Expats in Netherlands know Amsterdam as being the largest city and capital of the country, but these Amsterdam fun facts will set you apart during the next pub quiz or trivia night.

AMSTERDAM FUN FACTS

1. Amsterdam was founded in 1275 and celebrates its 750th birthday in 2025.
2. Amsterdam has an elevation of 2 meters (6 feet) below sea level.
3. Amsterdam is home to the world’s oldest distillery brand still operating… Bols, established 1575.
4. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange was the world’s first when it opened in 1602. [Source]
5. Amsterdam hosted the 1928 Summer Olympics.
6. Amsterdam hosted the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.
7. The city of Amsterdam has the second most bridges of any city in mainland Europe (after Hamburg, Germany).
8. The “XXX” on the Amsterdam city flag does not refer to the Red Light District but rather the 3 crosses of St Andrew (valiance, allegiance, compassion), patron saint of fisherman.
9. Amsterdam holds the record for the most bicycles recovered from waterways (city) with an average of 12,000-15,000 bikes pulled out of canals each year. [Source]
10. With its numerous designer shops, P.C. Hooftstraat is known as the ‘Rodeo Drive’ of Amsterdam.
11. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is the third busiest in the world handling international passengers. In 2022, 52 million passed through it, behind only Dubai International (66 million) and London Heathrow (58 million). [Source]
12. Amsterdam football club Ajax has won the most Netherlands top league (Eredivisie) titles: 36
13. Amsterdam had a population of 935,000 in 2023, approximately equal to populations of Columbus (Ohio), Forth Worth (Texas), San Jose (California), Stockholm (Sweden), Naples (Italy) and Merida (Mexico).
14. The Westerkerk is the tallest church in Amsterdam at 85 meters. It was completed in 1638.
15. Rembrandt Tower is the tallest building in Amsterdam at 150 meters in height. It was completed in 1994.
16. Dutch beer brands Heineken and Amstel were founded in Amsterdam.
17. Amsterdam is the only city in Netherlands with 2 ‘research’ universities: University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
18. Amsterdam’s ARTIS is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. It opened in 1838.
19. The first railroad track in Netherlands was 16km long and ran from Amsterdam to Haarlem.
20. Dam Palace, built in the mid-17th century, originally housed the Amsterdam City Hall. It was taken over by King Louis Bonaparte in 1808 and renovated into a palace.
21. Amsterdam’s Sea Palace is the largest floating restaurant in Europe. [Source]
22. There are approximately 2,500 houseboats lining Amsterdam’s canals. They came into use after WWII due to a lack of undamaged housing.
23. Every 5 years Amsterdam hosts the SAIL tall ship festival, the largest public maritime event in Europe. The next edition is in August 2025.

Famous people born in Amsterdam…

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NETHERLANDS TRIVIA QUIZ

AMSTERDAM’S RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS