Almere-Stad Things to Do

Traditionally the Netherlands are renound for their maritime endeavours. Sailing is one of them.
The "Zuider Zee" once was an inland sea, offering passage to the North Sea and the Baltic in the north from Amsterdam and a lot off smaller cities around it.

In the old days the "Zuider Zee" offered the coastal places good fishing grounds and still more important the vital maritime connection for the famous tradebond of the Hanze-cities of Denmark, Germany and Holland.
This history can still be viewed and by sailing also fysically experienced in all those small "Zuider Zee"-harbours like Stavoren, Enhuizen, Volendam, Harderwijk and Muiden.

Nowadays it has become a large lake (120 x 50 km), since a dam cut off the northern passage. Since that day (1932) it's name was altered in IJsselmeer, as it also constitutes the rivermouth for the IJssel.

Almere, where I live, has just recently ( second half of last century) been build on a drained part of this Zuider Zee neighbouring Amsterdam. It now has a population of about 175,000 and prides itself as a city where anything can be achieved:"Het kan in Almere".
Although sarcastic voices want to translate this slogan differently, meaning: "Anything could happen in Almere".

Facts are that a sailing trip on the IJsselmeer offers an unforgettable and unique opportunity to get to now the Dutch as they were and as they want to become, while enjoying an active and challenging sailing experience!

You will forget all about home.

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Modern city planning includes also adding unusual objects giving structures an unusual attribute. Two stairs come into my mind in Almere’s city center. Due to lack of knowledge, I just call them “stairs to nowhere” and “masochists’ stairs”. The first mentioned are located directly at the forum. Under them, you have access to a parking garage. The stairs itself have no fucntion with exception of serving as a place for kids to hang around. It may even be a place for a small audience when something’s going on at the forum. “Masochists’ stairs" are leading from the forum (close to Albert Heijn Supermarket) downwards to the Passage. They go down – and up – and then down again – oh, and again up – and finally down… But there are also normal stairs in case you are not a a masochist mood.

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Examples of modern dutch city planning can be found all over the city center. One remarkable aspect is the mixing of business and living zones with the purpose of bringing life into the city center. Anyway, it does not matter if it’s an office or an appartment building. What’s interesting is an unusual design. One of the buildings I liked was a light brown living house where the appartments where darked by covering the windows with panels of the same colour. So, it is hard for people outside where the windows are supposed to be. Find that one between Stadhuisplein and the Cinema - as far as I can remember, it is in a street called “Citadel”. Another interesting one is located close to the water, close to the pedestrian bridge of Brouwerstraat. Look for yourself, the first word coming into my mid to describe this thing was “dynamic”.

When you have a walk through the modern part of Almere, you have just one impression: they must've been smoking something (they Dutch, after all ;-)). The city is build completely from the ground (or rather, from the sea) in the past few decades - and apparently, the architects were given a lots of freedom here. You will find the block of flats that has a part of it hanging over the lake, some exposition halls (?) in the shape of a ship, some buildings based just on few pylons... over and over. Just have a walk in the area between the northern coast of Weerwater and the railway station.

BTW, If you wonder what this giant crane on the main market street is doing there - they use it as a mobile scene during some concerts ;-)

This floating fun lies very central,and is on a nice relaxed canal.
Great weed & hash,.....often but a White Widow.

New weed now : Warlock

Trying to get a right picture of this place,for now you'll have to look at the start off one,looked like a hospital waintingroom,big change!

CINEMARE-----------------------------------------------

Number rooms : 4
Number seats : 600
Soundsystem : SRD,DTS
Climatecontrol : airconditioning
Elevator present : yes
wheelchair possibilities : yes
Parking : car park,paid parking
Counter open : daily from 12.00 till 22.15 hour.

JAZZ BELOW THE SEA FESTIVAL ----- Every year in August this hugely organized festival returns and gives you the best of the best....different artists & different styles of music,all based on jazz.
Aretha Franklin and Magic Frankie to just name 2 of them.....
I fyou love music this is a MUST-SEE if you've decided to go to Almere!

Close to Amsterdam on a 25-hectare site surrounded by woods a new castle - Almere Castle - is under contruction.The castle is a replica of the Chateau Jemeppe in Belgium,which dates from the Middle Ages.It has 5 annexes and is set in a large park with bastions,mazes,water features and a big herb garden.

The Castle and 2 of its annexes form a 4-star hotel 65 suites and 165 luxury rooms,together with congress halls and meeting rooms offering you a wide range of business facilities.Wedding rooms and bridal suites emphazise the romatic aspect.More then a million centuries-old "Kloostermoppen" ("Roman",bricks) give Almere a historical appearance.
Almere will open its doors late 2003.

At the Oor you've got many different watersport activities of which you can choose from,...this is one of them,and the most fun one i think.