"Amsterdam canals" Canals / Houseboats Tip by codrutz

Favorite thing: The dutch word for canal is "gracht". Therefore, the name of the canals ends in "..gracht".

Singelgrachtl - The Singel, Amsterdam's innermost canal, the narrowest circle of the half-moons of canals. Its name means ring or belt and it marked the boundary of the medieval town. Before 17th century, the Singel was merely a ditch separating the town walls from the gardens and lawns of Amsterdam's immediate outskirts. This wide, windy canal was heavily urbanized as from the second half of the 17th century.

Herrengracht - The Gentlemen's Canal, like the other canals called the Keizergracht and the Prinsengracht, dates from 1612, when it was decided too dig a concentric series of canals surrounding the centre of the city. On the sides of the Herrengracht are the aristocratic dwellings of the richest families in Amsterdam who once favoured this part of the city. The richest merchants competed with another for the most beautiful or largest house. Over 400 houses on Herrengracht are considered national monuments. They are mainly banks or offices as their maintenance is too expensive for private ownership.

Keizergracht - The Emperor's Canal owes its name to the Maximilian I, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Keizergracht connects the Amstel to Brouwergracht. Its houses are not as impressive as those on the parallel Herrengracht, but still they keep the charm.

Prinsengracht - It is the most popular of Amsterdam's main canals and the outermost ring of its semicircumference. In fact, Princes Canal marks the outer boundary of the centre of Amsterdam.