Amsterdam is a city of water and, it follows, of bridges. Amsterdam has no fewer than 1,281 bridges. Since the 17th century a maze of canals has divided downtown Amsterdam in 90 islands. The many hundreds of bridges link the islands. The canals have made Amsterdam famous. Small wonder, as the city has more canals than Venice and more bridges than Paris. At night, most of the downtown bridges are romantically illuminated. Of all the bridges, the Skinny Bridge is probably the best known. This picturesque wooden drawbridge was built across the river Amstel in 1670.
SKINNY (MAGER)?
Some local people say that the bridge was named after the Mager Sisters (mager is Dutch for skinny). These two well-to-do sisters lived on opposite sides of the river. They are said to have had the wooden bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. The real explanation is more down to earth, however. The bridge used to be so narrow that it was hard for two pedestrians to pass one another. When traffic along the Amstel increased, a wider one replaced the narrow bridge in 1871. Since that time, the word 'skinny' no longer really applies. The fact remains that it is one of the most beautiful bridges of Holland's capital city. Thousands of fairy lights romantically illuminate the Skinny Bridge at night. It is very popular with lovers and photographers. |
|
Mail this
Address details
Top