The Houseboats of Amsterdam are part and parcel of this amazing city. To embrace the entire experience of visiting the capital city of the The Netherlands, you should stay on a houseboat on one of the many houseboats that are found in all of the canals
“In Amsterdam the water is the mistress and the land is the vassal. Throughout the city there are as many canals and drawbridges as there are bracelets on a Gypsy’s bronzed arm”
Felix Marti-Ibenez.
The canals of Amsterdam help to make this cosmopolitan and uber chic city much more appealing and nearly impossible not to fall in love with. Living or staying on a houseboat on any of the canals that ring this city has to be a very romantic thing to do.
Amsterdam has approximately 2500 houseboats.
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In the seventies houseboats became a new phenomenon in the Dutch canals. A houseboat has everything a normal house has; a living room, kitchen, bedroom, toilet, bathroom and often a small terrace. The only difference is that the owners live on the water and see the canal tours and other boats pass by their window.
Many are moored on the major canals of Amsterdam and these Houseboats of Amsterdam make them centrally located to all of the sites of this vibrant city.
Stay on a Houseboat
The houseboats were a way to deal with the Amsterdam housing shortage, however, nowadays they are in high demand. Some of the houseboats once were cargo vessels and are now converted into houseboats, other boats were built specifically for this purpose. In Amsterdam you find these houseboats along the canals and the Amstel river and in the former Amsterdam docklands. Some houseboats are available entirely as an apartment, other offer B&B. There are many booking sites to help you find the perfect houseboat for your stay.
Features of the houseboats of Amsterdam
Basically it is an apartment on water. Most will have kitchen and all have bedroom facilities. The majority have amazing decks to watch the traffic on the canals and this is where the fun starts. Tourist boats mistook up for locals, probably because our houseboat had a Ditch flag waving from it.
Will you get seasick?
No. They are moored and movement is minimal and therapeutic. The gentle rocking occurs more if another vehicle passes by. Some canals are busier than other. The Prinsengracht Canal where we stayed in busy and was close to the Anne Frank House, so there was a lot of activity. This was fun to watch and a very convenient location.
Feel like a Local
Japan was designed to enjoy your experience by staying in a ryokan. The Cappadocia’s beg you stay in a cave house. A houseboat in Amsterdam does give you that I am a local experience and that is always what we aim for.
We loved our houseboat so much, we will return and stay for longer than the week that we did. We love the Houseboats of Amsterdam.
Amsterdam from our houseboat
