About 100 canals and 1000 bridges crisscross the city of Amsterdam.
While on our typical hour-long boat tour, we enjoyed scenic views of some of the more impressive row houses as well as learned a few anecdotes and snippets of city history.
It seems Amsterdam is a safe city, but they do have a small vehicular problem. Drivers were accidentally driving their cars straight into the canals. In the 1960s, the government put up small railings at the edge of the sidewalk lining the canals to prevent cars from driving into the water. About a foot off the ground, these metal railings seem like good demarcations that would compel the driver to stop before nearing the edge.
However, the railings aren't perfect. An average of one car per week drives right into an Amsterdam canal.
However, the railings aren't perfect. An average of one car per week drives right into an Amsterdam canal.