Ice skaters on Prinsengracht, Amsterdam
Ice skaters enjoying the late afternoon sun on Prinsengracht.
In the distance is the Westertoren — the most sung-about church tower in the Netherlands. In the diary of her life during the Second World War, Anne Frank wrote that she could hear the bells of the Westerkerk.
The house where she and her family hid during the occupation is just a stone’s throw away from the Westerkerk.
Ice Skating on Prinsengracht
It’s been freezing in Amsterdam — a lot. We haven’t seen this kind of weather in years. It’s been nearly a decade since people were able to skate the canals.
This is a view of Prinsengracht.
Prinsengracht and Leidsegracht
The corner of Prinsengracht and Leidsegracht inspired the popular song “Aan de Amsterdamse Grachten” (To Canals of Amsterdam), composed by Pieter Goemans and sung by many artists.
The Canals of Amsterdam
Originally the canals of Amsterdam had several functions:
• they allowed for goods to be delivered from the harbor (and the markets at Dam square and Nieuwmarkt) to storage facilities and stores throughout thecity.
• they were used as defence moats
• they served to guide the water of the Amstel River through its former delta.
Nowadays its most popular use is recreation.
Taking a canal tour is one of Amsterdam’s top tourist attractions.
Swimming in the canals is discouraged — if not outright prohibited. People do fall in, though. Those who live to tell about it are always taken to a hospital for a tetanus shot.
Note that many of the houseboats lining the canals are not yet hooked up to the city’s sewer system.