Vincent Van Loon was a houseboat owner in Amsterdam who was constantly being questioned by tourists about his houseboat and what life was like for him living on it.

So, in 1997 he decided to open a houseboat in Amsterdam to the public to address this curiosity.

Take a peek inside the Maria Hendrika!

She was built in 1914 to haul materials up and down the canals.

In the 1960’s she was converted to a houseboat where people lived until she was opened to the public for tours in 1997. And yep, that’s me, reflected in the mirror.

Holland houseboats have all the comforts of home as you can see, including heating, kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms and decks which function as garden terraces.

There are approximately 3,050 houseboats in Amsterdam with people living onboard, and 100,000 legally occupied houseboats in all of the Netherlands.

Does life aboard a houseboat appeal to you? If it does, and you want to try out living aboard, there are houseboat bed & breakfasts you can stay in to see if you like the lifestyle.

Cheers to you from a cozy and comfortable Amsterdam houseboat~