For those who live for sport

Arena and different sporting activities in the Amsterdam area

Lovers of sport can play football, basketball and tennis at the Vondelpark, which is also a favourite haunt for skaters, joggers and cyclists. If you’d rather go for a run in the open air than have a workout in our Fitness Centre, try the open space of the Amstel Park, which is right opposite the Novotel Amsterdam City.

Cycling is not only an ideal and healthy way getting around Amsterdam, you can make the most of the city's flat terrain, either biking to take in the cultural terrain, or as a full-on sport, at locations such as Amsterdamse Bos in the south. Bike rental is possible at shops throughout the city. The Velodrome is one of two covered cycling tracks in the Netherlands, and confirms Amsterdam’s commitment to the sport, dating back to the 'Six Days' racing events of the Fifties and Sixties.

For swimmers, the Mirandabad is a subtropical swimming pool complex with a beach, palm trees, several indoor and outdoor pools, and wave machines. Other amenities include squash courts, a solarium, and a restaurant. Two more big modern pools can be found at the Marnixbad and the Sloterparkbad. If you’re a football fan, Ajax will probably need no introduction. If your visit to the Novotel Amsterdam City doesn’t coincide with a home game at the ArenA, the largest stadium in the Netherlands, you might want to take in a visit to the club's own museum there, which boasts replicas of European and world trophies the club has won in the past. You can also take a tour of the stadium.