First: Canals to fortify the city – History canals amsterdam

The canals were initially built to fortify the city. But when the city grew the canals were within the city walls and therefore lost their function to protect the city from intruders. The function quickly changed to waterway transport hubs. Warehouses were built alongside the canals and goods were shipped to anywhere. During the ‘Dutch Golden Age’, in which the Dutch Economy flourished more canals were built to transport goods. In 1612 the municipality started a plan to expand the city which made Amsterdam four times bigger within 50 years. The canals built in this period are, together with the Jordan District, since 2010 listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Prinsengracht (Amstelveld) – A brief history of the Canals in Amsterdam

Second: Canals are waterway transport hubs – History canals amsterdam

During these times living on the canals was seen as a sign of poverty. Many goods were shipped on the waterways, the water was polluted and smelled awful. In the last century the canals lost their function as transport hubs and the quality of the water became better. The warehouses were transformed to big and chic canal houses.

Third: Canals are replaced by roads – History canals amsterdam

In this same 20th century almost half of the canals were removed and transformed to parking places and roads. You can see this from the street names as for example: ‘Lindengracht’, ‘Elandsgracht’ ‘Palmgracht’ or ‘Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal’. The Dutch suffix ‘gracht’ and ‘wal’ means canal. When you go to these streets you’ll find wide streets, but no canals, they have been replaced.

Lindengracht street sign with suffix ‘gracht’ meaning canal

Lindengracht used to be a canal, now it’s a wide street with a local market every Saturday

Fourth: Living on a canal a sign of wealth – History canals amsterdam

The old warehouses on the canals and the house boats are now a sign of prosperity. The water in the canals are cleaner than ever before and people even swim in them. Many locals have small boats to cruise around on the canals. Besides the canals popular restaurants, bars and terraces can be found. The Canal Festival, Amsterdam Pride and Amsterdam City Swim are the biggest events attracting many to Amsterdam.

Pride Amsterdam celebrations on Prinsengracht

This blog post is written by Raisa from Peru. She couch surfed a few days in Amsterdam during the Pride Amsterdam 2017. 

Something I will never forget – Pride amsterdam

I’ll start by telling you that I had the opportunity to be in Amsterdam during gay pride and it was something I will never forget. It was amazing to see how Amsterdam dressed in colours to show the world that they support love and freedom. In every building, shop, restaurant and square you could see the feel of this city, where they do not care about your nationality, race or sexual choice because they simply celebrate, respect and enjoy life. It was almost magical to walk down the street and see the multicoloured flags fluttering, the different decorations and people in colourful costumes, with lovely makeups, all happy enjoying the party that was lived, because that was it, the party to celebrate that we can choose how to live.

GayVB – Tram in Amsterdam during the Gay Pride

Street parties – Pride Amsterdam

Each night was more fun than the previous one with the parties that were offered all over the city, with the beats that came to sound even in the distance attracting people and driving the dancers crazy.

Prinsengracht during Gay Pride Amsterdam

Canal Parade – Pride Amsterdam

I loved seeing how everyone gathered to go to the Amsterdam Gay Pride Canal Parade, you could see the crowded streets of people singing, dancing and sharing, like a big family, where adults, children, locals and foreigners had a great time. Meanwhile, on the canal, each boat was paraded, each one offering a different show, with the music blaring and the joy even higher. On the streets by the canal there was a party on every corner.

Wester Church during Gay Pride Amsterdam 2017

Local feeling – Pride Amsterdam

I can say that from now I look forward to returning to Amsterdam because it was very laid back. It was very easy to feel that I was from there, that I could live there. I would return for the joy I felt from the first moment I stepped in the city, for food, for parties, but above all for people who were like from another planet with such kindness and joy that was contagious.

Gay Pride Amsterdam 2017

Raisa stayed a few days in Amsterdam during the Gay Pride. Do you want to experience Amsterdam during your Layover and get the same local feeling? Book a LocalLayover.com tour!

The Netherlands is famous for the amount of cyclists. We literally cycle everywhere! There are 19 million bikes while the population is almost 17 million.

If you are wanting to experience real Amsterdam life, cycle through the city. At LocalLayover.com you will get a normal bike, so people will know you are a local. Don’t worry about not being able to cycle like the Dutch: there are special cycle paths everywhere which means it is fairly safe to cycle through Amsterdam. We will cycle over the prettiest canals and pass the main squares on our bike ride.

Cycling in Amsterdam is truly amazing (when sunny). Something you have to experience in your life.

Bikers waiting for an open bridge in Amsterdam west

One of the most common excuses in the Netherlands to being late is ‘the bridge was open’. And it’s true, in summer time the bridges do open many times for passing boats on the canals and waterways.

Bikes parked on a bike boat

There are so many bikes in Amsterdam that parking spaces are hard to find. Therefore the municipality has created these boats for bikes close to the main squares.

Tourists on yellow, red or green bikes

Many bike rental companies have chosen a colour for their bikes. This way the tourists are easily spotted. At LocalLayover.com you will get your own local bike, this way you will be treated like a local on the roads.

Kids cycling through Amsterdam

The infrastructure for biking is excellent, cycle paths run everywhere and the country is flat. The cycle skill level is extremely high. As soon as children can walk, they will learn how to cycle.

The Dutch even move their furniture on their bikes

You may see anything transported by bike in the Netherlands: groceries, children, beer, another bike or even furniture in this carrier cycle or in Dutch: ‘bakfiets’.

Waternet removing bikes from the canals

Each year thousands of bikes are thrown into the canals. In 2016, 8893 people reported that their bike got stolen, though the real number of stolen bikes is probably much higher as many do not report that their bike got stolen. Each year around 14.000 bikes are fished up from the canals like the picture below.

When going to the nearest coffeeshop people walk, or cycle towards it as driving while being stoned is forbidden and not the best idea.

Bike hanging on the railing of the canal – not a rare catch

There are so many bikes that it’s hard to find a place to park your bike. Someone might get annoyed by how you parked your bike and then do this to your bike. Fortunately this owner attached his bike to the railing of the bridge.

The Dutch take their bikes everywhere

When going for a boat trip and wanting to move fast later on it’s wise to take your bike. Yes, even on a boat we take our bike.

Local Dutch food

Bitterballen and kroket, hutspot, stroopwafels, tompoezen, kapsalon, hagelslag, pannekoeken, oliebollen, erwtensoep, gehaktbal, drop, haring and kruidnoten are all traditional Dutch cuisine gastronomic delights.

What are all those Traditional Dutch meals and snacks? Here a list with Local Dutch food.

Bitterballen and kroket

Bitterballen are round mini krokets, so mini deep fried gravy bites. The Dutch eat them often in a bar while drinking beer or at the so called VrijMiBo (the Friday after work drink). The kroket is made from the same thing and also deep fried. At tourist places in for example Spain where you’ll find many Dutch you’ll aswell be able to buy the the kroket.

Stamppot or Hutspot

Stamppot or Hutspot is a dish the Dutch eat often in winter time. It is essentially potatoes and vegetables mashed together with gravy sauce and a smoked sausage.

stroopwafels

A stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. Dutch people love it. You can buy them freshly made at any local street market or at any grocery store in the Netherlands.

Stroopwafel – Local cookie in the Netherlands

Tompoezen

The tompoes or tompouce is an iconic, rectangular pastry. It has two layers of puff pastry and always has the same rectangular form and is mostly pink or orange (during Kingsday or other Dutch National holidays). The filling is sweet, yellow pastry cream.

kapsalon

A kapsalon, translated into English is ‘hairdressing salon’ it originates from the inventor of the dish: a hairdresser in Rotterdam. The dish consists of fries, topped with döner or shawarma meat, grilled with a layer of Gouda cheese until melted and then covered with a layer of dressed salad greens. The dish is often served with garlic sauce and sambal.

Hagelslag

Dutch hagelslag (sprinkles) is used on bread. Most of the time butter is spread out so the hagelslag does not fall off your bread. They were named hagelslag after the weather phenomenon ‘hagel’, hail in English.

Pannekoeken & Poffertjes

A pannekoek is a Dutch Pancake which are usually larger and thinner than their American or Scotch pancake counterparts, but not as thin as French Crêpes. A Dutch pancake may contain slices of bacon, apples, cheese or raisins. Plain ones are often eaten with syrup (appelstroop) and powdered sugar. When eaten they are sometimes rolled up and eaten by hand or with cutlery. Another variety on the Dutch Pancake are the real small ones called ‘Poffertjes’. They are near to always eaten with powdered sugar and also delicious!

Oliebollen

Oliebollen are a variety of dumpling. A certain amount of dough is scooped and this douch is dropped into a deep fryer filled with hot oil. In this way, a sphere-shaped oliebol emerges. Oliebollen are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve. In wintertime, they are also sold in the street at mobile stalls.

erwtensoep or snert

Erwtensoep or snert, is the Dutch version of pea soup. It is a thick stew of green split peas, different cuts of pork, celeriac or stalk celery, onions, leeks, carrots, and often potato. Slices of rookworst (smoked sausage) are added before serving. The soup, which is traditionally eaten during winter time.

Gehaktbal

Meatballs are called gehaktbal and are often served with boiled potatoes and vegetables. They are usually made out of mixed beef and pork minced meat, eggs, onion and bread crumbs. They are associated with Wednesday because of the Dutch saying woensdag, gehaktdag (Wednesday, meatball day).

Small Dutch meatballs. These are served on for example birthdays. The ones served at dinner time are usually bigger.

Haring

Herring or raw herring is called haring. The fish is very popular among Dutch people and can be bought at any fish stand in the street. It is mostly served with onions and sometimes pickles. ‘Broodje haring’, means that the herring will be served on bread. The fish is traditionally eaten by holding it by its tail and letting it slide into your mouth.

Kruidnoten or pepernoten

Kruidnoten are small cookie sweets eaten during and around Sinterklaas which is celebrated in the beginning of December. You may buy them in the supermarket or in a bakery from October onward and with big discounts after the 5th of December when the Dutch have celebrated Sinterklaas.

Drop

Licorice is called ‘drop’ in Dutch and is eaten throughout the year. The Dutch eat the most amount of licorice per capita in the world. The sweet comes in a variety of different flavours. The primary kinds of drop are: soft and sweet, soft and salty, hard and sweet and hard and salty. Drop can be bought in any supermarket.

Traditional Snackbar Febo in Amsterdam. Faster than fast food.