The Kees de jongen bridge in the Jordaan

Over the Bloemgracht in the Jordaan there is a bridge named after Kees de jongen (yes, with a lower-case 'j'). Plenty of bridges in Amsterdam are named after people, of course, but this one is unique because Kees is not a real person. Kees is the fictional character created by the writer Theo Thijssen in his book of the same name, which was published a hundred years ago this year.

The swimming pool step

Kees was known for his unique way of walking, 'de zwembadpas' (the swimming pool step), which allowed him to move quickly. The Theo Thijssen Museum, located near the bridge, organised the Day of the Zwembadpas in 2001 in honour of Kees and his unique walking style, complete with a Zwembadpas championship. At the request of this museum the bridge was renamed the Kees de jongenbrug in 2003. A nice detail: a nearby bridge over the same canal was named after Kees's sweetheart, Rosa Overbeek.

Bridge 123

The current bridge, number 123, dates from 1948, but there has been a bridge on this spot since 1625. In 1866 the original wooden bridge was replaced by the current bridge. Because of its steep slope, coachmen sometimes ended up in the water with their horse and cart.