Ah, Amsterdam. The canals. People think it’s romantic. They see the pretty boats, the reflections. They don't see the centuries of filth, the engineering that barely held back the sea, the sheer, grinding effort it took to carve this city out of mud. It’s a testament to human stubbornness, I suppose. Or desperation.
Seventeenth-Century Canals in the Netherlands; UNESCO World Heritage Site
So, you want to know about the canals. Specifically, the ones in Amsterdam. The ones that apparently make it the "Venice of the North". Cute. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it’s deemed important. Or perhaps just old and inconveniently picturesque. It’s the Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht.
It’s located in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, specifically in the province of North Holland. The designation is under the Criteria of Cultural: (i), (ii), and (iv). It was inscribed in 2010 during the 34th Session. The site itself covers a rather precise 198.2 hectares, with a buffer zone of 481.7 hectares. The coordinates are 52°21′54″N 4°53′16″E. Precision. I can appreciate that.
Amsterdam itself is practically drowning in water. More than 100 kilometers (62 miles) of grachten, which are basically canals. Ninety islands and, I’m told, 1,500 bridges. It sounds like a logistical nightmare. The three main canals – Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht – were dug in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age. They form concentric belts around the city, collectively known as the Grachtengordel. Along these main canals, there are 1,550 monumental buildings. These aren't just pretty facades; they're the remnants of a city built on ambition and, frankly, a lot of dirt.
History
You can’t talk about the canals without talking about the planning. Or the lack thereof, in some cases. A lot of it was planned, though. In the early 17th century, with people flooding into Amsterdam – immigration, they call it – a comprehensive plan was drawn up. Four main, concentric half-circles of canals. Their ends were supposed to meet the IJ Bay. This was the "grachtengordel". Three of these canals were primarily for residential development: the Herengracht (the "Patricians' Canal"), the Keizersgracht (the "Emperor's Canal"), and the Prinsengracht (the "Prince's Canal"). A fourth, outer canal, the Singelgracht, was for defense and water management. Imagine that, using canals for actual defense. And then there were the radial canals, connecting everything. And in the Jordaan quarter, parallel canals were designed for transporting goods, like beer. Charming.
The existing inner canal, the Singel, was repurposed from a defensive moat to residential and commercial use. And, of course, bridges. Over a hundred of them. The defensive purpose of the Nassau/Stadhouderskade was managed with moats and earthen dikes, with gates at transit points. No fancy stone structures, just practical earthworks.
The construction itself wasn't a neat outward spiral from the center, as some naive myths suggest. It proceeded from west to east, across the entire layout, like a giant windshield wiper, as historian Geert Mak so aptly put it. The north-western sector was started around 1613 and finished by 1625. The southern sector saw building begin after 1664, but slowly, due to economic downturns. The eastern part of the concentric plan, between the Amstel river and the IJ Bay, took much longer. For centuries, that land was used for parks, the Botanical garden, old-age homes, theaters, public facilities – and waterways that seemed to have sprung up without much of a plan at all.
And you’ll notice many parts of the city, and its surrounding urban area, are polders. You can often tell by the "-meer" suffix, meaning 'lake', like Aalsmeer, Bijlmermeer, Haarlemmermeer, and Watergraafsmeer. Today, the canals are mostly for tourists on boats, recreation, and houseboats. Actual private transport on the canals is minimal compared to walking, trams, the subway, and, naturally, bicycles. Most canals are paralleled by roads, carrying actual traffic. Go figure.
Water Quality
The water in these canals, particularly up until the mid-19th century, was… unpleasant. Stagnant, unsanitary, filled with refuse, dead fish, feces. A real cesspool. They tried to fix it in 1879 with the steam-powered pump station Gemaal Zeeburg to flush the canals with water from the Zuiderzee. Things improved further in 1935 when the inner city got connected to the sewer system, though the Grachtengordel wasn't fully connected until 1987. Until then, houses just dumped their wastewater straight into the canal. Even now, they’re still trying to get all houseboats connected to the sewage system. As of 2018, a significant number were still discharging directly into the canals. It seems some problems persist.
And then there’s the bicycle issue. A distinctly Dutch problem. Between 12,000 and 15,000 bicycles are pulled out of the canals every year. They call it 'bike fishing' (fietsen vissen). A rather grim metaphor for the city's relationship with its own infrastructure, don't you think?
Swimming in the canals isn't officially sanctioned, but locals do it. There’s even an annual Amsterdam City Swim to raise money for ALS research, where people swim from Nieuwe Herengracht to Keizersgracht. Though, in 2018, that was canceled due to high levels of E. coli after heavy rains overwhelmed the sewer system. So, you know, romantic.
Notable Canals in the Canal Belt
Let’s get down to the specifics. The canals, in order from inward to outward, are:
Singel
This canal originally encircled the medieval city. It was a moat from 1480 until 1585, when Amsterdam expanded. It runs from the IJ Bay, near Central Station, to the Muntplein square, meeting the Amstel river. It’s the innermost canal of the ring. And no, don't confuse it with the Singelgracht, which was the outer limit during the Dutch Golden Age.
Herengracht
Also known as the "Patricians' Canal" or "Lords' Canal". It’s the first of the three major central canals. Named after the heren regeerders, the city's governors in the 16th and 17th centuries. The most fashionable part is the Golden Bend, known for its double-wide mansions and inner gardens. Samuel Sarphati lived at number 598, and Peter the Great stayed at number 527 during his second visit. History, or just old real estate listings.
Keizersgracht
The "Emperor's Canal". It’s the second and widest of the three major central canals, situated between the Herengracht and Prinsengracht. Named, rather predictably, after Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. John Adams stayed at number 529. Heinrich Schliemann worked at number 71 for nearly three years. Daniel Fahrenheit was at 463–465. And Peter the Great, during his first visit, stayed at number 317. The Homomonument (Gay Monument) faces this canal. Huis Marseille, the oldest photography museum in the Netherlands, is at number 401.
Prinsengracht
The "Prince's Canal". The fourth and longest of the main canals. Named after the Prince of Orange. Most of the canal houses here were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the [United] Provinces](/Dutch_Republic). The bridges connecting it link to the streets of the Jordaan on the west and the Weteringbuurt on the east. Notable buildings include the Noorderkerk, the Noordermarkt, the Anne Frank House, and the Westerkerk – Amsterdam's tallest church. Annually, the Prinsengrachtconcert takes place on a pontoon in front of Hotel Pulitzer. A bit of culture, I suppose.
Other Notable Canals
There are others, of course.
Zwanenburgwal
This canal and street in the center of Amsterdam is where the painter Rembrandt and philosopher Baruch Spinoza lived. It was once called Verversgracht ("dyers' canal") because of the textile industry. Dyed textiles were hung to dry along its banks. It flows from the sluice gate (between Sint Antoniesbreestraat and Jodenbreestraat) to the Amstel river. It was voted one of the most beautiful streets in Amsterdam. How quaint.
Brouwersgracht
This canal in the city center connects the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. It marks the northern border of the canal belt. Ships returning from Asia with spices and silks used to dock here, so it was lined with warehouses. Officials of the Dutch East India Company, like cartographer Isaak de Graaf, lived nearby. Breweries were also common. Today, the warehouses are apartments, some of the most expensive in Amsterdam. It was also voted the most beautiful street in Amsterdam. Apparently, beauty is subjective.
Kloveniersburgwal
This canal runs south from Nieuwmarkt to the Amstel River, at the edge of the old city. The east side, populated in the 17th century, features grand mansions like the Trippenhuis, which now houses the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was popular with administrators from the Dutch East India Company, given its proximity to their headquarters.
Brantasgracht, Lamonggracht, Majanggracht and Seranggracht
These are the newest canals, constructed in 1995 on Java Island, a man-made island in the IJ Harbor. They feature modern interpretations of classic Amsterdam canal houses, designed by 19 young Dutch architects. Each house is narrow, four or five stories tall, but with unique designs. Nine ornate metal bridges cross them. Modern, but still trying to fit into the old mold. Interesting.
It’s a lot of water, a lot of history, and a lot of… well, effort. It’s a city built on water, and it shows. Don't expect it to be clean or simple. Nothing ever is.