There are about 25 million bikes in the Netherlands, compared to its population of about 17,5 million, that equates to around 1,5 bikes per person. Cycling is a way of life in the Netherlands, with members of all age groups using it as a primary mode of transportation. However, this begs the question, where are all the bikes kept?

Storage for 25 million bikes

All around the Netherlands, huge bicycle parking garages are in operation. You can find them near supermarkets, train stations and even underground. In fact, the Dutch were actually the first to create an automated parking garage for bicycles.

In this strangely mesmerising video, you can the sheer size and scale of these bicycle parking garages, while the cameraman walks you through their history and use. To the Dutch public, these bicycle parking garages are simply part of life, they are definitely nothing to get too excited about. However, to people coming from outside the Netherlands, they are a cause for wonder, particularly as many countries don’t have entire parking garages only for bikes.

So, settle down to learn about this rather strange, but incredibly important part of Dutch culture