Gaasperplas is an
artificial lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...
used for recreational purposes south-east of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
in the Netherlands.
Gaasperplas was created with the
extraction of sand for the construction of the
Bijlmer. At its deepest the lake is 35 metres deep. It was the setting for the
1982 Floriade landscape and flower show, and the Eastern end of the lake is surrounded by parks and woodlands that once formed part of the event.
The lake hosts a
Sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...
club,
Canoe
A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
In British English, the term ' ...
,
Windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...
and
Dragon Boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...
facilities, is popular with
anglers, and has a sheltered public
beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...
on the south shore. The section for
naturism
Naturism is a lifestyle of practicing non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms ar ...
(officially since 2005) lies on the northern side.
One of Amsterdam's principal
campsites is located in the area.
It is not connected to the navigable
canals
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...
system, and has a prohibition against the use of motorised boats; these two factors contribute towards a good water quality and abundance of wildlife. A public
slipway
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving smal ...
is available for non-motorised pleasure and fishing craft.
One of Amsterdam's
metro lines terminates at the station of
the same name located near the north shore of the lake.
Gallery
File:Amsterdam_Zuidoost,_de_Gaasperplas_IMG_0327_2019-06-30_13.14.jpg
File:Amsterdam_Gaasperplas_009.JPG
File:Gaasperplas-July-2023.jpg
File:Winter_aan_de_Gaasperplas_Amsterdam.JPG
References
External links
Gaasperplas Sailing ClubGaasperplas Windsurfing
Kanovereniging GaasperplasEerste Hollands Drakenboot ClubConcrete Dragons
Lakes of the Netherlands
Landforms of North Holland
Nude beaches
{{NorthHolland-geo-stub