Interesting Facts About Amsterdam
Amsterdam; The Netherlands’ cultural, artistic, entertainment and financial centre. City; With its beautiful canals, historical houses, museums, cosmopolitan structure and entertaining and tolerant atmosphere it offers to its visitors, it is one of the cities that attract the most tourists in the world and that Turks want to see the most. There are so many places to visit and see in Amsterdam that it is uncountable! In this article, I will talk about interesting information about the city that you probably have never heard before and that will surprise you, rather than these places to visit in Amsterdam. Here are some interesting facts about Amsterdam that you’ve probably never heard of before!
Amsterdam, a city built on a swamp
Yes, you heard right, almost a large part of Amsterdam is built on water and swamps. All of those cute houses we saw in Amsterdam are supported by poles as they were built on this unstable ground. For example, did you know that Central Station stands on approximately 6,000 poles? Considering that there are 5-10 poles in each house on average, it is possible to say that Amsterdam stands with more than 10 million poles!
Amsterdam, the city with the lowest sea level in Europe
Did you know that Amsterdam is the lowest city in Europe and most of the city is below sea level? This actually applies to the whole of the Netherlands, as about a quarter of the country lies below sea level. For example, in Amsterdam, one fourth of the city could be under water if there were no embankments holding the sea at the edge of the city. To give a striking example, even Schipol Airport, where you first set foot in the city of Amsterdam, is 4.5 meters below sea level!
Multicultural, multilingual and LGBT friendly Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. People of 175 nationalities are said to live in the city, and their ratio to the total population was approximately 22% in 2016. Considering that there are 194 officially recognized countries in the world, it is possible to call Amsterdam a small world. So much so that after having your breakfast in a French cafe, you can go and shave with a Turkish barber, have your lunch in a Lebanese restaurant and sip your drink in an Australian bar. Due to the city’s proximity to Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, the majority of the city’s population speaks more than one language. English and German are the most spoken foreign languages. Even with a very simple English, you can easily tour Amsterdam on your own. Amsterdam is also the world’s first capital to allow LGBT marriage.
Cycling paradise Amsterdam
Bicycles are one of the first sights that come to mind when you think of Amsterdam, because Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. Since the structure of the city is very suitable for bicycle use and the use of cars is not encouraged, approximately 60% of the city population uses bicycles on a daily basis. Namely, while the population of Amsterdam is around 800 thousand on average, there are about 1 million bicycles in the city! Although there is a danger of accident for those who are not used to it, it is actually the place where the most reliable bicycle use in the world is. The length of the bike paths is more than 3500 km. Of course, it is inevitable for a place that is a bicycle paradise to be a bicycle cemetery. According to the information given by the authorities, thousands of scrap bicycles are removed from the Amsterdam canals every year.
Interesting Facts About Amsterdam
Smoking is prohibited, marijuana and hashish are legal and sex work is allowed
While smoking is prohibited in cafes and restaurants in Amsterdam, the state has made it legal to buy and consume low-volume marijuana and hashish for personal use in cafes they call coffeeshop. It is also forbidden to drink alcohol in these coffeeshops. We can say that coffee shops are the second most famous “bad” places in Amsterdam, after the so-called Red Ligh District. Now let’s come to the story of the Red Light District.
This neighborhood is the world’s most famous brothel, where legal sex work is practiced in the country and its reputation has already crossed the country’s borders. Most brothels here have a window overlooking the neighborhood, and women who do this job legally, under the conditions set by the state, try to lure their customers in these windows. Although this neighborhood is famous for this aspect, it is one of the safest and most touristic places in the city. In fact, the Oude Kerk church, which is the most important church of the city, is located in the middle of this neighborhood. The main reason why the government has made both coffee shops and sex work so legal is that it wants to set its own rules and control them.
Amsterdam is one of the safest and most livable cities in the world.
Imagine a city where people from 175 nationalities can live and offer such freedom to its residents, but this city should also be one of the safest cities in the world. Yes, you heard right, because the crime rate in Amsterdam is much less than in any European capital, which makes it one of the safest and most livable cities in the world.
Amsterdam, city of canals and bridges
Did you know that the length of the canals in Amsterdam is 100 km? Although the canals in Venice are slightly more numerous than Amsterdam, Amsterdam is at least as cool as Venice with its 165 magnificent canals and more than 1500 bridges and 90 islands accompanying these canals! By the way, let’s also say that the number of bridges that you can see all over the city in Amsterdam, on which you can take Instagram photos, is exactly 3 times more than in Venice. Bridges are definitely one of the first few things that come to mind when Amsterdam is mentioned, as they number 1500.
Amsterdam’s Boat Houses
We said that Amsterdam is the city of canals. These canals began to serve not only transportation but also other purposes when their lengths reached 100 km by wrapping all over the city. One of them is the houseboats, the number of which reaches 3000 today. These houses, which started to be used especially after the Second World War due to the lack of housing in the city, were mostly preferred by the poor and students at that time. Because living in these boat houses, which do not have electricity or sewerage connection yet, was not a preferred situation. However, later on, especially in the 60s and 70s, when more modern boat houses were started to be built and electricity problems began to be eliminated, the situation began to reverse.
Finally, with the regulation made in 2005, the connection of all boat houses to the sewerage was made compulsory. Today, we can say that the wealthy of the city live in these boat houses. How much do you think the price of the boat house above shown by our guide during the canal tour? Let’s just say 2.1 Million Euros! In other words, it is more than 8 million Turkish liras in Turkish money. That’s why I think those who have a boat house in Amsterdam rather than their grandfather’s land are more lucky. J By the way, let’s also mention that these boat houses are not allowed to roam the canal and they have to anchor in a certain place.
Interesting Facts About Amsterdam
Coffee lovers in Amsterdam
Did you know that the residents of Amsterdam are among the people who consume the most coffee in the world? In fact, it is said that Amsterdam people rank second after Scandinavian countries in coffee consumption. According to statistics, at least 3-4 cups of coffee are consumed per person per day in Amsterdam.
The only cat boat in the world is in Amsterdam
Did you know that the Poezenboot in Amsterdam is the first and only cat boat in the world? Located on the Singel canal to the west of Central Station in Amsterdam, the Poezenboot cat boat is a volunteer-run boat that hosts homeless cats and is unique in the world. The Poezenboot, whose story first began in 1968, when the kindhearted woman Henriette van Weelde bought a boat for the needy cats that could no longer fit in her home, is the world’s first cat boat that has an official status and is operated by volunteers. The boat is also a frequent destination for cat-loving Amsterdam residents and tourists. When you go to Amsterdam, you can visit our cute cat friends at Poezenboot and even buy cute t-shirts for support purposes. The boat is closed on Wednesday and Sunday, other days at 13:
You can visit between 00-15:00. Poezenboot Address: The Catboat, Singel 38.G 1015 AB Amsterdam.
Interesting Facts About Amsterdam