One of the problems is that bicycles and other large trash items get dumped in on a regular basis. Canals still play an important part in water control and shipping traffic, with mostly tour boats offering canal cruises. Check out some of the most popular canal cruises! Swimming in the canals is generally not allowed outside of certain designated areas, due to hygiene and boating dangers.
The waters aren't as filthy as many would expect, though. The nation's water is much cleaner than it was in previous ages, because of the efforts by water management organisations such as Waternet.
Another danger is the discarded bicycles and other litter lying on the bottom of the canals that could injure swimmers. You need a licence for fishing on most canals. The underwater fauna is surprisingly versatile. For instance, you can find minnow, carp, pike and eel, and some much rarer species as well.
The extra surface offered by canals is often utilised as living space, with the use of houseboats. Some of these can be rented for overnight stays.
Amsterdam alone has about 2. Special houseboat-like floaters include the student boat, in which various levels of containers are inhabited by students, the botel , a floating hotel, and the Bajesboot , or "prison boat". These detention boats were used to cope with overpopulated prisons, but are now banned.
Some have been converted into botels as well. In Amsterdam you can also find the "Cat Boat". This floating animal sanctuary is a big attraction. Various annual events and festivals take place on and around the canals, such at the Amsterdam Canal Pride Parade, Grachtenfestival, Jazz in de Gracht and Leidse Lakenfeesten.
Various game-constructions can also pop up, like floating obstacle courses and inflatable globes that you can run across the water in. Being an integral part of the municipalities they reside in, canals directly influence their surroundings, giving each city a unique and distinct personality.
The most important canals in Amsterdam are:. The Amstel river runs through Amsterdam, and various canals were dug to connect to it, such as the Amstel, Damrak and Rokin.
Most canals are now partially filled and border on popular shopping streets. The Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht are part of the canal belt, and are famous for being some of the nicest and most important canals.
Singels in Amsterdam include the Stedegracht, and Singelgracht which was dug in the 17th century. The canal belt in The Hague was partially filled in throughout history, but thanks to restorations you can sail all the way around the canal belt again since The old canals of The Hague were dug around , and were important for transport and water management.
The Hofsingels lined a castle. Many of the old canals are now filled. The old canals include:. Utrecht has been awarded the title of most beautiful canal town in Europe multiple times. The most important canals in Utrecht are connected to the Vecht River. The Amsterdam Canal District required expertise in hydraulics, civil engineering, town planning, construction, and architectural know-how. The canals were needed to drain the peat swamps that Amsterdam was built on, but that was not the only water problem Amsterdam had to deal with.
If you look at the map below, you will note many large lakes around Amsterdam before AC. These large lakes were formed by the erosion of the peat layers by water.
Drainage of these lakes became necessary to safeguard Amsterdam against the water threatening it from the outside.
The Beemster lake was the first lake drained in the early 17th century with the help of windmills. Over the next centuries, the Dutch drained many more lakes in the western part of The Netherlands.
Almost all of the World Heritage Sites in The Netherlands have something to do with water management. That is a central theme in a country that would not exist if it were not for its water management skills.
However, the number of canals varies over time because sometimes a canal is turned into a road and vice versa. The Oudezijds Voorburgwal is the oldest canal of Amsterdam and dates back to The widest canal is the Keizersgracht, with 31 meters 33 yards. Participants were all local readers of Parool , virtually all Amsterdam inhabitants. These locals knew all the canals of Amsterdam and could compare them like no one else. Brouwersgracht is also the location for the best Instagram shots possible in Amsterdam.
The Reguliersgracht is another beautiful and very photogenic canal that connects a number of the main canals. The Reguliersgracht is probably the most photographed Amsterdam canal due to its seven beautiful bridges in a straight line.
Beautiful for a boat trip in daylight and a romantic walk in the evening. The Reguliersgracht connects the three main canals, the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht, and the Prinsengracht. These three canals are all must-sees, but the Herengracht is considered the most beautiful of the three. The mayor of Amsterdam lives and works at Herengracht The canal houses along the Herengracht are absolutely stunning. Herengracht is still one of the most expensive and prestigious places to live in The Netherlands.
The Jordaan is a densely populated neighborhood that consists of dozens of narrow streets and a handful of canals. The canals in the Jordaan are more narrow than in other parts of the city. The Bloemgracht is the most beautiful canal of the Jordaan due to its gorgeous mixture of beautifully restored canal houses and elegant bridges.
The Groenburgwal is a hidden gem of a canal in the middle of the center of Amsterdam. It is a short and narrow side canal of the Amstel river and intersects with the Amstel close to the Stopera.
The Groenburgwal can best be admired from the Staalmeestersbrug, looking towards the Zuiderkerk see below. If you want to enjoy the beautiful canals yourself, check out here what a 3-day trip to Amsterdam will cost.
You want to visit this mesmerizing city with fairytale-like canals at least once in your life. Canal cruises are probably the most important Amsterdam tourist attraction and are enjoyed by over three million visitors annually. There are dozens of cruises available, and there is enough competition to keep ticket prices reasonable. There is really no difference between the standard canal cruises of different cruise companies. They will all sail through the same canals of Amsterdam and show you the same highlights.
Therefore, the best way to select a canal cruise is to walk to the water opposite the central railway station from where all canal cruises from all cruise companies depart number 10 on the map of Amsterdam above. Skip to content Skip to menu Skip to search. Many Dutch cities were built around canals. Alkmaar Utrecht, Dordrecht, Leiden, Groningen, Leeuwarden and Amersfoort are cities with cityscapes that are characterised by graceful canals.
Of course, Amsterdam has the best-known canals. Discover Holland from a different perspective and take a cruise through the canals. Sights to see Canals of Utrecht. Sights to see Canals of Leiden. Sights to see Canals of Delft.
The canals of Delft served as defense and lifelines throughout the city.
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