Amsterdam’s canal ring is therefore now rightly acquiring a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This decision reflects international recognition of the uniqueness of this part of Amsterdam’s historical city centre. It serves to confirm what everyone already knew: the ring of canals is an architectural complex of world significance.
14 kilometres, 80 bridges
The phrase ‘canal ring’ is generally taken to refer to the three canals that are easily named, in alphabetical and topographical order: Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. But numerous other canals actually belong to it too: Singel, Nieuwe Herengracht, Nieuwe Keizersgracht, and Nieuwe Prinsengracht east of the river Amstel, and the seven transverse canals. The main canals enclose the old city centre. The entire area is about 160 hectares in surface area, the total length of the canals is some 14 kilometres, with an astonishing 80 bridges.
Seventeenth-century expansion
Aside from Singel, which is older, the canals belong to the large seventeenth-century expansion of the city, which took place in two phases. The first phase (Third Expansion) started in 1610, while the second phase (Fourth Expansion) took place after 1660. Expansion was essential, since Amsterdam was undergoing explosive growth. The city experienced an economic, political and cultural Golden Age. The city council therefore decided to give the new district an ambience that was appropriate to the wealthy, powerful trading city that Amsterdam had become. The distinguished names given to the three main canals were part of this plan.
Linked by a lock
Even so, this elegant ambience was largely confined to Herengracht and Keizersgracht. These extremely wide canals were primarily intended as fashionable stretches of water lined by mansions for affluent merchants. Commercial activity was confined to the transverse streets, with their many shops, and along Singel and Prinsengracht. These two canals were directly linked by a lock to the IJ bay. The busy traffic of goods and passengers over water therefore kept to the canals where the warehouses and markets were to be found.
Defensive function
The distinguished names given to the main canals date from the end of the sixteenth century: in the ‘First Expansion’, what was then the city’s outer canal lost its defensive function and was renamed Koningsgracht – King’s Canal. But this name did not stick; by the seventeenth century, the name ‘Singel’ was being used again. Only the name Koningsplein – King’s Square − survived.
14 kilometres, 80 bridges
The phrase ‘canal ring’ is generally taken to refer to the three canals that are easily named, in alphabetical and topographical order: Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. But numerous other canals actually belong to it too: Singel, Nieuwe Herengracht, Nieuwe Keizersgracht, and Nieuwe Prinsengracht east of the river Amstel, and the seven transverse canals. The main canals enclose the old city centre. The entire area is about 160 hectares in surface area, the total length of the canals is some 14 kilometres, with an astonishing 80 bridges.
Seventeenth-century expansion
Aside from Singel, which is older, the canals belong to the large seventeenth-century expansion of the city, which took place in two phases. The first phase (Third Expansion) started in 1610, while the second phase (Fourth Expansion) took place after 1660. Expansion was essential, since Amsterdam was undergoing explosive growth. The city experienced an economic, political and cultural Golden Age. The city council therefore decided to give the new district an ambience that was appropriate to the wealthy, powerful trading city that Amsterdam had become. The distinguished names given to the three main canals were part of this plan.
Linked by a lock
Even so, this elegant ambience was largely confined to Herengracht and Keizersgracht. These extremely wide canals were primarily intended as fashionable stretches of water lined by mansions for affluent merchants. Commercial activity was confined to the transverse streets, with their many shops, and along Singel and Prinsengracht. These two canals were directly linked by a lock to the IJ bay. The busy traffic of goods and passengers over water therefore kept to the canals where the warehouses and markets were to be found.
Defensive function
The distinguished names given to the main canals date from the end of the sixteenth century: in the ‘First Expansion’, what was then the city’s outer canal lost its defensive function and was renamed Koningsgracht – King’s Canal. But this name did not stick; by the seventeenth century, the name ‘Singel’ was being used again. Only the name Koningsplein – King’s Square − survived.
