Why are we stopping here? This is the Bibbertjesbrug. It might not look like much at first glance. But the Bibbertjesbrug has a story to tell.
Amsterdam has more canals than Venice. It also boasts more bridges than Paris. This city is built upon water. The Bibbertjesbrug is one of 1281 bridges in Amsterdam. Eighty of these bridges are within the canal ring.
Amsterdam is a city of islands. It is located on ninety small islands. Amsterdam has 165 canals. That is more than 100 kilometers of waterways. Every year 25,000 bikes end up in these canals. A special boat fishes out about 9,000 to 10,000 of them.
Now think about what the Bibbertjesbrug means. It connects people and places. It is one small part of a large network. Amsterdam has more than 400 kilometers of cycle paths. Many Amsterdammers use bikes daily. About 63% use their bikes.
Amsterdam is known for its canals. They define the city. Amsterdam would not be Amsterdam without its canals. The three most important canals are the Herengracht. Also, the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht. These were created in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. You will find more than 1550 monumental buildings alongside these canals.
Many houses stand along the canals. Most canal houses are small at the entrance. This is because taxes were based on the facade size. People built high and long houses. The smallest facade is at Singel 7. It is only 1 meter wide.
Amsterdam is also a city of monuments. It has more than 7000 monumental buildings. The oldest house is at the Begijnhof. Its wooden facade dates back to 1475.
Did you know Amsterdam is built on poles? It uses a lot of them. Amsterdam is built on eleven million poles. The city sits a meter or so below sea-level. Amsterdam Centraal train station needs 9000 poles to stand. A normal house needs only about 10 poles. These wooden poles are 15-20 meters long. They are placed in a sandy layer about 11 meters deep.
The Torensluis bridge is the oldest and widest. It dates back to 1648. When on the corner of Reguliersgracht and Herengracht you can see 15 bridges. Stand on the side of the non-even numbers. Count the bridge you are standing on too.
Amsterdam is a vibrant city. Around 14 million tourists visit each year. Around 4.5 million are Dutch tourists. More than 9.5 million are foreign visitors. The city has about 821,000 inhabitants. Amsterdam is a popular place.
So next time you cross the Bibbertjesbrug remember its place. It is just one piece of Amsterdam’s story. It connects the city. It helps people explore all that Amsterdam has to offer.