diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 6968fa654..e0ca8e9d0 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
 		<!-- Test -->
 		<junit.version>4.12</junit.version>
-		<hamcrest.version>1.3</hamcrest.version>
+		<assertj.version>1.7.1</assertj.version>
 
 		<!-- Dates -->
 		<jodatime-hibernate.version>1.3</jodatime-hibernate.version>
@@ -278,12 +278,10 @@
 			<version>${junit.version}</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
-		<!-- used by Spring MVC Test framework -->
 		<dependency>
-			<groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
-			<artifactId>hamcrest-library</artifactId>
-			<version>${hamcrest.version}</version>
-			<scope>test</scope>
+			<groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
+			<artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
+			<version>${assertj.version}</version>
 		</dependency>
 
 		<dependency>
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/ValidatorTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/ValidatorTests.java
index 566eb3a3e..0c80d06fb 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/ValidatorTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/model/ValidatorTests.java
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 package org.springframework.samples.petclinic.model;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import javax.validation.ConstraintViolation;
 import javax.validation.Validator;
 
+import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.context.i18n.LocaleContextHolder;
@@ -39,8 +42,8 @@ public class ValidatorTests {
 
         Assert.assertEquals(1, constraintViolations.size());
         ConstraintViolation<Person> violation =  constraintViolations.iterator().next();
-        Assert.assertEquals(violation.getPropertyPath().toString(), "firstName");
-        Assert.assertEquals(violation.getMessage(), "may not be empty");
+        assertThat(violation.getPropertyPath().toString()).isEqualTo("firstName");
+        assertThat(violation.getMessage()).isEqualTo("may not be empty");
     }
 	
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/service/AbstractClinicServiceTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/service/AbstractClinicServiceTests.java
index bcef69fd4..279c7b0f8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/service/AbstractClinicServiceTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/service/AbstractClinicServiceTests.java
@@ -15,10 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.samples.petclinic.service;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
 
@@ -61,19 +58,19 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
     @Test
     public void shouldFindOwners() {
         Collection<Owner> owners = this.clinicService.findOwnerByLastName("Davis");
-        assertEquals(2, owners.size());
+        assertThat(owners.size()).isEqualTo(2);
         owners = this.clinicService.findOwnerByLastName("Daviss");
-        assertEquals(0, owners.size());
+        assertThat(owners.size()).isEqualTo(0);
     }
 
     @Test
     public void shouldFindSingleOwner() {
         Owner owner1 = this.clinicService.findOwnerById(1);
-        assertTrue(owner1.getLastName().startsWith("Franklin"));
+        assertThat(owner1.getLastName()).startsWith("Franklin");
 
         Owner owner10 = this.clinicService.findOwnerById(10);
-        assertEquals("Carlos", owner10.getFirstName());
-        assertEquals(owner1.getPets().size(), 1);
+        assertThat(owner10.getFirstName()).isEqualTo("Carlos");
+        assertThat(owner1.getPets().size()).isEqualTo(1);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -88,10 +85,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
         owner.setCity("Wollongong");
         owner.setTelephone("4444444444");
         this.clinicService.saveOwner(owner);
-        assertNotEquals("Owner Id should have been generated", owner.getId().longValue(), 0);
+        assertThat(owner.getId().longValue()).isNotEqualTo(0);
 
         owners = this.clinicService.findOwnerByLastName("Schultz");
-        assertEquals("Verifying number of owners after inserting a new one.", found + 1, owners.size());
+        assertThat(owners.size()).isEqualTo(found + 1);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -103,20 +100,23 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
         this.clinicService.saveOwner(o1);
         o1 = this.clinicService.findOwnerById(1);
 
-        assertEquals(old + "X", o1.getLastName());
+        assertThat(o1.getLastName()).isEqualTo(old + "X");
     }
 
 	@Test
 	public void shouldFindPetWithCorrectId() {
 	    Collection<PetType> types = this.clinicService.findPetTypes();
+	    
 	    Pet pet7 = this.clinicService.findPetById(7);
-	    assertTrue(pet7.getName().startsWith("Samantha"));
-	    assertEquals(EntityUtils.getById(types, PetType.class, 1).getId(), pet7.getType().getId());
-	    assertEquals("Jean", pet7.getOwner().getFirstName());
+	    assertThat(pet7.getName()).startsWith("Samantha");
+	    assertThat(EntityUtils.getById(types, PetType.class, 1).getId()).isEqualTo(pet7.getType().getId());
+	    assertThat(pet7.getOwner().getFirstName()).isEqualTo("Jean");
+	    
 	    Pet pet6 = this.clinicService.findPetById(6);
-	    assertEquals("George", pet6.getName());
-	    assertEquals(EntityUtils.getById(types, PetType.class, 4).getId(), pet6.getType().getId());
-	    assertEquals("Peter", pet6.getOwner().getFirstName());
+	    assertThat(pet6.getName()).isEqualTo("George");
+	    
+	    assertThat(EntityUtils.getById(types, PetType.class, 4).getId()).isEqualTo(pet6.getType().getId());
+	    assertThat(pet6.getOwner().getFirstName()).isEqualTo("Peter");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
 	    Collection<PetType> petTypes = this.clinicService.findPetTypes();
 	
 	    PetType petType1 = EntityUtils.getById(petTypes, PetType.class, 1);
-	    assertEquals("cat", petType1.getName());
+	    assertThat(petType1.getName()).isEqualTo("cat");
 	    PetType petType4 = EntityUtils.getById(petTypes, PetType.class, 4);
-	    assertEquals("snake", petType4.getName());
+	    assertThat(petType4.getName()).isEqualTo("snake");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -140,13 +140,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
 	    pet.setType(EntityUtils.getById(types, PetType.class, 2));
 	    pet.setBirthDate(new DateTime());
 	    owner6.addPet(pet);
-	    assertEquals(found + 1, owner6.getPets().size());
+	    assertThat(owner6.getPets().size()).isEqualTo(found + 1);
 	    // both storePet and storeOwner are necessary to cover all ORM tools
 	    this.clinicService.savePet(pet);
 	    this.clinicService.saveOwner(owner6);
 	    owner6 = this.clinicService.findOwnerById(6);
-	    assertEquals(found + 1, owner6.getPets().size());
-	    assertNotNull("Pet Id should have been generated", pet.getId());
+	    assertThat(owner6.getPets().size()).isEqualTo(found + 1);
+	    assertThat(pet.getId()).isNotNull();
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
 	    pet7.setName(old + "X");
 	    this.clinicService.savePet(pet7);
 	    pet7 = this.clinicService.findPetById(7);
-	    assertEquals(old + "X", pet7.getName());
+	    assertThat(pet7.getName()).isEqualTo(old + "X");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -165,14 +165,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
 	    Collection<Vet> vets = this.clinicService.findVets();
 	
 	    Vet v1 = EntityUtils.getById(vets, Vet.class, 2);
-	    assertEquals("Leary", v1.getLastName());
-	    assertEquals(1, v1.getNrOfSpecialties());
-	    assertEquals("radiology", (v1.getSpecialties().get(0)).getName());
+	    assertThat(v1.getLastName()).isEqualTo("Leary");
+	    assertThat(v1.getNrOfSpecialties()).isEqualTo(1);
+	    assertThat(v1.getSpecialties().get(0).getName()).isEqualTo("radiology");
 	    Vet v2 = EntityUtils.getById(vets, Vet.class, 3);
-	    assertEquals("Douglas", v2.getLastName());
-	    assertEquals(2, v2.getNrOfSpecialties());
-	    assertEquals("dentistry", (v2.getSpecialties().get(0)).getName());
-	    assertEquals("surgery", (v2.getSpecialties().get(1)).getName());
+	    assertThat(v2.getLastName()).isEqualTo("Douglas");
+	    assertThat(v2.getNrOfSpecialties()).isEqualTo(2);
+	    assertThat(v2.getSpecialties().get(0).getName()).isEqualTo("dentistry");
+	    assertThat(v2.getSpecialties().get(1).getName()).isEqualTo("surgery");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractClinicServiceTests {
 	    this.clinicService.saveVisit(visit);
 	    this.clinicService.savePet(pet7);
 	    pet7 = this.clinicService.findPetById(7);
-	    assertEquals(found + 1, pet7.getVisits().size());
-	    assertNotNull("Visit Id should have been generated", visit.getId());
+	    assertThat(pet7.getVisits().size()).isEqualTo(found + 1);
+	    assertThat(visit.getId()).isNotNull();
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/web/VisitsViewTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/web/VisitsViewTests.java
index fb29b0b22..b2e953c25 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/web/VisitsViewTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/samples/petclinic/web/VisitsViewTests.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.samples.petclinic.web;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.get;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultHandlers.print;
 import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.content;