At the Houseboat Museum, you get the chance to experience first-hand what it’s like to live in a houseboat on an Amsterdam canal. The museum is located in the “Hendrika Maria”, a former cargo ship built in 1914. The cargo hold is now a cosy living space featuring all the conveniences and a surprising amount of space and comfort.

Being a houseboat owner I noticed how curious passers-by were about its interior. I was bombarded with questions. How are you supplied with water and electricity? Where does the waste water go? Isn’t it cold, damp and dark onboard? All questions to which people desired an answer. And so the idea to open up a houseboat to the public arose.