7 Things You Need To Know Before Going To Amsterdam ( And How did the XXX come about)

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7 Things You need to Know Before Visiting Amsterdam7 Things You need to Know Before Visiting Amsterdam

​Amsterdam is an amazing city that combines both canals and bridges in their infrastructure. It has a fascinating history and culture with several monuments and museums. Here are some interesting things you need to know about Amsterdam before you visit them.

165 Canals in Amsterdam

These canals spanned about 100km in waterways and also UNESCO World Heritage site. So when you are at Amsterdam you should take a canal cruise!

Canals in Amsterdam

Canals in Amsterdam


800,000 bicycles in Amsterdam

63% of the people in Amsterdam travel in bicycles on a daily basis. 32% commute daily using bicycles compared to 22% by car and 16% by public transport. In the city centre, 48% of the population travel by bicycles, making them the most densely populated cycling city in the world.

Bicycles in Amsterdam

Bicycles in Amsterdam


Wooden Beams

The buildings in Amsterdam used to be supported by wooden beams. Now they are filled with cement to reinforce the sturdiness. And if they are not built on poles and beams, the houses will sink into the wet muddy ground.


Skewed Buildings

If you walk along the canal ways, you will realize the facades of the buildings are inclined towards the front. And there is a hook on top of the buildings. They are actually used to hoist furnitures up to into the apartments as there are no elevators in the building. The forward incline also makes hoisting items up easier without hitting the side of the walls.

Amsterdam

Tall Narrow Buildings

You will also realise that buildings are tall and narrow in Amsterdam. As in the past, the authorities taxed the citizens based on the land area of their house. So in order to save on the taxes, the houses are built on small land area but taller. Hence, the tall and narrow design. The narrowest one is 2.02 metres wide and 5 metres deep, located at Oude Hoogstraat 22

Most Narrow Building in Amsterdam

Most Narrow Building in Amsterdam

Most Narrow Building in Amsterdam

1753 Bridges

With so many canals, there will be many bridges as well. There area 1,753 bridges in Amsterdam and many of them can open to allow ships to pass through.

Amsterdam canal

'XXX' symbol

When you are Amsterdam, you will see alot of xxx symbol. In fact they are the three vertical St. Andrew’s Crosses.

Some people say the three saltires (X's) represent the three dangers of Old Amsterdam: fire, floods, and the Black Death.

XXX - Amsterdam
READ: Our 3 Days Itinerary in Amsterdam

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About the author 

Donovan

Don is a Kiasu Singaporean that blogs his journey while exploring Europe.
A Singapore Travel Blog that provides travel guides and tips on how to travel free and easy in Europe.

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