Amstelveen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Amstelveen

Apartment buildings in Amstelveen

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in North Holland

Country

Netherlands

Province

North Holland

Region

Amsterdam metropolitan area

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

44.08 km² (17.02 sq mi)

• Land

41.45 km² (16.00 sq mi)

• Water

2.63 km² (1.02 sq mi)

Elevation

−1 m (−3.3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

85,749

• Density

2,069/km² (5,360/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Amstelvener

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

1180–1189

Area code

020

Amstelveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɑmstəlˈveːn]) is a municipality and city in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. As of 2022, it has a population of over 92,000 people. It is a suburb of the Amsterdam metropolitan area, meaning it's a town close to the larger city of Amsterdam.

The municipality of Amstelveen includes the old villages of Bovenkerk and Nes aan de Amstel. It also has many neighborhoods like Westwijk, Groenelaan, and Keizer Karelpark. The name Amstelveen comes from the Amstel river and the Dutch word veen, which means fen or peat. Amstelveen is home to the main offices of KLM, the Dutch national airline, and KPMG, a big accounting firm. You can also visit the Cobra Museum here.

History of Amstelveen
Amstelveen's Economy
Getting Around Amstelveen
Fun Things to Do in Amstelveen
Schools in Amstelveen
Famous People from Amstelveen
Amstelveen's Sister Cities
Gallery
See also

History of Amstelveen

Map of Nieuwer-Amstel, 1865–1870

Topographic map of Amstelveen, September 2014

Between 1810 and 1814, when France ruled the area, Amstelveen was an important town. Until 1964, the municipality was called Nieuwer-Amstel. Amstelveen is technically a large dorp (village) because it never had city walls.

The Thijssepark, a special nature park, was the first of its kind in the Netherlands. It was designed by C. P. Broerse, inspired by the naturalist Jac. P. Thijsse. This park covers about 12 acres and is near the Amsterdamse Bos.

Amstelveen even hosted a cricket match in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Former Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende started his political career as a council member in Amstelveen. Because it's so close to Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam, Amstelveen has become a home for people from many different cultures.

In the early 1900s, Amstelveen was a small farming village. The peat industry, which provided income, had stopped. The village was a bit cut off because it didn't have major train lines or waterways. People mainly earned money from farming animals, but growing plants and flowers was starting to become popular.

In 1852, the Haarlemmermeer polder (a piece of land reclaimed from water) was created. A fort was built there to defend Amsterdam, named "Fort at the Schiphol." This fort became a military airport in 1916 and then a civilian airport four years later. The fort was removed in 1934 to build a road connecting Amstelveen to Schiphol.

The growth of Schiphol Airport brought many people to Amstelveen. The main office of KLM was also set up here. Amstelveen was once the fastest-growing city in the Netherlands. By 2020, it had grown to over 91,000 residents.

After World War II, Amstelveen helped with Amsterdam's housing shortage. Amstelveen wanted to stay an independent municipality. It created many attractive new housing areas with beautiful landscaping and public art. This made Amstelveen well-known internationally.

In 2004, Amstelveen was voted the most attractive city in the Netherlands to live in. It is still one of the top three best cities to live in. The Amstelveen city center also won awards for being the best shopping center in the Netherlands in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

In 2018, the St. Urbanus Church in Bovenkerk had a fire. The tower remained, but the rest of the church was badly damaged. Amstelveen's closeness to Schiphol Airport makes it a great place for people who work in the aviation industry.

Amstelveen's Economy

KLM head office

KPMG head office

Downtown Amstelveen

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has its main offices in Amstelveen. The company that handles KLM's business in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg is also based here.

Amstelveen is also home to the international headquarters of KPMG, one of the four largest accounting firms in the world. Big international companies like Canon Inc. and Hewlett-Packard also have offices in Amstelveen.

Getting Around Amstelveen

Line 25 tram leaving the Amstelveen Poortwachter stop

Amstelveen has two tram lines that run south from Amsterdam Zuid station. Tram line 5 goes to the city center (Stadshart) in Amstelveen. Tram line 25 runs between Amsterdam Zuid station and Westwijk. Both lines stop at places between Amsterdam Zuid and Oranjebaan. Tram line 25 replaced part of the old Metro line 51.

Amstelveen also has many bus connections. You can take a bus to other nearby villages and to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. There is also a local bus network to help you get around town.

Fun Things to Do in Amstelveen

Shopping: The Amstelveen city center is a great place to shop. It won awards for being the best shopping center in the Netherlands for three years in a row!
Aan de Poel: This is a fancy restaurant that has been given two Michelin stars, which means it's known for its excellent food. It's located by a lake called De Poel.
Cobra Museum: This art museum is located in the center of Amstelveen.
Museum Jan: This museum has a collection of beautiful glass art.
Rembrandt Statue and Cheese Farm: You can see a statue of the famous artist Rembrandt overlooking the Amstel river. Nearby, there's a windmill you can visit and a cheese farm called Rembrandt Hoeve.
Electric Museum-tram: In the summer, an old electric tram line connects Amstelveen to Amsterdam. It passes by the Amsterdamse Bos (a large park) and an Olympic rowing lake.

Schools in Amstelveen

Amstelveen has several secondary schools (high schools) that offer different types of education:

The Hermann Wesselink College
The Keizer Karel College
The Amstelveen College
The Panta Rhei

There is also the International School Amsterdam located in Amstelveen.

Famous People from Amstelveen

Jan Peter Balkenende, 2006

Jan Cornelis Hofman, self portrait, 1929

Famke Janssen, 2013

Jolanda de Rover, 1981

Robbert Schilder, 2008

Many interesting people have connections to Amstelveen:

Public Service & Thinkers

Jan Arnoldus Schouten (1883–1971) – A Dutch mathematician.
Johanna Westerdijk (1883–1961) – The first female professor in the Netherlands, a plant pathologist.
Jan Peter Balkenende (born 1956) – A former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He started his political career in Amstelveen.
Jan van Zanen (born 1961) – A Dutch politician who was the Mayor of Amstelveen from 2005 to 2013.

Artists & Performers

Aagje Deken (1741–1804) – A Dutch writer.
Jan Cornelis Hofman (1889–1966) – A Dutch painter.
Hans van Manen (born 1932) – A famous Dutch ballet dancer and choreographer.
Famke Janssen (born ca.1964) – An actress and former fashion model, known for her roles in movies.
Michiel Huisman (born 1981) – A Dutch actor and musician.
Martin Garrix (born 1996) – A very popular DJ and music producer.
Mesto (born 1999) – An electronic musician and DJ.

Sports Stars

Han Dade (1878–1940) – One of the people who helped start the famous football club AFC Ajax.
Piet Ikelaar (1896–1992) – A track cyclist who won a bronze medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Jolanda de Rover (born 1963) – A swimmer who won a gold and a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
John Bosman (born 1965) – A retired Dutch football player.
Michael Reiziger (born 1973) – A Dutch former professional football player.
Kitty van Male (born 1988) – A Dutch field hockey player who won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Kelly Jonker (born 1990) – A Dutch field hockey player who won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Mats Valk (born 1996) – A Dutch speedsolver of the Rubik's Cube.