Toilets

Whilst other modern world cities have started to install low maintenance public toilets in their city centres, Amsterdam has long had a range of such public toilets dotted all over the city.

With urinating in public leading to arrest and issue of a fine by police if caught (many tourists fall foul in this way-no pun intended), there really is no excuse for this behaviour given Amsterdam's wide network of public toilets.

Almost exclusively for men only, these toilets are commonly referred to as urinoirs or pissoirs.

Whilst there are a few modern versions that operate via electric motors and emerge from the ground, most urinoirs are permanent or semi-permanent fixtures.

The original krul, is a green painted metal fixture usually canal-side. You'll often encounter one when you notice the smell or overflow of urine trickling down the road.

The second type of urinoir is a grey plastic moulded bollard which can accommodate four persons at once. They are the same type that you often see at festivals or concerts.