The Fault in Our Stars bench

An ordinary bench on a good canal

This is a plain public bench on the Leidsegracht, at the corner with the Herengracht. It is in the film of John Green's novel The Fault in Our Stars (2014). Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters share one of the story's key scenes here.

There is nothing to enter and nothing to queue for. You walk up, sit down, take your photo. Fans have been doing exactly that since the film came out, and they arrive from all over the world. The bench is worth the walk if you know the story. It is also a quiet, good-looking stretch of one of the prettiest canals in the ring, about five minutes on foot from Leidseplein.

The week the bench vanished

Once the film was out, the bench became a pilgrimage site. Then, in the summer of 2014, it disappeared. Fans feared it had been stolen, and the news travelled fast.

The truth was duller. The city had taken the bench away for repairs. About a week later it was back in the same spot. The city's film office confirmed that it was the same bench, with the same planks and only the frame renewed.

A bench unveiled in Hollywood later that year was a copy. This is the one that stood in the scene.

What to look for

Look at the setting more than the bench. The water runs along one side, with the tall canal houses and the trees leaning over it. Stand at the corner and you can see where the Leidsegracht meets the Herengracht. If you have seen the film, you will place the view quickly.

The bench is small, so there is room for only a couple of people at a time. If other fans are waiting, wait your turn. Everyone gets the picture in the end.

People live right here, in the houses behind you. Keep your voices low, and do not linger long if it is busy. Go early in the morning if you want a photo without other fans in it.