Founded in the late century, Amsterdam’s name originates from a dam on the Amstel River. The city is also often called the “Venice of the North”, due to its many canals.
What do the three ‘x’s in Amsterdam mean? There are several theories of its origins, among which are two of them:
1) That is derived from the coast of arms of family Persijn.
2) That the crosses stand for the 3 scourges that have hit Amsterdam in the history – water (flooding), fire and the plague.
Attention trivia buffs; the numbers are in, Amsterdam has over 2,500 houseboats, 654 gable stones and 8 windmills.
Amsterdam in Numbers
Inhabitants – over 811,185
Inhabitants in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area – 2,332,773
Nationalities – 178
Bicycles – 881,000
Trees – 220,000
Flower bulbs in parks and public gardens – 600,000
Parks – 40
Trams – 216
Ferries routes – 9
Markets – 32
Shops – 6,159
Antique shops – 165
Diamond polishing factories – 24
Canals – 165
Bridges – 1,281
Wooden drawbridges – 8
Glass-topped canal boats and saloon boats – 110
Houseboats – 2,500
16th, 17th and 18th century buildings – 8,863
Gable stones – 654
Royal Palace – 1
Statues and sculptures – 302
Windmills – 8
Museums – 75
Art galleries – 141
Paintings by Rembrandt – 22
Paintings by Van Gogh – 207
Wax statues at Madame Tussauds – 140
Types of animal at Artis Royal Zoo – 900
Historical church organs – 42
Concerts and theatrical performances per year – 9,000
Concerts and theatrical performances per day – 25
How impressive are these numbers to you?