The Amsterdam canal houses are charming, but also very narrow. The narrowest houses are only about 6 feet across. The reason? The Dutch had to pay taxes based on the width of the house.
This makes for very steep staircases. Our hotel was a canal house built in the 17th Century. Our room was on the second floor meaning we had to negotiate two very steep stairways. The owners even installed stair lifts to help the less brave tourists reach their rooms. We were just glad we weren’t on the third floor!
Our favorite pancake house also had two very steep staircases with a ladder at the entry way. While we ate our pancakes, we were entertained by tourists climbing the steep staircases only to be told by the manager that there were no tables available! Sorry, reservations only!
It’s no wonder the Dutch look so healthy! They bike everywhere, and their houses may have built-in Stairmasters!
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