Amsterdam in Numbers

Hermitage by Amsterdam Marketing

What would a city be if you wouldn’t know its numbers? It’s the same with Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, so let’s see have a quick look at what the numbers have to say about this city in The Netherlands.

• There are 165 canals in Amsterdam. Some prettier than others, some long and some small. If you force us to pick which one is the prettiest, we would likely go for either Leidsegracht, Bloemgracht, Brouwersgracht or Groenburgwal. Which one is your favourite?

• Crossing the 165 canals, there are 1,281 bridges connecting the different sides of the canals. Some of them are opening to let ships pass through, which gives the popular excuse in case you’re arriving late for an appointment or for work.

• There are approximately 6,800 old 16th, 17th and 18th century buildings in town, some of them currently serve as museums, giving your visit an extra twist. A good example is the photography museum Huis Marseille on Keizersgracht 401.

• As per July 2013 the exact number of people living in Amsterdam is 799,442 and the population of the metropolitan area is 2,332,773. All this according to the official city information and we’re impressed that they got it so right.

• There are 18o nationalities living in the city, all according to the official 2013 figures. With this figure Amsterdam classifies itself as one of the most diverse cities in the world, just behind New York and London.

• There are some 881,000 bikes in Amsterdam, again according to the Amsterdam city council. How they managed to count this is actually even more of an achievement.

• There are 216 trams in the city. Most of them are always in your way when you’d like to cross the road and most of them never seem to come when you have to catch one.

• There are 40 parks in Amsterdam, of which the biggest one is Vondelpark, right in the centre of the city, which spans over 47 hectares, a popular hangout in summertime since 1865.

• There are eight windmills within the city borders, most of them in the Western part of town. The best one for visitors, however, is in the East, where a great micro-brewery serves its brews for locals and visitors alike.

• There are some 2,500 house boats, most of them inhabited by locals, with the same comfort level as you have in a regular apartment.

• There are 51 museums in Amsterdam.

• There are 1,515 cafes and bars and 1,150 restaurants.