NAP Visitors Centre
Did you know that as much as 60% of Holland lies below sea level? Don’t you sometimes wonder why the country isn’t flooded and how people know how high the dikes should be? This is all bound up with the NAP - the Amsterdam Ordnance Datum - the European zero level.
The NAP is the oldest measuring unit of its kind in the world and is based on the average sea level in the 17th century. The NAP was established in Amsterdam and today serves as a reference point in many parts of Europe.
Amsterdam is currently showcasing the unique NAP exhibition. This exhibition in the visitors centre of the Amsterdam City Hall reveals, by means of various models, photos and visual material, just how far Holland and Amsterdam lie below sea level. Delve into the history of the water levels and discover how the various forms of measuring equipment were developed. Put your hand on the bronze NAP knob - the exact zero level - and check the current water levels of the North Sea, at IJmuiden and at Vlissingen, as well as the level of the water during the disastrous 1953 floods in the province of Zeeland.
Combine a visit to the NAP with the Hop on, hop off Canal Bus.
Experience Amsterdam ‘under’ as well as on the water!
- Canal bike
- Price:
€ 4.00 p.p. incl. VAT
NAP Visitors Centre
Town Hall Amsterdam - Amstel 1
(Waterlooplein entrance)
For more information please call: +31 (0)20 626 55 74