Winter sunshine in Amsterdam

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http://www.heygo.com 13th February - Amsterdam



It doesn’t happen very often – in the past decade, the Amsterdam canals have frozen only twice, in 2012 and 2018 – so when it does, locals and visitors alike venture out onto the ice in full force to experience something truly unique.

Every winter, as soon as the temperatures drop below freezing, excitement about the prospect of skating on natural ice builds, today our tour guide was hoping to take us skating along one of the canals but sadly it was deemed unsafe!



So we took a strong along the canals instead, it was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon but still very enjoyable in the winter sunshine.



There are around 2,500 houseboats in Amsterdam, many of which are moored in the city centre



The original houseboats are charmingly restored ships that hail from Amsterdam’s seafaring and trading legacy. Many of these are more than 100 years old and retain original features alongside modern amenities, such as electricity, heating and running water. In the 1960s and 1970s, an influx of more modern houseboats appeared as a solution to increasing demand for housing. This type of houseboat, known as a woonark (literally a house ark), is built on a floating pontoon and typically isn’t motorised.

A special permit called a ligplaats entitles a houseboat owner to moor their home in a certain spot. These permits are in high demand, and as with all properties, a prime location significantly increases the value of a houseboat.



Three times a week, the canal gates are opened in order to refresh the water. Additionally, they fish out 12,000-15,000 bikes from the canals each year!



The depth of the canals is between two and three meters. The canals are not tidal which means the level of the water is fairly consistent. The locals joke that in the canals of Amsterdam are three meters deep; one meter of water, one meter of mud and one meter of bikes.

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