The Amstel

The Amstel River has played a significant role in the Netherlands since the Middle Ages, and for more than 800 years, it has provided water and transportation to Amsterdam.

Although the river flows through Dam Square today, where it was suppressed into a slower stream that fed into the river Ij, the river once ran directly through the city's heart, around which is the city's famous canal belt. Large underground pipes were constructed beneath the area in the early 20th century to channel the water.

The river’s winding banks and rustic farmlands have inspired many Dutch artists. Rembrandt used his skills to capture the river on an overcast evening and painted an outstanding landscape that dramatically illuminates rural Noord-Holland with an interplay of light and shadow. In his early years, Mondrian also depicted the river, with a vivid post-impressionist style oil painting.

A nationally televised concert is held on the river every year on Liberation Day. The rowing races Head of the River Amstel and Heineken Roeivierkamp are held on the river annually. The river also forms part of the route of the Canal Parade, Amsterdam's annual floating gay pride parade.

Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands