American Reacts to 400 Year Old Canal House Tour in Europe

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[@smiechuwarte-qt8pn]

I guarantee you that you would never want to be the owner of a historic house. These are homes for very rich people, at least in Poland. You won't do any renovation without consulting a conservator, otherwise fines will kill you. Even after consultations with the conservator and obtaining all necessary permits, any construction company will not carry out the renovation because it requires specialists who can recreate the details manually. It is expensive and time-consuming. There are only two schools in Poland that educate such specialists. I worked for several years in the renovation of monuments and was trained by such specialists. We renovated, for example, in western Poland palaces belonging to the former estate of the German field marshal Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus, who was taken into Soviet captivity near Stalingrad, or a large manor once belonging to the family of Otto von Bismarck, who ruled Germany in the 19th century . In addition to manual and artistic skills, you also need to like history because it helps a lot in this job. Of course, the end result makes you proud

[@Trickaz94]

In the Netherlands they are also houses for the rich, but they get rented out In the Netherlands the home owners are obligated by law to maintain the historic houses without damaging the old exterior and sometimes the interior, but everything has to be kept up to a certain standard

[@LRSTGS]

I own a 200 year old weavers cottage and a 400 year old inn. Wonderful properties. They require more effort and money to maintain/preserve, but they're infinitely more rewarding than the rubbish buildings that have been thrown up in the last fifty years. I'm not rich, I'm just into old buildings and I don't mind spending a bit more of my hard earned wages to be able to enjoy being part of their story :)

[@smiechuwarte-qt8pn]

@@Trickaz94 In other words, the same as in Poland. Usually, private castles and palaces are turned into hotels or places for wedding receptions and the owner lives somewhere in a small corner 😁You won't be able to make any cosmic reconstructions. If a rich person in Poland wants to have a historic house with history and all the latest amenities inside, I buy a historic ruin. Then, based on photos and paintings, he rebuilds it to the condition it once looked like, but at the same time he has the opportunity to add all modern amenities to the building. This is how the Old Town in Warsaw and the Old Town in Gdańsk were rebuilt, based on paintings from the 16th century .

[@Trickaz94]

@@smiechuwarte-qt8pn at least they brought the historical aspect of those city's back, instead of another soulless modern minimalistic building I've been to Gdansk and it's a beautiful city with lots of history and a connection to the Netherlands which I think is really cool

[@smiechuwarte-qt8pn]

@@LRSTGS I am very happy because I like historical buildings and I can make many details myself thanks to learning from masters of this craft. Of course, such things as gilding and frescoes are not within my capabilities because these are usually done by people who graduated from the appropriate department of a fine arts school. My possibilities are limited to making decorative cornices, carpentry work, pedestals and interior decorations that can be recreated on the basis of a carefully removed old pattern using a template on a special smooth table made of ceramic plaster or a silicone mold (if there are patterns, e.g. a plant or a rosette under a chandelier). which is cast from ceramic plaster. This is a job for people with great patience

[@dutchman7623]

Once upon a time a VOC billionaire lived in the entire house, with maids in the attic and a servant in the sub-terrain. But only for the colder months, in summer they lived in the country house. Now every floor is rented out as an expensive apartment. And the billionaire lives in Monaco.

[@rmyikzelf5604]

The attic and most upper floors would have been used as a warehouse. Maids, cooks, if present and living in house (which was mostly not the case) in the souterrain.

[@dutchman7623]

@@rmyikzelf5604 No, merchandise was kept in big storage houses in or near the harbor. Trade was done quickly, most goods were sold on the quay where it was unloaded. Even Chinese porcelain was held up, shown, and sold for the highest bid. Only special orders were kept apart and brought home. And yes, there was house personnel, the lady of the house could not dress or undress without the help of maids. A simple thing like boiling water, for tea or coffee, had to be made over open fire by a man downstairs and brought up by a maid to the living area.

[@gerbentvandeveen]

I work at a prefab concrete factory. And this week we started making 286 balconies. For a new building in Amsterdam South-East. The small apartments are 50 square meters. And cost €500,000 and the largest apartments cost 1.2 million euros. Sales start next week. There will be a roof garden on the roof for all residents. Greetings from Bunschoten-Spakenburg, the Netherlands.

[@usbxg3474]

I really loved Amsterdam in the 80s and 90s because it somehow felt a little bit cosy, affordable and familiar compared to the other big cities in europe- In recent years (in my perception) prices have exploded, big business has moved in and changed this city into some kind of "european Disneyland" for tourists and big money. I still love Amsterdam, its history, culture and people, but it has changed a lot during the last 20 years.

[@jonntischnabel]

My house (Derbyshire, England) is also 404 years old. Built in 1620.

[@Justforvisit]

Damn, so your house cannot be found by the Internet, according to that number it doesn't exist :P

[@tammo100]

Fun fact: Amsterdam is a rather young city by Dutch standards. From the cities with a population over 100k Nijmegen, Maastricht, Utrecht and Deventer are much older. Leiden, Haarlem, Delft, Dordrecht, Groningen, s-Hertogenbosch, Breda are also older. Amsterdam and also Rotterdam were quite late to the show.

[@janryckmans3902]

The rise of Amsterdam is due to the fall of Antwerp in 1585. The rich merchants from Antwerp moved to Amsterdam and made the city prosperous btw. Amsterdam was back then small and relatively poor

[@tammo100]

Indeed! From 1200 to 1585 Dordrecht was the most important city of the county Holland. One of the most important events in the Eighty Years War was the first rally of the new Staten of Holland in 1572 in Dordrecht. But before 1585 the Flemish cities of Antwerp and Ghent were much more important than the Dutch cities.

[@Trickaz94]

The area that is now Amsterdam was settled at least as early as the 1200's but only grew to a real important city in the 1500's I believe Nijmegen is the oldest dutch city, because it was founded by the romans

[@DenUitvreter]

@@janryckmans3902 No, it started significantly earlier. There was a reason people from Antwerp moved to Amsterdam and not elsewhere in the Dutch Republic. Because Amsterdam was a young city, it was already planned and set up for access to the canals, therefore for trade over water. That was the way to go and Amsterdam was already booming.

[@Trickaz94]

@@janryckmans3902 yes the Spanish inquisition in Belgium inadvertently made Amsterdam great

[@Blackadder75]

To give a comparison: my rental house in the Netherlands is HALF the price with DOUBLE the space, so you could say 4 times as cheap..... but it's an ordinary 1980 house in a medium sized city, not a 17th century canal house......

[@IWrocker]

Great reference, thanks for that. You have the right idea in my mind, the canal house lifestyle wouldn’t be for me and the price isn’t exciting either

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Obviously, there are a lot more affordable places to live - even in the Netherlands with generally higher housing costs than here in Germany. But I think those canal houses are very desirable to many people. Amsterdam is quite unique as a huge city with a small-town feel to it. Wherever you need to go - you'll find it nearby - or in range of a short bike trip. You usually don't need a car. It's probably remarkable quiet most of the time as the large body of water inbetween absorbs whatever noise there is - unlike a road reflecting it. Traffic is limited to very low speed only.

[@Blackadder75]

@@stanislavczebinski994 car noise is low, but tourist noise is high

[@firefox3187]

In Yorkshire in the UK, there’s a Sweet shop that has been open since 1661. 100 years before the US 😂

[@jarls5890]

St. Peters Stiftkeller, Salzburg Austria says hold my Weissbier! Opened 803AD and open to this day!

[@WookieWarriorz]

@@jarls5890 seans bar in ireland is similarly old

[@DiGiDaWgZs]

you can't make a fight with sweets with beer, you have to compare like with like. Not apples and oranges though😊

[@Hansen710]

im not sure that candy would taste the same today.. the suger from the different West India companys would give a bad taste to some people today...

[@smiechuwarte-qt8pn]

There are two restaurants in Poland that are still operating today and were founded much earlier than the discovery of America by Columbus. One is from Wrocław (the oldest in Europe) called Piwnica Świdnicka and has existed since the 13th century (1273). The second one from the 14th century in Krakow called Wierzynek (from 1364) 😁

[@ThomasKnip]

Regulations for vintage houses are strict in Germany e.g.. Either you have a lot of patience, a lot of money, a lot of endurance, or are a born masochist. Either way, it still is history, and a link that bonds all of Europe together. And the Amsterdam grachten are just pure beauty.

[@darkknight8139]

Think about it: paying 1900 euros per month to live in a shared apartment. It obviously looks extremely charming, and very much of it is still original and kept in amazingly good shape. But the apartment looks just big enough for two people. Here in Utrecht (25 km from Amsterdam) rent if usually half that price for this living space. Of course you don't get the charm, but you do pay a hefty premium for that charm. These houses were built in the 1600s, where people used to be very short in comparison to today. This guy looks to be around 175 cm tall, he barely fits under the wooden beams on the ceiling.

[@Tuinierenopstrobalen]

Without going into details, I live in a former farmhouse with space enough for at least 6 people to live in for a fraction of the rent folks pay in Amsterdam. I love Amsterdam but I also love to be able to leave to go back to my own property. It's the same in every popular city around the world though. You pay for the name and the vibe!

[@squarecircle1473]

I spent my teenage years in such a house from 1600-something. Also a canal house, but in Belgium. At certain times of day there would be groups of tourists with guides in front of the house. The house was on the historic monuments list. When I walked out, the tourists would peek inside into the hallway with a lot of curiosity. I always was proud as a teenager to live there. :)

[@Tom-Lahaye]

Even for Dutch people living in one of these old canal houses is something extraordinary. Rents and sale prices are very high to Dutch standards, as are the costs of upkeep and running the place as they are very energy inefficient and all maintenance and possible renovations have to be done with respect to the age, looks and materials used, as these are listed buildings. Most Dutch people live in houses built after 1950, and a smaller part in houses built between 1900 and 1950. Living in a house that is older is more the exception and mostly reserved for the better situated. I live in a 1930s house which is currently a very popular choice for the style and character these have, often still having many of the art deco elements. So it would be cool to do a video on a more modern house in the Netherlands to see the differences with the old canal house.

[@roteredamus]

1930's gang!

[@eikofisser8171]

In my village in northwest Germany the church is from the 13th century, many houses in the village center are from the 14th to 17th centuries! Quite normal for me, Amsterdam is great! Nice video!! Actually, every church here is at least 500 years old!😂😂

[@margreetanceaux3906]

Was thinking the same: ‘my’ church in the northeast of Rotterdam is from the 16th century, with several predecessors on the same location. I have a small holiday cabin in the north of the Netherlands, and the church there dates from the 13th century (also with 2 predecessors on the same spot). So yes, many buildings are old ;-)

[@eisikater1584]

Should you come to Europe, please visit Amsterdam! I'm from Germany and when I was there for the first time, it was amazing. Make sure when walking the city center you don't carry a cellphone, street map, compass, or anything with you to get the true experience of CIRCULAR streets. And a canal and harbor cruise on a tourist boat I strongly recommend, it's worth the price. I stopped at the microwave, he's just showing off his posh apartment and I think I saw that before and wasn't interested. Sorry for that.

[@lorrefl7072]

The oldest house I've lived in was in Brugges and was built somewhere in the 1500s. The outer walls were 2 feet thick. It was a small Almshouse (Godshuis) that was part of a convent initially. The convent itself was still across the street from me and is still an active convent.

[@heenez2397]

I was a practising musician during the eighties until about 2010, and i played a lot in the area where the first clip is filmed, As i dont live in Amsterdam we went there by car and yes, it is parking like 5 inches from the edge of the canal, and then trying to get out without falling in, but , at the end of the night, the getting in was a bigger challenge :)

[@MrLarsgren]

on the theme of channels you should look up "the Falkirk Wheel" a really unique piece of engineering. you havent seen that before.

[@Incogneto1981]

Skirrid Inn, near Abergavenny - A pub with a ghoulish past, the Skirrid is often linked with ghost stories and creepy over-night stays. But it is also said to date back around 900 years, with links with Shakespeare and Owain Glyndwr. According to popular conception, the inn opened around the year 1110. I'm sure there are older pubs and houses but I thought I would share one which is from my country, Wales! Plus, who doesn't love an old pub! Diolch.

[@raystewart3648]

My family home was built in 1376. I have lived in a 1464 house, a 1723 house and now a young 1927 built flat, that use to be a house but is now 6 privet flats.

[@jokervienna6433]

I have lived in Vienna for some ten years now, and I have seen and been in very many old buildings (work). Some that was built by rich folks are ridiciously big (no lack of space), but some are kind of tiny. Some of the stone staircases are also so worn from people walking there, so they are also not flat anymore. Some of the older wood work is truly astonishing, as is the metal work (blacksmithing) all over town. Ordering/building something like that today would make a deeeep hole in your wallet. Ever since I came here, I have been photographing gates and doors - I am contemplating making a book or a website about just that. The craftmanship is just amazing. If you want to see many old and fascinating buildings, I highly recommend a visit to Vienna!

[@marcelw6827]

Vienna is very nice. Love the atmosphere and the people.

[@countk1]

I had a colleague that drove into a canal with his car in Amsterdam. It somehow was covered by insurance. Houses (certainly in the netherlands and Belgium) are not that big. Western Europe has the densest population in Europe. City houses are typically built on a 5x10 to 12m surface. In Belgium, houses in the city tend to be 4m wide even. My current house has a ground floor of 5x20m surface and a first floor of 5x8m. The second floor is really small (5x4-ish). The bed rooms are about 2.5x3m. Older houses outside cities can be really small and low. There are also stone stairs in castles of +700 years old that show the same wear and tear as the wooden stair in the video.

[@Muck006]

Fun fact: In POTSDAM (slightly southwest of Berlin) there is a "Holländisches Viertel", which was built 1733-42 in the same style ... except the houses arent built at a canal and they are a bit wider and less tall (2 levels + 1 in the attic) ... because prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I. was fond of the dutch culture.

[@DenUitvreter]

Great about Amsterdam is that the city was planned with foresight back then. It was planned for the merchant as a family business, so for maximum canal access for the most houses with had both living and storage spaces. So limited width, also the gardens at the back were mandatory, they already new there had to be green, recreation and a bit of peace and quiet in cities. It also had to fit within the fortifications, so very compact. If you want to live in Amsterdam you have to trade floor space with about anything, location, atmosphere, light, parks nearby, views, practicality, number of rooms (more than one even), ceiling height, windows you can sit in, if you want lots of square meters you are going to pay a heavy price. There is no point in living in Amsterdam and being at home a lot anyway. I've rented a room in an older part of Amsterdam (Grimburgwal), it was also lovely in atmosphere and view. It was not even a top floor but there was only a section of the room I (6ft4) could stand upright with shoes on thanks to the building being crooked over time. That doesn't work, I had to find a new place.

[@eichzoernchen]

just picture this... part of New York, Manhattan between Battery Park and Wall Street, used to look like that

[@1010abcdefgh]

I live in a 900 years old house in Ireland that once housed monks , it was part of a farm connected to a nearby monastery.

[@PEDROGAITASCNFANS]

AM FROM PORTUGAL BUT LEAVING 20 YEARS IN NETHERLAND.

[@stanislavczebinski994]

Steep staircases are very common in the Netherlands - as they save valuable space. There's a reason why in Dutch the same word for a staircase - and a ladder is used ("trap")😉 Greetings from Germany!!

[@user-we7vk5zg7l]

I have moved now, but where I lived until last year, my barn was built like 150 years after Colombus arived America. It was built in the 1650's. And two other buildings too. I'm in Norway by the way. This is actually common over her.

[@roykliffen9674]

Houses on the canals are mostly beyond reach of the regular Dutch citizen. We call the area the "grachtengordel" (lit. canal belt). The types renting or even owning apartments within the "grachtengordel" are usually the professional class; stock brokers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, business consultants, business owners, (successful) artists, etc. The larger residences often are converted to offices for lawyers, trading houses, private bankers, and such. The few "normal" people that still live there probably own the residence and inherited it from their parents. Once they decide to sell it, it will most likely be snapped up by a developer that converts it into a high-end residence to be sold for millions or be rented out to expats for exorbitant rent levels (often paid for by the employer). The Asian guy seems to be a kind of business consultant, seeing how he regularly has meetings from home. His partner probably has a full time job too, and still they must have roommates to make the rent.

[@Jeni10]

ROTFL! Can you imagine a young American couple wanting to buy a four hundred year old house as their home? “Knock it down and rebuild, I want a modern home!” The US is losing its architectural history every day! In Rome, the terrazzo floors in churches and Cathedrals have a wavy surface, due to the millions of feet that have worn it down over many centuries!

[@thatcat8442]

I can imagine this sort of house being sought after for anyone who could afford it. Young families with kids probably look for neighborhood houses with room for kids to play and good school districts..

[@automation7295]

If European countries can preserve old buildings, so can the US. But US just chose not to.

[@automation7295]

Or the US government wants to knock it down and build a new highway. US doesn't care about it's architectural history, unless they're landmarks.

[@Jeni10]

@@thatcat8442 In the US, yes, because you have so much land to spare. In UK and many European countries, the houses are already built, there’s nowhere to go so they make do with a very small footprint. Country estates are standalone houses but not everyone can afford to maintain such a house.

[@margaretbamford7176]

Hello from Australia. Some early colonial houses here have low doorways you have to be careful not to hit your head. A friend told me when they were in an 11th century church in Finland with an uneven stone floor, an American said "Wouldn't you think they would have concreted it over."

[@martijnkeisers5900]

Greetings from my 100 years old Amsterdam appartement overlooking Rembrandt park!

[@Staliris]

If you're interested in really cool looking old houses, or just a great looking area in general, i'd recommend Alsace in France, where i'm from The region is basically a (wine producing) large flat valley between 2 chains of moutains, with a lot of rivers, canals in towns and sources, as its sitting on top of a massive water reserve, tons of castles, and a lot of shared culture with germany as we border it. The Rhein is what forms that natural border and flows through Strasbourg wich is one of the largest french cities (also has a massive Notre-Dame cathedral) In short...its really nice xD

[@lorrefl7072]

I'm from Belgium and been to the Alsace region several times and absolutely love it! All the lovely, quint villages especially along "Route des Vins" (Wine Route) are gorgeous. Love the architecture! I've done pretty much every region of France and the Alsace is one of my favorites (other favorites are Normandie, Bretagne and Vosges). Too bad I can't travel anymore due to chronic illness and see those beautiful French regions again.

[@Staliris]

@@lorrefl7072 Oooh glad you had a good time, also that's funny i also cant leave my house anymore due to chronic illness xD I never really got to visit france, so the only other region i do know personally on your list is the Vosges, but i agree its also really nice

[@koninginvictoria]

Greetings from an American living in Amsterdam for about 20 years. I came here as a backpacker and stayed. It's a hard place to leave. :)

[@jpdj2715]

Indeed, if you know what you are looking at, then you know the architectural style and hence the era. The commented-on video starts with the "concentric canals" (semi-circles). Note that Amsterdam started inside the canal called "Singel" (means "girth" or "belt") that ran around its perimeter. (Farm)lands outside this belt were rather wet and peaty and not suited for building on. To fix this, the soil got improved and raised using sand from the innermost dunes along the coast, West of Haarlem (to Amsterdam's West). Canals served the transportation of that sand and trains of small barges got pulled through these canals. The canals, throughout the Netherlands, served several purposes and the first of these was as main logistics highway for heavy and bulky loads (time tables existed). Second was to manage the water table in the soil as a way to prevent getting wet cellars or wet feet. The names of these canals. Note that the Netherlands only became a kingdom under its own king in the House of Orange in the 1800s. When Amsterdam started its expansion, the spirit was mercantilist. The first extension semi-circle was "Herengracht" (gracht=canal and the word gracht derives from the verb graven "to dig"; "Heren" means "gentlemen's") and this was meant for top tier mercantilists. Part of this canal is nicknamed "de Gouden Bocht" (the Golden Bend). With some nobleman far, far away making claims on Dutch money, there may have been an emperor with a claim to influence in the Netherlands and, being considered less important then the merchants of the Herengracht, the next semi-circle canal was called "Keizersgracht" ("keizers" means "emperor's"). This canal has slightly less imposing buildings along it. And then the third expansion was added - each time improving soil and raising ground levels - which was called "Prinsengracht" ("prinsen" means "prins's") putting an Orange guy at the time in their place. Lesser houses than along the other two canals. Part of the top-tier canal house region around the Gouden Bocht towards the Amstel river had its own dialect called "Hoog Herengrachts" (hoog=high). As these houses may have had a business function too, this did not mean they had a ground floor shop facade. If they processed or manufactured something then this went via back alleys and the work would be done in sheds in the backyards. Houses might get extended with an addition to their rear, often in a less posh style and these would be connected to the house in front. Such extensions often served to give a place to live in, to the heir, the next generation. This is the kind of extension we find in Anne Frank's diary "The Back House". It could be reached through the front door. Also note that the outer houses along Herengracht, to their back faced the inner houses along Keizersgracht. A back alley separating the gardens and allowing working class servants to access their work location without polluting the pleasant view of the front. Extensions did not end with Prinsengracht, but this is the main story. If you want to see this from the canals in a canal boat tour, note that there are a lot of trees along these canals and a tour in summer when the deciduous trees are full of green leaves means you see little of the facades. After fall, when the trees are barren, everything looks sad, depressed and barren. So I would only book a canal tour on a sunshiny day. Leaves may start to fall in September, but it may take well into November for everything to have fallen down. The best tome to do the tour is in early spring when green buds are on the twigs in the trees, maybe some already starting to turn into tiny leaves. But still giving full visual impressions of the facades.

[@Badg0r]

I'm from the Netherlands and I'm 6.5. I'm unable to move around in most of those small apartments. I'll have to note out that most canal houses have very high ceilings and that you can move around very easily. The staircase is something else, also the door entrances. Asian People are shorter than we are (as what I've seen during my traveling in Asia). So it's good for him that he's able to live on the attic.

[@zwanneman]

I ones received applause from tourists for parallel parking next to the canal 😄

[@Jo_Kuiper]

Those hoisting beams are also there because the stairs are too steep and narrow, there is no other way to get your big furniture inside otherwise.

[@lyubomirkotev662]

All across Europe there is a lot of places and things older than USA which are still in use or function like from 400-500 or more years.

[@automation7295]

Meanwhile US in the 1950's, they would likely demolish old houses, apartments and shops in order to make space for a new motorway cutting through the area. Good thing in Europe, motorways were built away from the city centre. The ring road (A10) around Amterdam would be cutting through the area if it was the US

[@zsoltpocman6673]

Opposite where I live, there is the oldest church that was built in my country.A parliament was held in 1092 under the leadership of King St.László.And they are much older than that in Europe.Greatings from Hungary.

[@Hansen710]

i live close to the rune stone that brought christianty to scandinavia the jelling stone it was made in 900 ac, we was pretty much the last part of europe that got christian.. the first church in denmark was build in 850ac

[@DSP16569]

Porta Nigra - (Black Gate), Trier, Germany build 170AD The oldest - still inhabited - building in Germany is the "Haus Korbisch" Treis-Carden, Cochem County (Moselle River) - Complete rebuild (on the base of a house from the 10th century - aprox 941 +/- 10 Years) around 1208. It's in his current private ownership since 1986 and inhabited by the owners family.

[@fabianstriebeck8054]

would love to live at the top of the tower or attic of such a home, must be so cozy up there & especially since you are not awake in that tight space, one does not need more room. brilliant.

[@fietsenOveral4650]

The bathtub and dryer are pretty uncommon in our experience of the Netherlands; most living spaces only have a washer and clothes are air dried. Also many bathrooms are "wet rooms" where the showerhead, sink, and toilet are in a singular tiled space with little or no division (maybe like one piece of glass next to the shower, but no door or curtain).

[@johanwittens7712]

Half of the city i live in (flanders, belgium) is older than the USA. The oldest surviving building dates to the 1100s, we have a castle in the center of the city that dates to the same period, we have several churches and cathedrals dating to the 1200s, 1300s, 1400s, 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. And a ton of buildings/houses date to these same periods. For example my first student room was in a renovated mid-18th century building, the first house i bought was from the mid-19th. Anything from the 1800s is considered relatively "new" or "recent" here, and anything from the 20th century on is considerd "modern", often including art nouveau and art deco. Anything that was built with electricity in mind is "modern" to us here in europe... :) In fact compared to many cities, Amsterdam is mostly relatively "new" only really built from the 1600s on as mentioned in the video, when for example Flemish cities were already quite big cities at the time. Gent, the city where I live, at one point in the medieval period, rivalled Paris and London. And compared to cities like Rome or Athens, even our Flemish cities are relatively "new". You can walk around in Rome and pass a wall or ruin that's more than 2000 years old without really noticing.

[@deanwild4971]

The hoist i beams are cool. I remember seeing people hoisting a sofa up into one of the Windows when I visited, makes total sense.

[@usbxg3474]

Great choice to react to a video like that! It really broadens the variety of your intersting and great channel and might attract more viewers and subscribers. For me as a german it is also interesting to learn more about our neighboring countries. Thanks for uploading and thumbs up as always!

[@NiclasHorn]

11:42 for me, microwave is used to reheat yesterday's leftovers and thaw frosen food so i can cook it 😄

[@la-go-xy]

12:07 The impression of a big representative house was improved by having higher windows and floors on the ground floor, and smaller/lower ones towatds the top. Mocking more angle from street level.

[@Trickaz94]

I lived in a canalhouse, not in Amsterdam but a town in the north of the Netherlands, and that house was build in 1646, so close to 400 years Its interior was completely changed to bring it up to modern standards Ground level was my dads business and we lived upstairs on the second and third floors

[@rasmuswi]

In Visby, Sweden, there are a few apartments for rent in a house that was built sometime during the 1260s.

[@vogel2280]

I can tell why David Wens Floor is so affordable: the average Dutchy cannot stand upright in his apartment. And lets not forget he is on the 6th and 7th Floor with no elevator.

[@Turn1t0ff]

Speaking of things older than the USA, today, 5000+ year old Stonehenge was vandalised by JSO agents throwing orange paint all over the place.

[@nikedoesthings]

I went to University in Leiden, I think that's the oldest University? In the Academiegebouw, there is a spiralling staircase that is famous, it looks even more rundown than the one in this house. I believe it may even be so that the Academiegebouw is older? Or just more scholars have been walking up and down those stairs. I am proud to have been one of them.

[@vogel2280]

Bikes get stolen in Amsterdam as well (often). Typically an outside bike gets stolen once a year. Many people don't bother BUYING another bike (if you catch my drift) As long as you have introduced a bike into Amsterdams pool of bikes, many would consider that acceptable behavior. Therefor the average ownership of a bike does not last that long. If you really want to keep your bike...take it indoors, drag it up the stairs 2 or 3 times a day.

[@CeetjeBeetje]

I was born and raised in NL, so this is not new to me. I never lived in such a canal house, though. Just visited them a lot. Recently I moved to a really beautiful little house in the "Betuwe", that was built in 1900. So it has a lot of character. You would like it :)

[@PEDROGAITASCNFANS]

Living in the Netherlands is very expensive and difficult to find an address, but it has the best possible social and environmental services.

[@marksmits1911]

Love fishing in the canals. Lots of perch and zander

[@rauchgranate5648]

Greetings from germany, my house was build in 1467 AD (parts of it) . So that is way before christoph columbus accidently refound america.

[@normadesmond6017]

o yes. The Netherlands even owned New York. That's where the names Wall Street (Waalstraat), Brooklyn (Breukelen), Harlem (Haarlem) come from.

[@-sandman4605]

Those stairs where not warped that was wear and tear.

[@tubekulose]

6:10 That's a very interesting aspect you mentioned here. I can see that Americans are rather used to buildings and groups of houses that look what they look like because they were projected and built like that from scratch rather than having grown to what they look due to multiple alterations during the centuries. 🙂

[@automation7295]

Maybe Americans are used to buildings and groups of houses that look like they were projected and built like that from scratch because most houses in the US are built during the 20th century or even 21st century..

[@tubekulose]

@@automation7295 Yes, that's what I meant.

[@stevehartley7504]

Ceiling height was set when average height of people was much less. It happens a lot in Europe

[@Hansen710]

that is a new city for europe the buildings Ribe close to where i live is almost double that age. and the crazy thing is the buildings look just as nice as the 400 year old ones amsterdam is build on a wodden skeleton, the same method is used for chr havn in copenhagen dutch patato farmers was also imported to a part of copenhagen back then, to grow food.. it was not only black people we traded with back then the farmers was the property of the kings

[@mikeblei6870]

The canals, where people used to put there shit in. Those canals were used for transport but also as sewer.

[@pim1234]

I had a friend who had such a canal house and in his living room there was a window but behind that window was another wall...so somewwwhere in the 17 century his house was the last house in the street and in a givven time there was another house build next to his 😆

[@palantir135]

The western US culture isn’t that old but the cultures of the indigenous people is thousands years old. As old as the last ice age when siberia and Alaska were connected and the first humans entered the Americas. Microwave is great for cooking potatoes and vegetables.

[@manuelkumli5393]

lots of european cities still have their "old town" in the middle of the city where everything started. Those old town streets usually are very tight.

[@123batina]

I staid in one of those houses during my visit to Amsterdam. Beautiful apartment. One app per floor. Balcony overlooking a canal. Yet 3min walk from tram and metro. But stairs. Man. One night I climbed those drunk as skunk. On all fours, more of a ladder then a staircase.

[@henrijansen4224]

The Amsterdam stile houses where replicated in New York, because it was a V.O.C. dutch trade city. That also explains the business and trading mentality of the New Yorkers. But because of the limited space the houses had to go! 🤷

[@marcelw6827]

Oh my god! You triggered a lot of fine and good quality comments. I hope you have time to read them all. Greets from Maastricht. A city founded by the Romans, 2000 years ago and named Mosa Trajectum. The Oldest stone house in Maastricht is from 1475. Earlier houses were demolished in the past centuries. The oldest building is the Sint Servaas Basilica. The oldest church of the Netherlands. First erection of this church dates back between 1000 and 1100. But one thousand years is still young if you compare it with buildings in city’s in countries in south of Europe like in Italy.

[@lizsavage1178]

Here's the thought, you might wanna consider watching some episodes of House hunters International on HGTV. I don't know if it's still running i haven't watched it in some time occasionally i will come across an episode on youtube but occasionally they do have places to buy or rent that are fairly old and it's always at least for me rather interesting to see these places because it gives you an insight into what housing is like some not all but some in a lot of other countries.

[@user-ts6iz6cc6d]

I live on the amstel ,this a 15 boat ride from my house

[@HrLBolle]

does 15 boat refer to a distance of15 boat lengths or time span when travelling by boat?

[@user-ts6iz6cc6d]

@@HrLBolle 15 minutes

[@HrLBolle]

@@user-ts6iz6cc6d by boat or on dry walk ways, if there are any 🤔

[@user-ts6iz6cc6d]

@@HrLBolle haha by boat

[@HrLBolle]

@@user-ts6iz6cc6d war neugierig, da es bei mir hier in Nordhessen nur trockenes Land hat, abgesehen von den ganzen Flüssen und Seen

[@MartinWebNatures]

Don't forget as you said, 400 years old, you can't expect houses like nowdays. The Dutch where in that time not long as now. I think back then this was not extreme small. historical they estimate in 17th century around 165 cm for male and 152 cm for female. 🇳🇱 Greetings from 🇳🇱

[@lucyfrye6723]

Fun fact, it was only 200 years ago when the Dutch were only European average tall. It's not the genes, it's the food or healthcare that turned us into giants. In quite a short time. Personally I think it's the milk that was probably extremely cheap for us compared to elsewhere.

[@Justforvisit]

9:18 Man, THESE stairs would NEVER fly by german safety regulations, if they'd be checked you'd be politely but firmly asked to replace or repair them ASAP.

[@melwashere135]

This is obviously not the average Dutch house, Amsterdam is a tiny bit comparable with New York City with price and space. But yes Dutch houses are for sure smaller than American houses.

[@toomasargel8503]

Yess ... Estonian Tallinn old town oldest buildings are 870 year old = since 1154 and then Tallin name was Lindanise . Tallinn get at words Taani linn , Denmark city . and oldest village is Pulli küla Pulli village 11,000 years old = 8976 BFC , Second large city in Estonia .. Tartu is first documents at that city 1054 Anno Domini .

[@user-xj3ve7wt8k]

My family house ( complex of houses ) in Croatia is 680 years old, built on Roman "ruins". meh, quite normal

[@meeuwtje]

12.20. Yes it's very low. But bare in mind that it is build 400 years ago. People were much shorter then. David Wen's video's are great. Watch his video about the Dutch Social network when he got laid off.

[@DenUitvreter]

It's also the top floor, under the attic. Often the lower floors are higher to let more light in.

[@daphneschuring5810]

Wren is a great guy with lots op help full videos in KZbin

[@AxeGaijin]

What's truly impressive is the rent...

[@frogmaster83]

I do find it strange with the size of American homes. You work 8hrs a day minimum, hopefully sleep 8hrs a night, what do you need all the extra room for unless you have a boatload of kids?

[@toomasargel8503]

08:35 in Tallinn oldtown is more excpencive rental aparment 25m2 or 250 sqf studio aparment ca 1200 euro month and big like that ca 100 m2 / 1000 sqf ca 5000 euro per month

[@mavadelo]

If you do private renting in the Netherlands you pay extortionate prices. Especially in the city centers of Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. I rent (like most Dutch people that rent) froma housing corporation which is much cheaper. There is a top amount of income you can earn though for that kind of renting. I pay abut 750 for a 3 bedroom appartment. (excluding power/gas/service costs) Such a beautiful stocked kitchen and he uses the Magnetron (the Dutch name for the Microwave, yes we named it after the active component)

[@pietergreveling]

€1950,- per month would be the deal of the century in Amsterdam, but it isn't for the whole house, it's just the top floor and the loft! 😁✌🏼

[@lorrefl7072]

It's also only his shareof the rent, he has a flatmate too.

[@pietergreveling]

@@lorrefl7072 Yeah, that's true! 👍🏻✌🏼

[@alwynemcintyre2184]

Not warp Ian, that's wear

[@vansting]

In Amsterdam they idé to tax how big and how many Windows you had on the front of the house, so that was a way to show how rich you were. So some houses have really big windows just for bragging 😅

[@stevehartley7504]

The steps are worn down not warpped!

[@Mind-Your-Step]

Good that we never build houses from wood but from solid bricks... on wooden poles.

[@mvdh877]

7:55 with the space you have in the Amsterdam canal houses, just under 2000 euros is expensive I live 2 hours drive from Amsterdam in a family home for 4 people and I pay 578 euros per month....amsterdam is a damn expensive city to live

[@petebeatminister]

If you park next to the canal like they do at 4:15 , you better exit the car carefully.... or get a right hand drive model. :)

[@dutchman7623]

Simply: do not exit at the water side...

[@maryannecomment3302]

The old Canal House Tour is in Amsterdam. It is strange when you say Europe. Amsterdam is in the Netherlands, which is in Europe, but Europe is not a country. The prices of houses in the Netherlands are high. There is a shortage of houses in almost every region, but especially in Amsterdam and other bigger cities. Almost 2000 euros rent is not reasonable but expensive.

[@DenUitvreter]

It would be at least 3000 by now, rent can only be raised a limited annual amount, but not for new tenants.

[@HT-io1eg]

My pub is older than the USA 😂

[@letheas6175]

And probably ranks better in the hapiness index if it would be classified as a country xd

[@Trickaz94]

Probably has better beer as well

[@automation7295]

US is such a young country compared to most of Europe.

[@suze6083]

My hometown was first mentioned 926 years ago, in 1098 😂 400 years old buildings aren’t exactly an attraction where I live:) well, that’s Germany for ya! 😉

[@vinniamsterdam700]

Just wait until you see my staircase😅 My house is from 1910, also a canal house, still the same kind of building. Big things don't even fit through the stairrcase and it's tight turn.

[@LORK3301raw]

Amsterdam is also called: The Venice of the North ;)

[@joyl7842]

I'm interested by your reaction to the bicycle thing at 5:00. Our bikes get stolen from time to time, but you seem to be guaranteeing it. Another friend, who lives in Virginia, told me the same. Are bikes stolen that often in the USA? It seems such a car-centric society.

[@NiclasHorn]

Here in Sweden we have many housed and government housed that is older than USA is a country. that´s why it´s always sounds so silly then Americans talk about it was so long time ago 100 years ago for us in Europe.

[@mrthecodguy]

Average dutch house is 1300 sq ft. That’s probably the size of the garage om the average us home

[@marlonrvlogs]

Fun facts: everything in Europe in older than the USA 👌🏻😁

[@matsv201]

Like everything in europe is older than usa.. ok not evrything. But normal houses. My house was built in the 1750s

[@Scroapy]

cant wait till you check(czech) out the Prague's castle which started in 9th century :)

[@jooproos6559]

No!The land off where the americans live,was there already.But the americans came later,but the country was all ready there!

[@juanfervalencia]

Lovely city