Despite all the backrooms, and the naked and sex parties going on in Amsterdam, many guys still prefer a ramble in the brambles. In 2008 the government of Amsterdam decriminalized sexual activity in the Netherlands' most popular and famous park, the Vondelpark. Sex should be after dark however, and police may eject couples making too much noise. Leaving condoms or other trash is also forbidden. "Why prohibit something that hardly bothers other people and that, to the contrary, gives much pleasure to a particular group?" asked Paul van Grieken, an Amsterdam official. What more can one say?

Some of the most popular parks include:

Nieuwe Meer (Anton Schleperspad) busy day and night, but can be muddy, and sometimes attracts gay bashers.
Vondelpark (near Leidseplein) popular day and night, particularly at the rose garden in the center of the park.
Oosterpark (by Tropenmuseum) cruisy after sunset, and popular with local Arab guys. This park gets very dark at night.
De Oeverlanden (De Oeverlanden Schleperspad 1) on the south side, with shade trees and a lakefront, is one of Holland's most popular parks and busiest cruising haunts. The city has posted signs pointing out the areas where cruising takes place and men have sex with other men.

A trip to either of two small cities nearby are an easy day trip from Amsterdam. Delft, a small medieval town with canal-lined streets, quirky shops and several museums, is mostly famous for its blue-and-white ceramics. Gouda, best known for the cheese, is also notable for the St Janskerk Church with amazing stained-glass windows.

The many gay sports activities in Amsterdam include:
Gay Swim Amsterdam, and the Lowlanders Gay Rugby Club.
Het Marnix (Het Marnix, Marnixplein 1) has mixed male nude swimming on Tuesdays 9-10:45pm (exercise and eye candy, not sex).
Splash Fitnessclub (Looiersgracht 26- 30) is a gay-popular gym for flexing more than just the love muscle.

There are canal boat hires and bicycle tours with hundreds of miles of well-marked paths to get you around or beyond the big city. Cycletours combines the two for journeys all over the Netherlands and Belgium. Trains are the most convenient and inexpensive way to get to neighboring towns. Netherlands Rail NS has online travel and fare information and you can buy your tickets there and save time spent waiting in line.

Near Leiden, this is the world's largest garden; open to the public for only a limited time each year. Come between March 24  and  May 20, 2011 to see the spectacular floral displays planted in endless varieties, with beautiful works of art in among the plants. To buy bulbs for your own garden, come the weekend of October 15-17, 2010, when Keukenhof Gardens hosts the National Flower Bulb Market, with dozens of growers from all over the country offering their products.

The most important museums of Amsterdam are on the Museumplein with its grass and gravel open spaces for summer festivals and outdoor concerts. 

The Rijksmuseum has the largest, most important collection of classical Dutch art, including works by Rembrandt and his students. Rembrandt's masterpiece De Nachtwacht is here, along with paintings by artists such as Van der Helst, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Ferdinand Bol, Albert Cuyp, Jacob van Ruisdael and Paulus Potter. Also Delft  ceramics and giant 17th century dollhouses. Recent renovations now completed in 2013.

Van Gogh, who lived here for a short time, is well represented in the city's most visited museum The Van Gogh Museum contains  his most famous paintings, the Aardappeleters (The Potato Eaters) and Zonnebloemen (Sunflowers).

The Stedelijk Museum has Amsterdam's largest collection of modern art including works by artists such as Piet Mondriaan, Karel Appel, and Kazimir Malevich.

Other museums throughout the city: the Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum), the Anne Frank Huis (Anne Frank House), the Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House), the Tropenmuseum (Museum of the Tropics), the Amsterdam Museum (former Amsterdams Historisch Museum), Hermitage Amsterdam (associated with the Hermitage of Saint Petersburg), and the Joods Historisch Museum (Jewish Historical Museum). The Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder was a 17th-century home containing completely hidden Catholic church, built at the time of the Reformation.

Den Haag, the capital of the Netherlands, has its own classy ambience and a magnificent Japanese Garden in Clingendael Park, is open to the public twice a year, in the spring and autumn. Admission is free. Contiune on the same train line out of Central Station Amsterdam, to reach Zandvoort, a beach resort town with a clothing-optional section to the south of the central strand. There are cafe refreshments at decent prices in both areas, so no need to carry much.

Dikke Maatjes or Big & Bear Netherlands has a full slate of events every month, about town, at the beach and around Europe. Associated with Netherbears who meet at the Queens Head each 2nd and 4th Sunday evenings, and the Bear Necessity dances at Odeon. Meets with Bear Arabia in Beirut, Lebanon for periodic joint events.

Ladz NL throws the only men-only gay dance party for lads, scallies, skaters, gabbers, sneaker- and sports-wear boys of the Netherlands. Check their website for events, plus music samples and photos from previous events.

Club Church is the venue for many difference groups to throw regular parties including: the Twinks Sex Orgie; Perverts; Sex on Sunday; Oil Party; Slave Auction, and many other naked, fisting, golden shower, spanking, fetish and s&m parties throughout their average week, plus special events weekends such as XXL Leather.

Leather Pride Amsterdam weekend each November includes Get Rough!, the Party, for men into leather, fetish, rubber and uniforms. Prior to the weekend there are lots of parties, workshops and activities taking place throughout the city. Walk into the Mister B or RoB leather stores on Warmoesstraat anytime of year, to quickly find your way into the local scene.