Canals are the heart and soul of Amsterdam, the defining icons that make this city unique.
:01 intro, :41 boat tours, 5:20 canal map, 6:16 Singel, 7:15 Brouwersgracht, 8:02 Herengracht, 8:56 Keizersgracht, 9:16 Reguliersgracht, 9:29 Prinsengracht, 10:03 Spiegelgracht, 10:25 Lijnbaansgracht, 10:58 Vijzelsttraat, 11:29 Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, 12:46 Prinsengracht, 13:19 canal boat tour
One of the most enjoyable things to do in Amsterdam is wander along the beautiful canals, which are lined with picturesque, historic buildings and have an endless variety of boats of all shapes, size, variety and function going by.
With so many attractions and such visual beauty, this is one of the world's great cities for discovering on foot and in a boat. The canal boat tours take about one hour and provide an excellent, very popular introduction to these waterways. There are some 120 different canal cruise operators in Amsterdam. You have a choice of self-hire, some of which are pedal boats that can carry four people.
Or you could rent a small electric boat such as from Mokum Boot, the biggest boat rental company in Amsterdam. You can choose your own route, go wherever you want, with room for a bunch of your friends. Just get out on the water and go. No experience or license is required as long as the boat is under 15 meters in length.
Or board one of the larger commercial operations, some of them with open-top boats, and others are enclosed, some are elegant and vintage, some have full meal service on board, while others provide a standup outdoor bar where you can enjoy some fun with your friends. And most of those smaller open boats can usually offer a picnic for sale, making that experience a floating party. You can also charter a boat for private hire with a captain, or you could design your own route, or leave it up to the expert who does these trips all the time.
With so many different kinds of boat tours to pick from, you can really cater the trip to your own personal tastes and interests, like in the smaller boats where you'll meet new friends and have a casual conversation as you're cruising along.
You will not get lost while walking around because the central canals follow straight lines in a grid pattern, with many connecting side streets featuring little shops and restaurants. This central area with four main canals is called the Canal Belt or Canal Ring. It was the wealthiest part of 17th century Amsterdam, with beautiful homes built by some of the world's most powerful and wealthy businessmen.
We're going to take a close look at the four main canals, Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht, along with some pedestrian shopping streets and side canals.
Singel was the first major canal to be built in the late 15th century. Then in the early 16th the city needed to expand with rapid construction that quickly built up this new part of town.
At the south end of Singel you will find one of the prettiest sites in town, the famous Floating Flower Market, with thousands of fresh blooms for sale.
Herengracht translates as Lords' Canal or Patricians' Canal, because it was home to the wealthiest of all the merchants. It had the biggest homes, with most beautiful ornamentation, with inner gardens, coach houses and elegant interiors suitable for these powerful occupants. The canal bank is another lovely setting for a terrace restaurant, this one featuring a modern Dutch-French menu.
The next canal over is
Keizersgracht, named after the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian the First, who made the Hapsburg Empire the largest ever created, including the Netherlands. Another terrace restaurant, a great spot to eat, drink and watch the canal.
Running at right angles is Reguliersgracht, which connects three of the main canals, and it's noted for its seven bridges. This intersection is particularly beautiful.
We've now reached the last of our four main canals, the Prinsengracht, named after the Prince of Orange. It's the longest of these main canals, at 3.2 kilometers. There are quite a few houseboats on this canal, some of the 2500 houseboats in Amsterdam, many of which are available as vacation rentals.
Spiegelgracht is one of the shortest of the canals in the center, at just over 100 meters long, which somehow makes it even more attractive and quaint in a human scale. The bike lane gives very good protection, as well as offering a scenic ride for bikes, mopeds and standup scooters.
That canal connects up with Lijnbaansgracht, which is another short and beautiful waterway. It's a fine neighborhood for pedestrians and for bikes. You're going to see what they call cargo bikes whizzing by, with one or two or three kids in front. The Dutch really know how to conserve energy, where a whole family can carpool in one bicycle, sometimes with four kids and a driver. That's five people on the bike. A good way for the visitor to safely ride is to join up in a bicycle tour.

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