belevingcentrum de Oostvaaders I got on a cool doppio bike. Believe me: after this you don’t want anything else for long bike rides! With a nice autumn sun on our face, we cycled the Oostvaardersplassen all the way around. Along the way you will come across several beautiful viewpoints and one minute you will cycle over the dike along the Markermeer and then through the woods. One of the most beautiful points along the way I found the Great Praambult where we saw hundreds of konik horses. So beautiful, I could watch it for hours and therefore a perfect place for the picnic lunch we had received from Paviljoen De Oostvaarders! Other animals that you can spot at the Oostvaardersplassen include foxes and bald eagles and the heck cattle and red deer that I mentioned earlier. If you don’t rent bikes, take one of the walks.
round the Oostvaarderslake on a Doppio Bike
Extensive dining at Brasserie Bakboord: Ask a local where you can eat very good food in Almere and they will undoubtedly answer Brasserie Bakboord. A hotspot where you go for a culinary evening with a view. The restaurant is located at Almere-Haven and overlooks the harbour on one side and the Gooimeeron theother. In 2020 they were again awarded a Bib Gourmand and if you are going to eat here you will understand why. Tasty and surprising dishes with local and organic ingredients in the lead. They are open from lunch and the tasting menusare highly recommended. We tasted the 5-course tasting menu with matching wines and will definitely come back again.
Tasting-menu at the Brasserie Bakboord
Farmer’s Market at De Kemphaan: Ok, ok, this tip is not from my last visit, but it is the tip that got me attached to the green outside area of Almere last year. Every Saturday morning a farmer’s market is organized at the Stadsboerderij on the de Kemphaan site. Here you shop organic products from producers from the Flevopolder. One of the nicest farmer’s markets near the randstad if you ask me. PS:discover here also the 20 other tips of our first weekend Almere
De Kemphaan, Almere
Suppen at De Kapitein: Have you ever been on a sup plank? It was years ago for me and I forgot for a moment how much fun this is. Such a first time is equally uncomfortable, but even on your knees it is already incredibly beautiful and soothing when you hear the sound of the paddles hitting the water. In Almere you can rent boards at De Kapitein to paddle over the Noorderplassen. We were on the sup boards early with a morning sun and what a pleasure it was! Practice makes perfect, so I’m definitely going to paddle more often this fall. A special way to be completely offline and in the middle of nature.
Suppen bij De Kapitein
To the theatre at Vis á Vis: Put it on the agenda for next year that you go to Vis á Vis, because what a cool theatre production. Robot– a science fiction comedy about a time when the cyber man can no longer be ignored – can still be seen on the Almeerderstrand until 27 September. A theatre spectacle by theatre company Vis á Vis that is played outdoors. Before or after the performance you can eat and drink something in ‘the Red Herring’ where the team of cooking studio Laurier (known from Lowlands, among others) has put together a delicious Robox this season. This winter they will (hopefully!) come back with a winter program and for that it is best to keep an eye on their website.
Slotscène van Robot door Vis á Vis
The woods near Oosterwold: Nothing better than taking a long walk at the weekend. In the surroundings of Oosterwold where our B&B Life Contains Beautiful Things can be found, you have several beautiful forests such as the Cathedral Forest and the Circle Forest. At the B&B you can rent mountain bikes if you like, but hiking is of course always an option. In the Cirkelbos you will find various works of art that you will encounter while walking. You will also find the Almeerse Bergwith sheep and goats at the foot. Well worth climbing this mountain for panoramic views. The Cathedral Forest owes its name to two green cathedral works of art made of grass and trees. Funny fact: these green cathedrals have the exact shape of the famous Cathedral of The French Reims. Because Almere is a young municipality, you notice in these landscaped forests everything that has been thought through very carefully about landscaping. Also during this weekend away I am again very surprised by the diversity in green. And to think that these forests are only half an hour’s drive from Amsterdam for a weekend walk. So remember!
Almeerse Berg bij het Cirkelbos
| DID YOU KNOW? Maybe you’ve already heard, but did you know that the Floriade Expo s coming to Almere in April 2022? As we speak, construction is already happening. I was allowed to take a look at the site and hear more about the plans. For example, (in addition to a lot of green) food of the future will become an important theme. I was enthused by the names of chefs, producers and names from the slow food movement that will give substance to the culinary program (of which you may not know the Floriade directly). To be continued!
Are you going to Almere soon? Tag @yourlbb on Instagram (Stories) or use #yourlbb and the best photos I repost on stories!
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With love,
Anne
In collaboration with Visit Almere
| PS: Do you already know Your Little Black Book’s Green Policy? Here you can find my personal tips on how to travel and live greener and I am also explaining how I compensate the CO2 emissions from all the travels the #teamyourlbb does.
