Enjoying Canals And Surviving Bikes In Amsterdam

After leaving our moving two-week home (cruise ship) we headed to our Amsterdam hotel to drop off our bags. Then we headed out to explore the city on a hop-on, hop-off bus, and on foot. The bus is a great way to get oriented and comfortable with the town you are in. Amsterdam is a unique city because it is old, built in a marsh that uses mostly bikes for transportation. I think it used to be unique because of the legal marijuana and red light district but those aren’t such draws these days.

The Amsterdam Vibe

Amsterdam presents some unusual traits on first impression. The picturesque canals and townhouses provide a great backdrop for exploration. Dodging bikes is a must-learn skill if you want to survive long enough to get to any of the great museums. Finally, the diverse culture shows up in the shops and food stalls and even informs the kind but no-nonsense manner in which the inhabitants go about their lives.

History of Amsterdam

The foundation of Amsterdam dates back to when locals created a bridge and dam across the Amstel river, hence the name. Owing to its location near the sea, the town flourished from trade over the centuries. And with the money came power and struggles for power.

To me, the period of the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) was the most impactful in terms of creating the unique character of the city. The war was waged between Catholic and Protestant forces, with the Protestants ultimately claiming victory. This opened a floodgate of immigration for other people fleeing religious persecution elsewhere on the continent. Amsterdam became a city with many immigrants and a high degree of tolerance and independence, with different groups finding a welcoming home.

Neighborhoods

To maximize our time in town, we stayed in the Museum District. We lucked out because our hotel also turned out to be only a couple of blocks from the Albert Cuyp Market, one of the major street markets. Every day except Sunday, the stands were assembled and disassembled. Many different local products and foods were available and the prices weren’t that bad.

We chose to stay at the Sir Albert Hotel, which is a Marriott Edition hotel. This meant that while we could use and accrue points, we got no benefit for our status. While the location was good and our room had a nice balcony and view, we don’t have much else good to say about it. Our room was quite small and service from housekeeping and the front desk was spotty at best. We chose to skip the 21€/pp breakfast offered, instead of hoofing it down the street to a much less expensive café a couple of blocks away.

Unique Amsterdam Architecture

By now, most of us have seen the canal houses of Amsterdam. These townhomes are typically 2-4 stories and are usually narrow, often with gabled roofs with pulleys at the top. In our travels, we have learned that whenever some architectural feature seems peculiar, it is almost always due to people attempting to minimize their taxes. In the case of Amsterdam, property tax was based for some time on the width of the house, hence the narrow structures.

Given the width restrictions, getting furniture to the upper floors could be a challenge. Hence the pulleys on the front, are still used to raise larger pieces that are then passed through open windows.

Today, all of the facades are protected, even if they lean badly. Some houses have been gutted and steel frames placed to create completely new interior spaces, but the facades must remain largely the same. All of these dwellings sit on centuries-old wooden pilings. Keeping them submerged has prevented their decay. Should they need to be replaced, they can be, although occasionally things don’t go as planned and adjacent houses can be damaged as their pilings shift in the process.

Amsterdam’s Canals

The canals of Amsterdam are central to the city’s character. You can’t go far in the downtown area without going along or across one.  Five concentric canals radiate in a semi-circle from the main train station, which also happens to be adjacent to the Amstel river, from which the city gets its name. Additional canals cross these semi-circular ones, looking like spokes in a wheel where the hub is the train station.

It’s also interesting to take in all of the canal boats. Until 20 years ago, owners could basically tie up anywhere for free. They only had to pay for utilities. The city finally cracked down on that and prices for boats have risen with demand.

Most of the canals are not very wide and traveling on them is mostly done by tourist boats and locals out for a pleasant afternoon. Getting out on the canals is a must-do, IMHO. There are dozens of tour operators offering different types of experiences. It’s a great way to enjoy a new perspective and learn about the city. If you prefer, you can pay to motor around the canals collecting trash. True ecotourism.

Mind the Bikes

There are six primary modes of transportation within the downtown area: Bike, Walk, Bike, Bike, Tram, and Bus. The bikes are *everywhere*. Avoiding getting run over is a real challenge for the new to town. It wasn’t until 4-5 days after our arrival that we began to manage walking amongst them with some confidence. The downtown streets are not well laid out for trams and busses, so even if taking one makes sense, you frequently wind up walking a fair distance to get to your final destination.

In addition to the million-plus bikes, we also saw a number of very small cars. These came to exist because they were small enough to be legally allowed to park in bike spaces, for free. Parking charges in town are quite high, hence the appeal. Recently, however, their free parking has been rescinded, so they are slowly disappearing.

Food

Months ago in the French Alps, we struck up a conversation with a Dutch couple sitting next to us. They were gorging on raclette. We asked for some restaurant recommendations for Amsterdam. They said: “Don’t bother, the best cuisine in town is Thai.” I have to admit they were right. My favorite spot turned out to be an Indian place near our hotel. We also had some good pintxos and pasta at another place. Another surprising find was the café at the Rijksmuseum.

Bitterballen (croquettes) and stroopwafels are good, local comfort food, but they don’t make for good sustenance day in and day out. Also, the prices were very high. But the general cost of living in Europe rises as you go north.

What kind of canal boat appeals to you?