Essentials: Amsterdam

1) Flower power: The Bloemenmarkt, a beautiful flower market, has existed since 1862. What makes it so special? The flower stalls are still on barges, just as they were when the flowers were delivered by ship.

2) The smallest house in Europe was built in 1738 and is located at Oude Hoogstraat 22 in Amsterdam. It is just 2.02 meters wide and 5 meters deep - and has only one room per floor. Don't walk past it by mistake!

3) Speaking of tiny houses, many Amsterdam buildings are extra narrow for a reason: taxes! In the 17th century, residents were taxed according to the width of their house facades. If you didn’t build wide, you saved money.  

4) The historic Grachtengordel canal ring is one of twelve UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands. There are over 165 canals in the city, stretching for around 100 kilometers. That's more canals than in Venice!

5) In 2003, Amsterdam became the first city in the world to elect a new night mayor every two years. What does the holder of this office do? Their main tasks include mediating between the nightclubs, the city government, and the residents or making the nightlife safer for everyone. There are now night mayors in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and even Mannheim.