Wander Languages
Learn Dutch by
living the story
Cinematic stories. Real Amsterdam locations. Unforgettable words.
Time-travel through 400 years of Amsterdam. Every Dutch word lives inside a story, anchored to a real place on the map, with a cinematic illustration. Three memory pathways that work together — so the words actually stick.
Start Episode 1 — FreeNo account needed. Just tap and learn.
Why it works
Three things. One word. It sticks.
Most apps give you a flashcard. We give you a story, a picture, and a place. Each one helps you remember. Together, they're something no other app can do.
Story
You don't study “gevaar” — you hear it whispered in a resistance cellar in 1944. Words learned in narrative stick 50% better.
Image
“Verborgen” (hidden) — a candlelit attic, shadows, 1944. Every word gets a cinematic painting. Pictures are remembered 6× better.
Place
“Verborgen” lives at Prinsengracht 263. Every word anchored to a real Amsterdam location. The Method of Loci — how memory champions train.
Together
The combination is the breakthrough
Other apps have stories or images or spaced repetition. Wander weaves all three into every single word. Your brain forms a story memory, a visual memory, and a spatial memory — all pointing at the same Dutch word. When one pathway triggers, they all fire together.
Every word is a painting
See the words. Remember them forever.
Every Dutch word gets a cinematic ink-wash illustration — atmospheric, era-specific, designed to burn into your visual memory. Tap to reveal the meaning.
regen
rain
schip
ship
schilderij
painting
geheim
secret
gracht
canal
gezellig
cozy warmth
65+ illustrations and counting · Every era has its own visual atmosphere
The Memory Palace
Amsterdam is your memory palace
Every word is anchored to a real place on the map. A story. An image. A location. Three memory pathways firing together — the Method of Loci, backed by neuroscience.
2026 · Amsterdam Centraal
welkom
welcome
1637 · Dam Square
markt
market
1642 · Rembrandt's Studio
licht
light
The experience
Not a lesson. An adventure.
Time-travel through Amsterdam
You arrive on a rainy evening, 2026. A warm café. Your first “goede avond.” Then the Westerkerk bells ring — and you slip through time.
Negotiate tulip prices in 1637. Sit for Rembrandt in 1642. Hide in an attic in 1944. Dance until dawn in 1988. Each episode is a short film you play through — and every scene teaches you Dutch.
gezellig
🔊 tap to hear · Dutch-first
See it. Hear it. Feel it.
Every Dutch word gets a cinematic ink-wash painting. Dark, atmospheric, beautiful. 1637 glows gold. 1944 is midnight blue. 1988 pulses purple.
Tap any word to hear native pronunciation. 130+ audio files. Dutch-first — no English on screen by default. You learn to feel the meaning before you translate it.
32 real locations across Amsterdam
Every word has an address
“Schilderij” lives at Rembrandt's studio. “Verzet” lives at the resistance museum. The same real places from the stories become anchors for your memory — a technique memory champions have used for 2,500 years.
In Amsterdam? Walk the routes — your phone vibrates when you reach a word's location. Anywhere else? The interactive map and everything else works from your couch.
One city. Seven eras. Nine episodes.
Each era has its own atmosphere, vocabulary, and characters
De Eerste Avond
2026
Rain, canals, your first café
De Gouden Eeuw
1637
Tulip mania at the VOC
De Nachtwacht
1642
In Rembrandt's studio
Het Verzet
1944
Hidden rooms, whispered Dutch
Totaal Voetbal
1974
Cruyff's orange revolution
De Nacht
1988
Acid house hits Amsterdam
Het Vuur
1345+
The fire that forged the city
Thuis
Coming home
9
Episodes
166+
Dutch words
32
Map locations
7
Time periods
19km
Walking routes
Questions
Do I need to be in Amsterdam?
No! The stories, illustrations, audio, map, and review system all work from anywhere. Walking routes are a bonus for people living in or visiting Amsterdam.
What level of Dutch is this for?
Complete beginners to low-intermediate. 170+ words with pronunciation, context, and images. Perfect for expats, travelers, and anyone curious.
How is this different from Duolingo?
Duolingo drills vocabulary through repetition. Wander teaches through cinematic stories set in real Amsterdam locations, with hand-painted illustrations for every word. Three memory pathways reinforcing each other — not just one.
Is it free?
Episode 1 — 30 words, 5 scenes, full walking route — is completely free. No account, no credit card. We're focused on making the experience amazing first.
How long is each episode?
About 15-20 minutes. Each has 2-5 scenes with dialogue, narration, vocabulary, and challenges. Stop and resume anytime.
What's the Method of Loci?
An ancient memory technique — anchor information to physical locations. Memory champions use it to memorize thousands of items. We use it to anchor Dutch words to real Amsterdam spots. Research shows it makes recall 2-3× better (Dresler et al., Neuron 2017).
🧭
It starts with one word
Welkom.
A rainy Amsterdam evening. A warm café. Your first Dutch conversation.
Begin Your Journey