Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands with a population of more than one million and a population of bicycles that surely must equal that. My goodness there are A LOT of bicycles here! If you arrive by train at the Amsterdam Central Station look to your right when you come out on to the street. I guarantee you have never seen so many bikes in one place in your life. How anyone can find their bike in the thousands that are there is beyond me but they must as you also see people riding them everywhere too. Really with streets along canals, like in this photo, how could you not get out and about and enjoy the sights by bike?
The canal system in Amsterdam was built during the 17th century when it became the wealthiest city in the world and immigration was at its peak. This was considered the city's Golden Age. Amsterdam is now sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North because of all the wonderful canals that criss-cross their way through the city and the 1,500 bridges that cross those canals. These 17th century canals are also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Photo taken July 23, 2011
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