What to do in Almere Stad (Centrum)

This is a blog by Traveldicted

Almere is a 'new' city in the province of Flevoland and is a stone's throw from Amsterdam. The city has not existed for very long. At the end of 1970, the central government decided to build a city in the IJsselmeer polders, because the Randstad was struggling with a lack of space. People have been living in Almere since 1976 and the city now has more than 200,000 inhabitants. Today, the city consists of the following districts: Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout and Almere Poort.

Almere is probably not the first city that comes to mind when you want to spend a day out. Yet this city will certainly not disappoint you! Although Almere does not have a rich history like, say, Amsterdam, Maastricht or Den Bosch, there is still plenty to do and see. Moreover, the city is easily accessible by public transport and by car. In fact, Almere has six (!) train stations, a very good bus network and plenty of parking space.

In this blog, you will find an overview of the sights to see and activities to do when you visit "Almere".

City Walk through Almere Centrum

Want to explore the centre of Almere in a fun way? Then book a guided city walk at the VVV Tourist Office. After such a city walk, you'll look at a city a little differently. The guide tells you about the city and shows you things you would probably never have seen otherwise. For example, we saw all kinds of architectural highlights by René van Zuuk, Rem Koolhaas and Herman Hertzberger, among others, and visited the modern library and the Kunstlinie. Did you know that Almere ranks third on the list of most architectural places in the Netherlands? I did not!

Because Almere is in the polder, the entire city is about 2 to 5 metres below sea level. During the tour, you are reminded in several places that you are walking below sea level. What is also striking is that in Almere, now one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, there are almost no high-rise buildings. Quite extraordinary!

A City Walk takes about 2 hours and costs €7.50 per person. Would you also like to book a City Walk? Then you can contact the VVV Tourist Office of Almere.

Shopping

Almere Centrum has been voted the Best Inner City 2017-2020. You'll find well-known international chains in the centre, but also local boutiques. Around 400 shops are located in the centre and because the city centre is car-free, you can enjoy shopping here! The well-known chains you will find here include Zara, Costes, Pull & Bear and, of course, Primark. Want to score a unique outfit or a nice gift? Then take a look in the local boutiques, for decoration, accessories or jewellery, for example.

Market

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, you will find a market at Stadhuisplein where you can stroll around and score a tasty syrup waffle, for example. On other days, you'll find a (smaller) market in Almere's other districts.

Tip: Need a break? You'll find plenty of pavement cafés in the city centre where you can unwind over a nice drink!

Drinking coffee at Ice&Co

Ice&Co has been a household name in Almere for over 10 years, which is why we had to make a stop here after shopping! Ice&Co is known for its specialty coffee, latte art and its delicious ice cream that is freshly made every day. Something I had never tasted before that they sell here are ice-cream bonbons. Of course I tried one and how delicious they were!

By the way, you can also get ice creams, waffles and cakes here, and Ice&Co also has a vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free offer. The sugar-free ice cream is made with water or gluten-free oat milk and sweetened with stevia. So there is something for everyone!

After your visit to Almere Centrum: Vis à Vis

Vis à Vis is a theatre company that performs theatre shows in the open air near the Almeerderstrand. This open-air location is Vis à Vis's permanent home. Not only do they perform their theatre show here, but all sorts of things are also devised and made here. The site resembles a kind of junkyard and has a cool look! Vis à Vis creates all its shows itself and is known for its extraordinary possibilities, humour and surprises.

We ourselves went to see the show 'Robot', a sci-fi comedy set in the near future. A time when the cyber-man, the robot, might just be your best friend! Beforehand, I didn't really know what to expect from it, as I knew it would hardly contain any speech. Nevertheless, I thought it was an incredibly fun performance and laughed hard several times!

Before the performance, we had dinner at the restaurant on location 'De Rode Haring'. The sun was shining, allowing us to sit outside. At de Rode Haring, you eat buffet-style and can choose from a variety of dishes. Three kinds of soup, four kinds of salad and - of course - a slice of herring as a starter. As a main course, you can choose from various meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. And of course you can finish your dinner with a dessert!

Tip: Would you like to attend a Vis á Vis show? For performance dates and tickets, please visit the website.

Almeerderstrand

The Almeerderstrand, formerly called Muiderzand, is a large sandy beach on the IJmeer and is close to the Vis à Vis site. Near the beach you will also find some grassy areas and a nice restaurant where you can have a drink. Perfect for recovering from all that shopping, taking a leisurely stroll or swimming when the weather is nice.

Tip: Combine a visit to Almeerderstrand with a theatre performance by Vis à Vis. In fact, the beach is close to the theatre company's venue.

Other beaches in Almere

Are you not near the Almere beach, but would still like to visit a beach(s)? Every neighbourhood in Almere has its own beach. So no matter where in Almere you are, there's always a beach nearby!