De Heuvel, Amsterdamse Bos

The Hill was difficult to come about. First there was politics, which did not agree on its height. One alderman thought 12 meters high enough, another 20 to 25 meters, on which an alderman of a competing municipality argued for 40 meters. "But then it's no longer a hill, but a mountain. What does it not cost?' That went on for so many years. Started as a hump, the hill took shape over the years. In 1950, a certificate was buried near a tree on the fledgling hill. The certificate, signed by Mayor d'Ailly, included coins wrapped and an imprint of the paw of the mayor's dog. In 1955 the hill was 6 meters above N.A.P.

It took a very long time, but it was worth it. The Hill as one of the pearls of the Forest.

Eventually the hill became 16 meters high and 12 meters above N.A.P. It was built with rubble from the city and with soil that was released during the digging of, among other things, the Bosbaan and its widening in 1963. The whole is covered with topsoil. In 1970 the last trees were planted and the wide staircase was built at the top. In the pavement on top of the top are four compass arrows. De Heuvel has a very large base, which covers more than half of the Vondelpark. Due to the depth effect, the wide view and the planting with spruce and pine, a special atmosphere has been created, reminiscent of the Black Forest.

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