When you talk about Boxing Day in Amsterdam, you quickly talk about a walk through the Amsterdamse Bos, a visit to the residential boulevard or about shopping in the city center, where there was once again a rush for motorists today.
In the city center the line of cars seemed endless. Although the municipality called the situation manageable, some motorists thought differently this afternoon.
“This was not how we imagined Boxing Day, no. I spent 3 hours in the car,” says a visitor from Limburg. Twenty minutes later we meet him again. “And how far have we gone? 100 meters, haha. So that doesn’t really help.”
The municipality measures the crowds during the day and sometimes intervenes by closing off certain routes. This happens, for example, at the Jodenbreestraat or the Halve Maanbrug, where cones are occasionally placed to prevent cut-through traffic. The measures only apply to non-local traffic, so residents can still pass in those places.
Amsterdam forest
You can of course also celebrate Boxing Day in the Amsterdamse Bos. “Today we just had a nice time with the four of us, relaxed. No fuss, no issues and no family tensions. There are always those. Even though you think it’s fun, there are always some tensions.”