I amsterdam - Amsterdam & Water
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Amsterdam & Water
Amsterdam has had an intimate relationship with water for ages. Find out more about this fascinating history and contemporary Amsterdam’s current relationship with this ‘source of life’.
Water in History
The city’s first inhabitants, who floated down the River Amstel, the IJ and the Zuiderzee on logs, created this city out of marshes and swamps -- and it grew to be the thriving city it is today.
City on the Water Events
2005 is the theme year 'Amsterdam: City on the Water'. Next to the regular water-related events that take place yearly in the city, several specialprogrammes have been created especially for these celebrations.
Canals
Amsterdam is famous for its web of waterways that divide the city centre into about ninety islands linked by characteristic bridges.
Canal Sanitation
What was once the place for discarding refuse, offal and rubbish is now cleaned and sanitised on a nightly basis.
Water Levels
Because Amsterdam is largely below sea level, it relies on a system of dikes and dunes to protect it against the sea - the only city in the world that does so. This system is measured in NAP.
A City on Pilings
Because Amsterdam was built on soft ground, it has had to invent ways of keeping itself 'afloat'. This has traditionally been though a method that uses pilings to create a solid foundation for buildings and houses.
Life on the Water
Amsterdam is filled with houseboats of all makes and models. Many people have made these boats their actual homes.
City on Water
About a quarter of the city's territory consists of canals, waterways and lakes. Amsterdam is situated on the IJ, an inlet of the IJsselmeer lake that forms the oldest part of the harbour.
