There was a time when property in Amsterdam was taxed based on the width of the building. That’s why you see many narrow houses, especially along the canals.
Once you get inside, you’ll discover that those houses tend to be quite long or deep.
And some of these narrow houses actually are wider in the back.
When you tour the canals — which is one of the most popular tourist activities in Amsterdam — the guide points out the ‘narrowest’ house in Amsterdam.
Thing is, only until you take rides on the tour boats of different companies — through different canals — do you discover that each guide has his or her own ‘narrowest’ house.
Photo © Anton Hein