Loyola University Chicago

Amsterdam: City on the Move

Over Spring Break, one of the many beautiful places I visited was Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands. A quaint city dating back to the Middle Ages, Amsterdam's tall, narrow buildings crowd the tight streets. Because the city is slightly below sea level, wooden or concrete posts support buildings in the soggy ground. Amsterdam's famous canals, of which there are more than 100, help drain the land. This distinctive physical layout has led to the development of one of the city's most interesting aspects: transportation.

The methods of transportation in Amsterdam that caught my attention first were the bicycle, tram and car. Pedestrians must be alert; from curb to curb, a pedestrian crossing a main street will traverse a bicycle path, a tram line and two car lanes, followed by tram and bicycle paths in the opposite direction.

It is apparent why two lanes for bicycles are necessary. People of all ages use them for transportation rather than just exercise. Many professional people were riding their bicycles to and from work, shopping, or taking their children, sitting on the handlebars, to and from school.

A contrast to the simple means of getting around on bicycle is the tram, which runs nearly everywhere in Amsterdam and is clean, modern and punctual. In the center of the city, the tram is much more frequented than bus or metro lines.

In the midst of all these other transportation systems, drivers in Amsterdam are wild. While driving me to my hotel one night, the cab driver not only sped down the very narrow streets but drove on a bike path when he noticed that the street was closed.

After arriving safely across the street, a pedestrian looking down will notice the traffic flowing through the canals. As I took a tour of the city via canal, I began to appreciate its rich history. Some buildings dated back to the 1700s when Amsterdam was a great financial center. Many of the canals are lined by old mansions now transformed into banks or office buildings.

We also passed the house where Anne Frank hid when she wrote her famous diary, reminding us of how the Germans occupied Amsterdam in World War II and killed the Jews, then 10 percent of the population of the city.

Amsterdam is quite a city and I could see how its cultural history influences the modern city. It was a wonderful place to visit, and I found it to be one of the highlights of my spring break.