Amsterdam by Night: Lighting the Water

Amsterdam learned to light its water. In 1669 the painter and inventor Jan van der Heyden became director of municipal oil lanterns so people would stop vanishing into canals after dusk. This ten-stop evening route (~2.9 km, every leg under 600 metres) starts at Centraal, slips past the Schreierstoren and Oude Kerk, the old St Anthony Gate on Nieuwmarkt, the Stopera and Blauwbrug, then pays off at the Magere Brug, the seven-arch stack on Reguliersgracht, Rembrandtplein, and the Munttoren. Self-guided in the StepQuests app: GPS between stops, stories you read on your phone.