Canal Cruise

Travel Date:

Thursday, 22nd May 2014

Amsterdam is the city of canals ("gracht" in Dutch) and the city of bridges ("brug" in Dutch). The first activity of our package tour was orientation and history of the Mint Tower (the leaning tower), floating Flower Market and Royal Palace in Dam Square while we head to the Canal Cruises docking area which is directly opposite the Heineken Experience.

Then we boarded a Canal Cruiser. This is one of the largest tourist attractions in Amsterdam. The crossing was a pleasant experience as we were able to explore the city from a different perspective. We learned about the Dutch history and saw the magnificent gabled mansions of the 17th-century merchants. The canals and rivers in Amsterdam are still important waterways for commercial transport and leisure boating.

During the tour it was mentioned there are around 500 bridges just around the city center and around 2,500 bridges in total. We save bridges in different sizes, designs and made. There are some small bridges which are only passable by small boats and huge bridges for big boats or vessels for wider waterways. It was mentioned that those larger bridges are operated manually. The bridge gate is passable only during certain hours. They said if the ship that want to pass beyond the designated opening times, they have to call a service number.

Some interesting facts we learned during this cruise was about Amsterdam's hook/pulley found outside the canal houses. At first we thought it was a flag pole but it wasn't. This house fixture is used to raise furniture or cargo up to the higher level of the house. Smart idea and saves a lot of hassle.

In 2010, Amsterdam's canal district was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Cruise Map:

 

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