Over 26% of all Dutch territory lies below sea level. The continuous battle of the Dutch against the water has resulted in beautiful cities. Canals and rivers play a prominent part in Holland’s city planning.
For as long as they have been pumping water out of the lands in Holland, they have been building canals for travel, irrigation, and water removal.
These days, not only are there canal buses that navigate the waterways, but restaurant boats, houseboats, and all manner of other boat types frequent these often semi-circular canals. As a nice touch of resourcefulness, the outer canals surrounding the city served as a kind of moat to protect the city from foreign invaders.
The history of canals is deeply integrated with the cities and tours, and most tour packages include the canals. If you just want the opportunity to see the canals from the water, taking a water taxi, especially in the capital city of Amsterdam, can be a great way to see them while saving some money for the rest of your tour.