Best Canal Views

The Canal Ring earned its UNESCO World Heritage status in 2010 for a reason — the concentric arcs of Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht and Singel were one of the most ambitious pieces of 17th-century urban planning in Europe, and they still define how Amsterdam looks, lives and moves. This list collects the places where the canal isn’t a postcard backdrop but the experience itself: rooftop bars overlooking the IJ, terraces hanging over Brouwersgracht, cafés where the front window opens onto a passing boat. Highlights include the “Seven Bridges” view from Reguliersgracht, the warehouse stretch of Brouwersgracht (regularly voted Amsterdam’s prettiest canal), and rooftop perches like A’DAM Toren and SkyLounge with the harbour spread below.