Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [202]
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Amsterdam on the water
Architecture in Amsterdam
Amsterdam on the water
If Amsterdammers hadn’t had the ingenuity to build their city on marsh and reclaimed land, sitting their buildings on wooden piles sunk into the sand, then the city wouldn’t exist at all. Like the surrounding countryside, it is made out of – and defined by – water, and its buildings complement their watery surroundings everywhere you look, whether it’s in the classic canal vistas of the seventeenth-century city or the contemporary developments in the former docks and the outskirts of the city centre.
Here are ten things you can see or do to make the most of Amsterdam’s unique watery environment:
Amsterdam on the water |
Canal boat tours
What the hell, there are worse ways of spending your time than taking on the glass-topped tourist boats that chunter round the city’s canals to cheesy canned commentary – you can even take a tour by candlelight. www.rederijkooij.nl. See "Water transport".
Canal boats
Amsterdam on the water |
Queen’s Day
There is no better time to explore the city’s canals than on Queen’s Day as it’s the one day of the year when everyone takes to the water, on all sorts of craft, complete with pounding sound systems and free-flowing booze. Watch the fun from bridges and intersections or try to grab a place on one of the boats yourself. See "Opening hours and public holidays".
Queen’s Day celebrations on the water
Amsterdam on the water |
Blijburg
Right out on the eastern end of the city at IJburg, “Blijburg aan Zee” is the ultimate urban beach, a slim crescent of sand that’s home to a buzzy summer vibe with bands and DJs, plus a bar and beach café which serves organic food. Take tram #26 to the end of the line. www.blijburg.nl. See "The Old Jewish Quarter and Eastern docklands".
Amsterdam on the water |
Zeeburg
The old squatter areas of the eastern docklands are home to some of the city’s most audacious architecture and, increasingly, some of its greatest nightlife. You can get here by ferry on Sundays, at two-hourly intervals from behind Centraal Station – it takes half an hour to KNSM island. See "Java and KNSM islands".
Zeeburg
Amsterdam on the water |
Bareboat exploration
The best way to get around Amsterdam’s canals is, of course, to do it yourself, either by hiring a pedalboat – www.canal.nl – or better still a motorboat – www.rentaboatamsterdam.com. Private boats start at €50 an hour, €200 per day, for up to six people. See "Water transport".
Boating on the canal
Amsterdam on the water |
Oosterdok
Wandering around the artificial islands of the Oosterdok gives one of the most authentic insights into Amsterdam’s seafaring past, whether it’s inspecting the old boats and barges moored near the Nemo science museum, or strolling past the eighteenth-century quays and warehouses of the Entrepotdok. See "The Oosterdok".
Amsterdam on the water |
Marken
Taking the bus to Volendam and then jumping on the ferry to the ex-island of Marken doesn’t take long, but the town feels a long way from Amsterdam’s centre and gives some idea of how the place would have been when it was a stormy coast on an inland sea. www.markenexpress.nl. See "Marken".
Marken
Amsterdam on the water |
Amsterdam NAP
Normal Amsterdam Water level, or Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP), is the Dutch benchmark water level – more or less the same as sea level on the Dutch coast. You can view the brass bolt that shows NAP in the Muziektheater, although it’s worth bearing in mind that it isn’t the most reliable measure, because Amsterdam is sinking by around 2cm a year. See "Waterlooplein".
Amsterdam NAP
Amsterdam on the water |
Woonbootmuseum
The Houseboat Museum on Prinsengracht is the one place where you can poke around a houseboat and see what it’s really like to live on Amsterdam’s waterways without invading anyone’s privacy. The museum is set in a traditional Dutch houseboat dating from 1914. See "The Woonbootmuseum and Felix Meritis building".
The Woonbootmuseum
Amsterdam