In 2007 I took off for a couple of months to backpack across Europe. I hit London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Barcelona. I did as much research as I could before my trip. However, Amsterdam was always on my bucket list and I knew I needed to see the beautiful canals in Amsterdam. I also knew pot is legal (this was before it was legal in the US) and so was prostitution (even though I’m not heterosexual, I still wanted to see the Red Light District.)

That was the extent of my research on Amsterdam because I’ve heard things about Amsterdam all my life. I made a mental list of places to visit. A couple of these sites include the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Heineken Museum, and the SexMuseum!

I won’t touch on those sites in this post because today, I want to focus on canals in Amsterdam and which you need to see at some point during your trip.

Honestly, Amsterdam is so cute and photogenic you won’t have time to see it all. However, this incredibly walkable city is small and dense. In other words, checking out the canals in Amsterdam is easy. The great thing is, you might accidentally stumble upon these beautiful canals at every turn in your trip.

I stayed at the Hans Brinker Hostel, which was excellent, but I met a handsome local on my first day and spent my entire time with him.

At one point, I bumped into Kal Penn, Kumar from Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, but I’m so shy there’s no way I was going to talk to him. 

Let’s Get to These Beautiful Canals in Amsterdam

Let’s start with a couple of basics. The main canals in Amsterdam are Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. Singel was a moat that protected the city against outside invaders back in the day. 

The rest of the canals in Amsterdam are radial canals, and they pretty much cross the main canals mentioned above. These smaller canals are also beautiful and worth checking out. The city has many.

As a side note, three years after I went to Amsterdam (in 2010), the canals in Amsterdam became a UNSECO world heritage site.

Another fun fact, the canals are named in alphabetical order. However, I won’t talk about them in alphabetical order, just in case you were wondering.

Here is a list of the most Beautiful Canals in Amsterdam and a Little Bit About Them

Prinsengracht (gracth means canal, just FYI) is the most famous canal of Amsterdam. It’s also one of the longest, spanning most of the city center. On the west side, it turns in to West Prinsengracht, and on the east, it turns into Nieuwe Prinsengracht. 

What makes Prinsengracht an incredible canal is that it’s lined with hotels, restaurants, cafes, museums, and coffee shops. Anne Franks house is also among the sites located on this canal.

Herengracht

Herengracht is the canal where the 17th century rich and famous lived. The houses on this canal are twice the size. Herengracht is considered prestigious. You will absolutely love it.

Keizersgracht

Keizersgracht is the widest of all the canals, and it translates as the Emperor’s Canal. During the winter, make sure to come here because the canal freezes over, and you can skate on it. 

This canal also holds a monument that pays respect to all the gay men killed during the Nazi regime, called the Homomonument.

Bloemgracht

Bloemgracht is considered the prettiest of the Jordaan canals. Jordaan is a district that feels more like suburbs with its quiet streets, calm canals, and mostly residential houses.

Entrepotdok

Entrepotdok has the cleanest look, in my personal opinion. That’s because the buildings on this canal used to be warehouses and have the same look. In fact, Entrepôt is French for custom-controlled warehouse. Although this canal is popular, it’s not as popular as the rest.

Groenburgwal

Groenburgwal is one of the smaller canals in Amsterdam. It’s right off the Amstel river, and it’s very cute. This bridge has cute Locks of Love. So come here with your favorite person and lock that love in place.

Brouwersgracht

Brouwersgracht translates as Brewers Canal. The name actually comes from all the breweries along the waterfront in the 16th and 17th centuries. It’s considered the most beautiful of all the canals in Amsterdam. 

Reguliersgracht

Reguliersgracht is the quintessential and peaceful Amsterdam canal. It was named after a monk’s monastery that was nearby. Reguliersgracht is the image that comes to mind when you think of canals in Amsterdam. Actually, you’ve probably seen it on postcards with beautiful lit bridges. If you only see one canal in Amsterdam, make sure it’s this one.

Apart from incredible city sites and beautiful canals, Amsterdam also has a tremendous gay nightlife and a decadent Red Light District for the heterosexual males. Regardless of all the fun, you can have in the city, Amsterdam canals will give you memories to look back on for years to come.

Let me break it down for you:

Man of the canals in Amsterdam are worth checking out. So put these on your bucket list, and make sure to check them out soon.

These canals include:

• Singel
• Herengracht
• Keizersgracht
• Prinsengracht
• Reguliersgracht
• Brouwersgracht
• Groenburgwal
• Entrepotdok
• Bloemgracht

Have you seen the canals in Amsterdam? Which one was your favorite?