MageTestFest will be held at the location of the Prodentfabriek - a great characteristic location right near the old city center of Amersfoort. The venue, that breathes an old industry feeling, hosts a major hall - divided in two parts: the conference area and a marketplace. There are various accomodations at walking distance.
The Dutch city Amersfoort lies conveniently close to Utrecht and Amsterdam, only 45 minutes by train from Amsterdam Airport (Schiphol, AMS). While not that many foreigners end up to stay here, it is a hidden gem: A lazy atmosphere and an old city center give the town a real characteristic feeling. If you have some additional time, Amersfoort is definitely good to see an alternative side of the Dutch.
Some local suggestions:
The old factory of the Prodentfabriek (fabriek is factory in Dutch) was built in the 30s by vendor Erdal, who produced toothpaste under the label Prodent. For the Dutch, if you talk about toothpaste, you talk about Prodent. The factory became inactive in 2011 but is now used as integral part of The New City - an industrial area in Amersfoort, that hosts a lot of innovative companies and artists.
We actually make use of various different rooms:
The venue is located really close to the center of Amersfoort, opening up for many places to stay. Minutes away is a Mercure Hotel, while another fine alternative is NH Hotel. Both options are fine, but as you would expect a bit more expensive and the bastards didn't give a discount.
There are fewer low budget options in the city center itself - you can use Booking.com to get a good deal. An alternative we are investigating ourselves is a bungalow park EekhoornNest: It requires a car or taxi to get to the venue, but if you are with a bunch of people, the pricing is optimal.
The Prodentfabriek is only 15 minutes walk from Amersfoort Central Station, which is again easily reached from Schiphol International Airport (46m) and major cities like Amsterdam (36m) and Utrecht (15m). We will not organize a Magerun with this event, but if you want, you can come on foot.
The address of the Prodentfabriek is: Oude Fabriekstraat 20, 3812 NR Amersfoort. The street is actually a footpassenger-only lane, cars are not allowed. On foot, you can access the location from the riverside (the Eem) or the Oliemolenkwartier street. Google Maps shows that this is leading up to parking space, but in November, this will be more like a garden.
If you want to park your car, the best option is to park at Parkeergarage Eemplein (Eemlaan 83, 3812 EE Amersfoort). You can get a parking ticket for the whole day (6.50 Euro) at the venue (Prodent Fabriek). An alternative is to park at the Oliemolenkwartier (a few feet closer to the venue), again paid parking. Free parking is available further away across the river (Eemzijde) or further west (Kleine Koppel). Keep an eye out for the blue zones (where only a few hours parking is allowed).