While researching a few things, I came across a few fun facts:
Name: One
of the coolest facts about Amsterdam is that the city’s modern name
wasn’t always the same. At one point, the Dutch capital was originally
called Amstelredam. The name is thought to date back to 1275 and refers
to the dam built across the Amstel River to prevent flooding. As Amsterdam grew, its name was shortened and simplified, and Amsterdam became the norm.
Firsts:
- The Amsterdam Stock Exchange known as Euronext, opened in 1602. Its the world’s oldest stock exchange, and it still operates today. You’ll find a bronze bull sculpture near its entrance, a replica of Wall Street’s iconic Charging Bull statue outside the New York Stock Exchange.
Demographics:
- The city has about 20,000,000 tourists and day-trippers each year. That´s is about 20 times as many tourists as locals!
- For a relatively small capital city with a population of just over a million, Amsterdam stands out as one of the most culturally rich destinations. Amsterdam boasts 85 world-class museums, ranking only behind museum-heavy cities such as Paris, Vatican City, and Washington, DC, in terms of museums per capita.
Bicycles and Transportation
- More bikes than people: There are over 1.2 million bicycles in Amsterdam, compared to only around 821,000 inhabitants.
- Stolen bikes: Roughly 100,000 bikes are stolen annually, and 25,000 end up in the canals.
- Bike priority: Cyclists often have the right of way over cars and pedestrians.
- Canals: 25,000 is the number of bicycles that end up in Amsterdam´s canals each year.
Architecture and Geography
- Built on stilts: The city is built on 11 million wooden poles (about 15-20 meters long) driven into soft peat and clay. Amsterdam is a unique city built on over 11 million wooden poles to combat its swampy, below-sea-level location. Its often called the "Venice of the North".
- Narrow houses: Houses were historically taxed based on their width, leading to the construction of very narrow houses.
- Sinking city: Because it is below sea level and built on swampy ground, Amsterdam is constantly, though slowly, sinking.
- More canals than Venice: With over 165 canals, it surpasses Venice in both canals and bridges (1,281 total). With over 165 canals, you can travel 100 kilometers (60 miles) along them without ever leaving the city limits or cruising the same canal twice. Impressive for a city that’s only about 15 kilometers across.
- Bridges: Amsterdam used to be a small fishing village, but its proximity to the sea made it attractive for trade in the 1600s. The city grew rapidly, and soon, the Dutch government began building bridges and canals to connect the various parts of Amsterdam. As a result, there are more than 1,200 bridges in Amsterdam today — more than three times the number in Venice.
Quirky and Historical Facts
- Floating cat shelter: De Poezenboot is a famous boat for stray cats.
- The "Mokum" nickname: Due to its history as a safe haven for Jewish people, it is nicknamed "Mokum" (Yiddish for "place").
- The floating flower market: The Bloemenmarkt is the world's only floating flower market.
- Dancing ban: Dancing was legally forbidden in many places before the 20th century.
- English proficiency: Approximately 86% of Dutch people speak English as a second language.
- Parakeets: Over 4,000,000 non-native parakeets live in Vondelpark.
Cultural Tidbits
- Coffee consumption: The Dutch are among the world's largest coffee drinkers, averaging 140 liters per year.
- Museum density: Amsterdam has the highest concentration of museums per square meter in the world.
- First same-sex marriage: The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001.
- Houseboats: 2,500 is approximately the number of houseboats in Amsterdam. Most of the houseboats are occupied by residents but some are available for rent to visitors