On this special and unusual canal cruise through Amsterdam’s canals, you will learn about a history of Amsterdam told in a slightly different way than it normally is. Over the past centuries, migrants from all corners of the world have settled around the Amstel (at the Aemstelledam) and the majority of people living in the city still come from outside of the Netherlands. Stories of the city’s migratory past are hidden everywhere in Amsterdam. Migration makes Amsterdam what it is. The city has always been shaped by newcomers, and this continues today.

Furthermore, another story will told: We will tell the story of the two wooden Egyptian fishing boats that arrived here in Amsterdam’s waters. You will hear about how they were used to sail hundreds of refugees through the Mediterranean to Lampedusa. They ended up in Lampedusa’s boat graveyard, and sank immediately in Dutch waters when they were taken off the cargo ship.

The last story during the cruise is our own: the story of our captains and narrators. They have a lot to share; their personal history, experiences in their country of origin, their flight to the Netherlands and their new life in freedom. Their story of flight doesn’t end with their arrival in the Netherlands.

Sign up via this link. A tour also leaves at 1pm. The tour is in English.