Alongside the Red Light District, Amsterdam now has its own No Light District: ARTIS Park.
ARTIS has officially been certified as an Urban Night Sky Place by DarkSky International — the first location in a European capital, and the first zoo in the world, to receive this recognition.
This certification rewards ARTIS for its efforts to reduce light pollution and highlights the importance of darkness for both nature and people living in the city. Seen from above, Amsterdam is a sea of light — with one remarkable dark spot: ARTIS. A unique oasis of darkness right in the heart of the capital, where the night is still truly night.
“Darkness plays a crucial role for plants, animals and people,” says Savitri Groag, Sustainability Coordinator at ARTIS. “By turning off the lights, we give nature back its rhythm.”
To meet DarkSky standards, ARTIS removed unnecessary lighting, replaced fixtures, and introduced energy-saving measures. With this certification, ARTIS becomes an ambassador of the dark, showing that even in the heart of a big city, night-time darkness can be protected.
From this winter onwards, ARTIS will host special evening openings, inviting visitors to experience the power of the night — to wander through the park, sense the darkness with all their senses, and rediscover the stars.
✨ “The starry sky connects us,” says Milo Grootjen, Head of the ARTIS Planetarium. “In ARTIS, you can still glimpse a piece of that lost night sky — right in the middle of Amsterdam.”
👉 Learn more at artis.nl