Amsterdam Experience : the Canals
Cruisin’ Dam
Amsterdam is, hands down, one of my favourite cities. It has everything you need: water, museums, parks, nature, old architecture, bars (and coffee-shops), and it is so tiny you can almost walk anywhere (but you might wanna take a bike, that’s what you do in Amsterdam). And the people are just so nice and chill.
My first time in Amsterdam was in the cold February with, as usual, no plans whatsoever but see what was up in there, while I was meeting up with a friend that was traveling around as well
In the boat, you get to look around at sea-level, literally. As a result, when you look up, everything just looks much bigger than it is from the ground. And the houses are so beautiful and posh, with such big windows and wealthy interiors, it gives them almost a castle-like impression. I love it ! So when I am in Amsterdam, I am basically a wandering Disney princess.
About Amsterdam
Fun fact: in Amsterdam most of the houses are not standing straight. They all look like they’re gonna crash any minutes. But they won’t, and everything is in place on the inside.
There are many speculations why Amsterdam houses look so crooked and about to fall, but it’s mostly because of the bad quality of the wood used to build the city and because they have been built on very wet soil, they eventually start sinking into the ground. Most of the houses also are built like that, leaning a bit forward. Why? Because the houses are so tiny and the stairs are very tight.
Consequently, the Dutch decided to build a hook on top of the house, so they could bring all their furniture up to the desired floor. The house leaning a little forward prevents the furniture from hitting the wall during its journey up. Smart, isn’t it?
Amsterdam was built on and from the canal. So its magnificence appears definitely when you wander through them. Everything is just so brilliant and every house is an invitation to sneak inside. That’s what i love most about the canals and the bridges. The way they make you wanna see what they are trying to hide.
The city holds 165 canals, which are over 100 kms long, and about 1281 bridges! That’s more than Venice! And the reason why Amsterdam is nicknamed “the Venice of the North”.
Where are the boats ?
Most of the cruise companies are right outside Centraal Station, along the Damrak and the canals around. Just pick up one you like ! You have every kind of cruise for every budget and every taste. The one we picked up was about 15euros for about an hour i think. However, this was a few years ago and prices might have changed by now ! You can check or book a cruise on website like Amsterdam Canal Cruises or TripAdvisor.
Check out my portfolio if you want to see more photos of Amsterdam
For more articles about Amsterdam click here
