Magere Brug
The Magere Brug is one of the most famous bridges in the city of Amsterdam with an interesting history. The bridge is connecting the banks of the river Amstel at Kerkstraat about ten minutes of walk from the Stopera. It is particularly charming at night when it is illuminated by 1,200 light bulbs.
The first bridge of the site of the present day Magere Brug was built in 1691. It was supposedly built by two wealthy sisters who lived on the opposite banks of the river Amstel to be able to visit one another every day. Though wealthy the sisters were not wealthy enough to build a bridge of adequate width for general use and the bridge was therefore called “skinny” (magere literally means skinny) bridge. However, the second version of the story goes that the sisters’ last name was Magere.
The present day bridge was built in 1934 when the original Magere Brug was demolished. Since 2003 the bridge is limited to pedestrians and cyclists.