Sailing alongside the workman palaces and sand castles

The characteristic barge De Tijd Zal Het Leren (Time will tell) will take us through the former docklands that made the Amsterdam harbor great. It was here that once the 'Sea Castles' dropped anchor on the quays of Java Island and KNSM Island. Here we find residential areas with an interesting social history and characteristic architecture.

In this area the great Harbour and Railroad Strike of 1903 broke out. It still remains the single largest strike ever in the Netherlands and it has laid the foundation for our labor movement.
It was also in this area that the Amsterdam housing associations, backed by the Housing Law, have made history. From 1901 on, many ways have been sought to contribute to the quality of life in the growing city of Amsterdam. Supported by socialist alderman Wibaut, in stead of the slums and speculative housing, high quality and progressive housing schemes were realized.
We will also see investments in facilities for livable areas, that often were supported by the housing associations and there we will pay attention to the changing of Amsterdam North. At the 'Silodam', port activities made place for housing and so called 'Broedplaatsen' (buildings for artists studio's and other creative activities).

Taking us along the wharfs of the past, renovated warehouses and silos and the 'Houthaven' (Timber Docks), the boat will bring us to 'Spaarndammerbuurt', hidden in-between the harbor and the railroad. This is where the boat trip will end with a guided tour along the 'Workmen Palaces' on Spaarndammerplantsoen, near museum Het Schip.