Ruigoord

'Empower the Imagination', commands the website. If there's a crusty/shaman/fire-breather hidden deep down inside of you, this long-established artists' colony will bring him, her or it out. Their full-moon parties are hard to beat for fun of the appropriately lunatic variety. Ruigoord is about 15km from the centre of Amsterdam and it's home to the wacky Balloon Company crew (who also throw a not-to-be missed bash at Paradiso once a year in December). Utterly insane and thoroughly good fun.