You most likely know the Delftware kissing couple as a little cute souvenir. When you arrive at Schiphol Airport and exit through the doors in the Arrivals Hall, you will also see the iconic kissing couple. They kiss each other each time the doors close. Now you can see a larger-than-life version of the Kissing Couple in Amsterdam.
Dutch icons
For all other Dutch icons there is a place to see or visit: tulips at Keukenhof, windmills at Kinderdijk and Zaanse Schans, cheese at Gouda and bicycles are ofcourse everywhere. But there wasn’t a place to see the kissing couple yet. The massive statue at Amsterdam Westport was installed on 30 November 2017 and officially unveiled twee weeks later.
Eventhough to this day it remains unclear who once designed the image of the kissing couple, it has practically become a symbol for the Netherlands.
Designing and construction took two years. Inside both the almost 10 meter high boy and girl are steel frames, covered with expanded polystyrene (EPS). The outside is coated with a layer of epoxy. It is also protected with anti-graffiti and fire retardant coatings.
The Kissing Couple XXXL in numbers
- male: 8.6m high x 2.55m wide
- female: 8.1m high x 2.55m wide
- only 20cm of space between their lips
- weighing 6,700kg in total
- 7.7km distance from Amsterdam CS
- 2.8km distance from Zaandam
- open 24/7
- €0.00 admission fee
Location of the Kissing Couple
Hempontplein, Amsterdam Westpoort
The gigantic sculpture is located next to the dock of the Hempont ferry, on the Amsterdam side of the North Sea Canal.
The kissing pair is located along the bicycle route between Amsterdam and Zaandam. The idea is that the statue puts this bicycle route on the map and encourages people to cycle more often.
This is also the spot where cyclists wait for the ferry between Amsterdam Westport and Zaanstad, and where boats and cruise ships pass by. At the same spot you can make free use of picnic tables and charging stations for electric bikes.
Hempont ferry
The Hempont (‘pont’ is Dutch for ferry) is one of the three ferries crossing the North Sea Canal. All three ferries are operated by GVB 24 hours a day.
The Hem ferry sails between Amsterdam Westport (Nieuwe Hemweg) and Zaandam (Hemkade). This connection was established in 1876, the same year the North Sea Canal was completed. Until 1932 this used to be a hand-operated cable ferry; pulled by hand along a long steel cable.
Operating hours Ferry 909 and Ferry 913
Every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day
Sailing time: ±7 minutes
Free for pedestrians and cyclists
Cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks are charged for a crossing
