Sometimes when you're on holiday in a foreign city, it's nice to take a break from sightseeing and experience the city as the locals do. Amsterdam's Vondelpark offers visitors the chance to do just this, in a relaxed and beautiful public space that sees about 10 million visitors each year. Although the park features several notable attractions itself - including an impressive statue of Joost van den Vondel (the author for whom the park is named), a film museum, an open-air theatre, a playground and numerous snack bars and cafes - its great charm is in providing a tranquil space in which to spend a couple of hours doing nothing but watch native Amsterdammers go about their daily business. Although Vondelpark is a great place to take the kids on a picnic, sensitive parents are warned that the smell of marijuana smoke will probably taint the air.

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