Article
Amsterdam Celebrates Canal Anniversary in Style
Published: Mon 30 Sep 2013 at 11:16
Updated: Mon 30 Sep 2013 at 11:17
Jet2.com customers enjoying cheap flights to Amsterdam over the bank holiday weekend were in for a special treat, with the annual Grachtenfestival taking over the city.
This year's festivities marked a special occasion too, as the city celebrated the 400th anniversary of its world famous canal system.
The weekend saw a host of classical musical performances take place throughout the canal network. Many of them took place on specially constructed pontoons. A 10-day festival occurring annually, more than 700 musicians took part in the show, which saw around 230 individual concerts.
A Special Year For Museums
Many of the local restaurants are also entering into the spirit of the event. Offering up what is said to be traditional 17th Century fare, it is a far cry from the chips and mayo for which this part of the world has also become famous.
This year is a particularly special one to visit the Dutch capital, however, even without the Grachtenfestival. As well as the canal celebrations, 2013 sees the Frans Hals Museum chalk up its 100th year and the Van Gogh Museum mark its 40th. This year has also seen the reopening of the Rijksmuseum, which had been closed for a decade-long restoration.
This year is the year of the canal though and, being such a compact city, cheap flights to Amsterdam can ensure that something of interest is never far away.
Jumping in one of the many water taxis and exploring the three main canals of Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht is the best way to start. From here, visitors can explore the smaller canals, pop into local cafes, wonder at the amazing architecture and see what else the city has to offer them.
