Plan your visit

The Alluminous light art festival takes place during the autumn school holidays, from 9 to 18 October.

The light artworks are illuminated daily from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

The route is approximately 5.5 km long in total. Depending on your walking pace and how many stops you make along the way, it takes around 2 hours to complete.

A visit to Alluminous is completely free of charge.

Alluminous is for visitors of all ages. The entire route is well lit, so even young children are unlikely to find it scary. The artworks themselves are not frightening for children in any way.

During the day, the light artworks are switched off, and most of them are fenced off for safety reasons. Moreover, the artworks are designed to be enjoyed in the dark. We therefore recommend visiting the artworks from 7:00 PM onwards.

Information desks are available at both the Esplanade and Hortus, where you can find information about Alluminous. Our information desk staff will be happy to assist you.

You’ll also find QR codes on the banners along the route that will take you to this website, where you can find all the information you need.

And finally, there are several Alluminous team members along the route who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

The entire route is illuminated, so you can easily follow the light markers and signs along the way. You can also find the route map on our website or pick up a printed copy at the information desk.

There are four toilet facilities along the route, most of which are located near the food and drink areas: Esplanade (inside Kunstlinie), Utopia Island, Hortus (inside PRICE) and Maastrichtkwartier (Stedenwijk).

To use the toilets, there is a €0.70 fee. Please note: card payment only, no cash.

The toilet facilities are clearly marked on the map, which you can find on the website and along the route.

Accessible toilets are available at every toilet location.

You can start the route at any location around the Weerwater.

The route is intended to be walked clockwise.

The route lighting has been positioned to provide the best experience when walking clockwise. If you walk in the opposite direction, some lights may shine directly into your eyes instead of creating the intended effect.

The route around Weerwater is exclusively accessible on foot during the festival’s opening hours.

Unlike previous years, there will be no separate cycling route this year.

As visitor numbers continue to grow each year, we can no longer guarantee the safety of both pedestrians and cyclists using the route at the same time.

See Getting Here & Accessibility for more information about bicycle parking facilities.

At the Esplanade, you can use the existing bicycle parking facilities. Along the route, bicycle parking areas will be provided at three additional locations, allowing you to start the Weerwater loop from there. All bicycle parking facilities are free to use.

See the map for the locations of the available bicycle parking facilities.

If you’re travelling to the Weerwater by public transport, we recommend starting at the Esplanade. It’s a 10-minute walk from Almere train station.

The other logical starting point for the light art trail is bus station ’t Oor , allowing you to start your walk on the south side of the Weerwater. From the bus station, it’s a 5–10 minute walk to the Weerwater, where you can start the route.

If you’re travelling by car, we recommend starting the route at the Esplanade in Almere city centre and using the regular parking facilities around the Esplanade (P5, P6 and P7).

The route around the Weerwater is fully wheelchair accessible and closed to through bicycle traffic, allowing visitors to enjoy the artworks without being disturbed.

Visitors using a wheelchair, mobility scooter or adapted bicycle, such as a tandem or side-by-side bike, are of course very welcome on the walking route. We kindly ask you to be considerate of other visitors and to maintain an appropriate speed.

One of the artworks is located slightly further away from the path, but it is clearly visible from the walking route.

All the artworks are described on the website. Along the route, you’ll find signs with short descriptions of each artwork, as well as QR codes linking to the full descriptions on the website.

An audio tour is also available for each artwork. In addition to information about the artwork, the audio tour includes a description of what you can see. This allows visitors with a visual impairment to also form an image of the artwork and its surroundings.

The ALLUMINOUS Kids Challenge is an extra activity for children.

The Kids Challenge stamp card can be purchased at both information desks and at the toilets at Utopia and Maastrichtkwartier.

The card contains five questions that children can answer along the route, with the help of an adult if needed.

Children give their answers to the hosts at the artworks. For every correct answer, they receive a stamp on their card. Once they have collected all five stamps, they receive a small gift.

The questions are aimed at children in the upper years of primary school, but younger children can certainly take part with a little help.

There are three food and drink areas along the route: on Utopia Island, at the Playground and at Maastrichtkwartier (Stedenwijk).

Come and enjoy a bite to eat and a drink at one of the food trucks in these areas.

The food and drink locations are clearly marked on the map, which you can find on the website and along the route.

Of course, you’re also very welcome to grab a bite or a drink at one of the many restaurants and cafés in Almere city centre before or after your visit to Alluminous.

Every evening, live music performances take place at the Utopia Forest Theatre, at the Playground and at the Maastrichtkwartier food and drink area.

For exact times and the full programme, see Program.

In collaboration with Poppodium De Meester.

Most of the artworks along the route have been specially created for this event. Some of these artworks were developed in collaboration with theatre or music groups from Almere, who nominated a talented artist to design the artwork.

This year, an Alluminous shuttle boat will once again operate between the Esplanade and Hortus. Please note: this is not a sightseeing boat. The shuttle takes you to the other side of the Weerwater.

Is the Alluminous walking route just a little too long to visit in one evening? Then you can choose to take the boat from the Esplanade to the halfway point of the route and continue the rest of the route on foot. Alternatively, walk the first half of the route and take the boat back. You can then walk the other half of the route on another evening.

Please note: Space on the shuttle boat is limited. For this reason, buggies and pushchairs cannot be taken on board.

The departure times from the Esplanade Pier are:

• 7:00 PM
• 8:00 PM
• 9:00 PM
• 10:00 PM

The departure times from the Hortus Pier are:

• 7:30 PM
• 8:30 PM
• 9:30 PM
• 10:30 PM

The shuttle boat is primarily intended to give you the opportunity to shorten the route and spread your visit over two evenings. In addition, the boat ride itself is an experience, as you’ll be travelling on a floating light artwork.

Please note that this is not a sightseeing cruise, and you purchase a ticket for a one-way journey.

Of course, the skipper will tell you a little about Alluminous, Almere and the light artworks you’ll catch a glimpse of along the way.

Tickets for the shuttle boat can be purchased at both information desks (Esplanade and Hortus). Please note that the information desks only accept card payments; cash is not accepted.

Please note: Tickets go on sale one hour before the next departure. The boat has limited capacity, so if you arrive just before departure, there is a chance that the boat will already be full.

The ticket price is for a one-way trip to the other side of the Weerwater. This is not a sightseeing cruise.

Ticket prices (one way):

• Adults – €5 (12 years and older)
• Children – €2.50 (3–11 years)
• Children up to 2 years – free (sitting on an adult’s lap)

Every year, an Alluminous collector’s pin is created, featuring one of the artworks from that year’s programme. This edition has its own pin as well, available for €5 at the information desks.