Amstel River

river, Netherlands

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

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The Amstel River is a river in the Netherlands that flows through Amsterdam. Early inhabitants built dikes on both sides of the river and a dam around 1270 to protect against floods. This dam is the origin of Amsterdam's name, meaning "Amstel dam". The river flows north through the city towards the IJ, an inland arm of the IJsselmeer. Parts of Amsterdam lie below sea level, on land reclaimed from marshes or lakes. The IJssel River, a distributary of the Rhine River, flows into the IJsselmeer between the Northeast and East Flevoland polders. Amstelveen, a municipality near the Amstel River, means "peat bog on the Amstel".12345

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Amsterdam
The city layout
The Amstel River flows from south to north through the city toward the IJ. Parts of the city lie below sea level, some of them on land that has been reclaimed from the sea or from marshes or lakes.
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The Amstel River flows from south to north through the city toward the IJ. Parts of the city lie below sea level, some of them on land that has been reclaimed from the sea or from marshes or lakes.
Read More