Amsterdam-Oost: the guide to Amsterdam's eastern district

Amsterdam-Oost at a glance: from workers' city to multicultural district

The Oost borough (stadsdeel Oost) covers the whole part of the city east of the Singelgracht. It has around 148,000 residents and brings together very different neighbourhoods: Oud-Oost (Oosterparkbuurt, Dapperbuurt, Transvaalbuurt, Weesperzijde), the Indische Buurt, the Watergraafsmeer, the former docks of the Eastern Islands and, further out on the IJmeer, the new islands of IJburg. The current borough was created in 2010 by merging the former boroughs of Oost-Watergraafsmeer and Zeeburg.

The first blocks went up at the end of the 19th century around the Oosterpark, to house workers drawn by the city's growth. The Indische Buurt followed in the early 20th century: its streets are named after islands of the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia (Javastraat, Sumatrastraat, Celebesstraat). The Watergraafsmeer, a former polder that long remained an independent municipality, was annexed by Amsterdam in 1921 and filled with garden villages between the wars. In the 21st century Oost has kept expanding eastwards, with the construction of IJburg from 2002.

Like De Pijp, Oost welcomed many residents from Suriname, Morocco and Turkey, followed by students and young families: that mix shows on the market stalls and in the grocery shops of the Javastraat.

What to see in Amsterdam-Oost

The Muiderpoort, gateway to the east

Coming from the centre along the Plantage Middenlaan, you pass under the Muiderpoort, on the Alexanderplein. This sandstone city gate, topped by an octagonal dome, was completed in 1770 to plans by city architect Cornelis Rauws, after the previous gate collapsed in 1769. Napoleon made his entry into Amsterdam through it on 9 October 1811. A national monument, it houses offices and is not open to visitors, but it marks the threshold of Oost. The neighbouring Plantage, with Artis zoo, is covered in our guide to the Plantage district.

The Wereldmuseum and the Oosterpark

The Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, formerly the Tropenmuseum, occupies the imposing brick building of the Colonial Institute, opened in 1926 at Linnaeusstraat 2. Its exhibitions explore Dutch colonial history and its traces in today's world. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm; an adult ticket costs €18 online and €20 at the door.

Just behind it lies the Oosterpark, laid out in 1891: it was the first large park created by the city of Amsterdam. Designed in the English style by Leonard Springer, it features rolling lawns, winding paths and a pond with its island. Here you will find the National Slavery Monument, unveiled on 1 July 2002 by Queen Beatrix, and the De Schreeuw ("The Scream") monument, dedicated to filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered nearby in 2004. Every 1 July, the national Keti Koti commemoration, marking the abolition of slavery in 1863, is held in front of the monument.

The Dappermarkt

Ten minutes' walk away, the Dappermarkt fills the Dapperstraat, between the Mauritskade and the Wijttenbachstraat. Originally a neighbourhood market, it has become a fully fledged market held six days a week, Monday to Saturday, with around 200 stalls. Fresh produce, fabrics, spices and Surinamese, Turkish or Moroccan specialities sit alongside clothes and household goods. It is an everyday market, less touristy than the Albert Cuyp; our guide to Amsterdam's markets compares the two.

De Gooyer windmill and Brouwerij 't IJ

In the north of the borough, on the Funenkade, De Gooyer windmill is the tallest wooden windmill in the Netherlands, at 26.6 metres. It was moved several times before being set up here in 1814, on the base of a former water mill. At its foot, in a former bathhouse, Brouwerij 't IJ, founded in October 1985 by former musician Kaspar Peterson, serves its beers in its Proeflokaal De Molen. For the city's other breweries, see our guide to craft beer in Amsterdam.

The Indische Buurt, the Javastraat and the Javaplein

Beyond the railway line, the Indische Buurt has around 24,000 residents and some hundred languages spoken. Its main street, the Javastraat, is lined with grocers, butchers, cafés and, since the 2010s, a growing number of boutiques. It leads to the Javaplein, a square with fountains bordered by the former public bathhouse of 1942, one of the last built by the city, which closed in the 1980s. Further east, the Flevopark, designed by naturalist Jac. P. Thijsse and completed in 1928, offers a wilder walk along the water.

The Watergraafsmeer: Frankendael and Betondorp

To the south-east, the Watergraafsmeer is greener and more residential. Frankendael Park, Middenweg 72, surrounds Huize Frankendael, the last surviving 17th-century country house in Amsterdam. It combines a formal garden, a landscape garden, a meadow and a marsh. The Nobelweg gates are open from 7am to 6pm from October to April, and until 10pm from May to September; entry is free.

A little further south, Betondorp, the "concrete village", was built between 1923 and 1925 to test cheap workers' housing made with new materials. Its low houses around the Brink square draw architecture enthusiasts, and football fans come to see the corner house on the Akkerstraat where Johan Cruijff grew up.

The Eastern Islands and IJburg

The former docks in the north of Oost (KNSM, Java, Borneo-Sporenburg) have their own guide, to the Eastern Islands. IJburg, built on artificial islands in the IJmeer, is mainly of interest to those curious about urban planning.

Where to eat and drink in Amsterdam-Oost

Oost is a good place for a terrace break, beside a park or the Amstel. At the Dappermarkt and on the Javastraat, Surinamese, Turkish and Moroccan stalls and snack bars are ideal for a quick lunch. The places below are long established.

A few local addresses

• Proeflokaal De Molen (Funenkade 7): the tasting room of Brouwerij 't IJ, with tiled walls and a terrace at the foot of the windmill in fine weather. Open daily from 10am to 10pm; light bites (sausages, hard-boiled eggs, peanuts).
• Bar Bukowski (Oosterpark 10): a café by day, with a wide choice of lunches, and a cocktail bar in the evening, on the edge of the Oosterpark. Open from 8am on weekdays and 9am at weekends.
• De Ysbreeker (Weesperzijde 23): a classic grand café with high ceilings and a terrace on the Amstel overlooking the houseboats. Open daily from 8am to midnight, from breakfast to dinner.
• Studio/K (Timorplein 62): cinema, stage and café-restaurant serving vegetarian and vegan food, in the Indische Buurt. Kitchen open Tuesday to Sunday from 3pm to 9:30pm; card payment only.
• Frankendael Park restaurants: Merkelbach, in the former carriage houses, and De Kas, set in a 1926 greenhouse.

Where to wander: a walk through Amsterdam-Oost

Allow three to four hours, including breaks, for this walk of about 5 kilometres, from the north to the east of the borough.

1. Start at De Gooyer windmill on the Funenkade, with a first beer or coffee at Proeflokaal De Molen.
2. Walk to the Muiderpoort, on the Alexanderplein, via the Sarphatistraat (about 15 minutes).
3. Follow the Mauritskade to the Wereldmuseum, on the corner of the Linnaeusstraat, and visit it if time allows.
4. Enter the Oosterpark from behind the museum, walk around the pond and pass the National Slavery Monument.
5. Leave on the Linnaeusstraat side, cross it and walk the Dapperstraat from one end of the market to the other.
6. Pass under the railway near Amsterdam Muiderpoort station to enter the Indische Buurt.
7. Walk down the Javastraat to the Javaplein, then finish at the Timorplein, outside Studio/K, or at the Flevopark if your legs still have it in them.

Frankendael Park and Betondorp, further south, are best visited separately, by bike or after a morning at the market.

Practical information

Getting to Amsterdam-Oost

Metro lines 51, 53 and 54 serve Weesperplein, Wibautstraat and Amstel stations, on the western and southern edges of the borough. Amsterdam Muiderpoort station, opened in 1939, is linked to Central Station by Sprinter trains; it is five minutes' walk from the Dappermarkt and the Indische Buurt. Amsterdam Amstel station is handy for the Weesperzijde and the Watergraafsmeer. Tram 14 stops at Mauritskade, in front of the Wereldmuseum, and tram 26 links Central Station (IJ side) with IJburg.

Watch out for roadworks: the Linnaeusstraat and part of the Middenweg are under construction until the end of 2027. Tram 19 temporarily terminates at Muiderpoort station, a tram 29 shuttle serves the Watergraafsmeer and Diemen, and other lines are diverted. Check your route on the GVB or 9292 journey planner before setting off. From the centre, allow about 15 minutes by bike or 45 minutes on foot. Tickets and passes are detailed in our guide to getting around Amsterdam.

Summary of places to see

Prices checked in October 2026 on the official websites.

When to go

Come on a weekday, Tuesday to Saturday, to combine the Wereldmuseum, open from Tuesday, with the Dappermarkt, closed on Sundays. The market is at its liveliest on Saturdays. In fine weather, the terraces of the Oosterpark, the Weesperzijde and Proeflokaal De Molen fill up from late afternoon. On 1 July, the Keti Koti commemoration takes place in the afternoon at the Oosterpark monument.

Staying in Amsterdam-Oost

Oost is a good base for a quieter stay than around the canals, with good links to the centre. The streets around the Oosterpark and the Wibautstraat, home to the Volkshotel, are the best located. To compare it with other areas, read our guide on where to stay in Amsterdam.

Further reading

Amsterdam-Oost pairs well with the Plantage district, a short walk from the Muiderpoort, and with the Eastern Islands, north of De Gooyer windmill. If you like neighbourhood parks, our selection of Amsterdam's parks and gardens features the Oosterpark and Frankendael alongside the Vondelpark. And for another working-class district that has come to life, compare with our guide to De Pijp.