Happy Birthday, Amsterdam!

As far as European cities go, 750 years is rather young, but that’s how old Amsterdam is. And today marks the final day of a year-long celebration of the city’s milestone birthday.

The reason Amsterdam was settled later than other parts of the country and the continent is because it simply was not possible to build on the land until its water issues were resolved. After the Amstel River was dammed (hence the name: Amstel + dam), a fishing village was established. The first documents to register Amsterdam’s existence date back to 1275. By the seventeenth century, it was an economic powerhouse and centre of trade and finance — what’s known as the Dutch Golden Age.

I really came to know and appreciate the city during my summer in Amsterdam. Here’s hoping I get to repeat the experience again someday.