Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge)

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Not much to it, but we saw it on the canal tour. Apparently, many boats are too tall to traverse the canals without a bridge lift. Also interesting fun fact-living on the canals is super pricey because there is a limit to the number of houseboats on the canals. Apparently, there was a housing shortage post-WW2. But, the houseboats gradually because really really nice and expensive. Worth picking out your dream boat house!

The famous skinny bridge across the river Amstel and opposite of the Carré theatre, is an Old Dutch design wooden bridge known as a double-swipe (balanced) bridge. Tradition relates that the bridge was named after the sisters Mager, who were supposed to live on opposite sides of the river. They are said to have had the wooden bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. However it appears more likely, that the original bridge acquired the name from being so narrow (mager means skinny in Dutch), that it was hard for two pedestrians to pass one along another.

The Skinny Bridge - De Magere Brug is a so called drawbridge. He was formerly served by two bridge guards each had to retrieve a portion of the bridge, in order to open the bridge, and then again to close the bridge. To close the bridge, the two bridge guards had to act as two acrobats hanging on chains that each part of the bridge used during the opening and the closing of the bridge. During the closing of the bridge the bridge guards had to act, like ballet dancers, exactly alike otherwise the bridge refused to close. Today the bridge is operated with the use of electric power. Furthermore, the name the skinny bridge have nothing to do with the narrow bridge itself, but, as a story goes, with two skinny sisters who each lived on the other side of the river Amstel. The Magere Brug is a great place for photos.

Such a sweet story of this, the only wooden bridge in the city! Apparently there were two sisters living on opposite sides of the canal and their father built the bridge so they could get to each other more easily. It's a place to come with someone you love and people often propose in the boats under the bridge.

Great view down the river Amstel!