The Grachtenfestival Amsterdam: This is where the music plays!
Summer in the Netherlands is not complete without a Grachtenfestival (Canal Festival): From August 9, 2019, tourists can experience more than 250 concerts from boats or walking along Amsterdam's famous canals.
Summer nights on the Kloveniersburgwal
The Kloveniersburgwal, one of the oldest canals in the historic city center, provides the backdrop for the opening concert. It was built in the 15th century as a moat. The houses are a maximum of four to five floors high otherwise, their weight would push the piles on which they are built deeper underground.
Music fever at the Prinsengracht
A highlight of the Canal Festival is the Prinsengrachtconcert, at which the musicians perform on a pontoon boat in front of the prestigious Pulitzer Hotel. The audience listens from the shore or from small boats. Like this one, many of the open-air concerts are free-of-charge.
World class concert hall
Among the 90 venues of the Grachtenfestival is the Concertgebouw at the Museumsplein. Opened in 1888, it has fantastic acoustics and is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, one of the best in the world. In addition to music legends such as Leonard Bernstein and star violinist Yehudi Menuhin, pop stars such as Sting and The Who have also performed here.
Magnificent canals
The festival takes its name from the over 100 kilometers (62 mi) long canal system, the Grachten of Amsterdam. With its expansion in the 17th century, the city was one of the richest port cities in the world. The canals are still used by commuters as well as tourists. And once a year by the musicians at the Grachtenfestival.
Gable variations
It is also worth taking a look up during the concerts: The houses along the water channels are adorned with numerous as well as different kinds of gables. At the top you can usually still see the equipment for pulleys, which were used to bring goods and supplies into the rather narrow houses.
Club concert on the roof
The modern buildings on the waterfront form a charming contrast to Amsterdam's traditional architecture. The NEMO Science Museum (picture), designed by Renzo Piano, embodies both respect for the commercial history of the Dutch capital as well as a vision of the future. A club concert on the roof terrace is free of charge at the Grachtenfestival.