Houseboat Holland

Amsterdam houseboat (© Flickr/Abi)

Tourists visiting Amsterdam often marvel at the thousands of houseboats lining the famous canals. Are they safe? Are they like real houses? And above all, why do so many people in the Netherlands choose to live on these barges? How a hippie lifestyle became government policy in less than half a century.

Producer: Thijs Westerbeek van Eerten

Broadcast: September 8, 2005