Everybody cycles in Amsterdam: It is one of the best ways to enjoy the city's canalside roadways, pretty bridges and squares.

Activist Myriam Corzilius is no exception, opting for her bike wherever she goes.

Everyone in the Dutch city has at least one bike, statistically speaking. But for those who haven't yet taken to biking, Corzilius has made it her mission to improve safety for cyclists in the city and attract more people to this mode of transport.

The city is pretty well-equipped already, however, especially compared to many others. Corzilius shows off the multi-storey bike parking garage at the central train station, the world's first.

It can fit 2,500 bikes, she says. It is full every day, even though you cannot leave a bicycle for more than a fortnight. Amsterdam's builders are changing that, digging a new underground bicycle garage across the way. Corzilius is a dedicated cyclist and has made it her mission to make biking in Amsterdam even safer. Photos: Karlotta Ehrenberg/dpa

"There will never be enough," says Corzilius, noting that the city is home to one million bikes.

Cycling round Amsterdam is easy partly because the bike paths are coloured red, with at least one lane in each direction.

There are also dedicated bike traffic lights. The bike paths often divide at intersections, with a lane for people turning and another to go straight ahead.

The best news for cyclists is that cars are not allowed on bicycle lanes, though they have to be shared with trams. The council has planted plants along the tramlines, however, to ensure no cars intrude on the space, says Corzilius.

For newcomers to the city, bicycle tunnels are a highlight, with one leading through the celebrated Rijksmuseum. A sign on a cycling path in Amsterdam indicates that bikes have priority here.

"For a while it was closed to bicycle traffic," says Corzilius, adding that bike activists, herself included, held a protest – and a party once the regulation was changed.

It seems like in the Netherlands the whole country, rich or poor, young or old, is on a bike. The tradition dates back more than two centuries when King Willem II was among the first to have a bicycle. When others saw it, they wanted one too, says Corzilius.

The fashion took time to catch on, she says, as back then, bikes were harder to ride, with a different construction. Schools were opened to help people learn, including a special hall in Amsterdam lined with cushions so that people wouldn't hurt themselves if they fell, says Corzilius.

The members of the Dutch royal family meanwhile are still fans of bikes, with Princess Ariane cycling to school every day.Free bike parking spots can be hard to come by in Amsterdam, a city home to one million bicycles.

We head through the city, along the canals and the bike path gets pretty crowded. Fellow cyclists use their bikes to transport everything from youngsters to animals and heavy loads, often tugged in a trailer.

Some reach impressive speeds, which can be dangerous, according to Corzilius.

"The ebikes in particular can pick up quite a bit of speed," she says. "That's a problem."

The city is preparing to create separate lanes for ebikes and faster cyclists.

Despite the popularity of cycling in Amsterdam, the city has too many cars, she says.

"We've come a long way with cycling here," she believes, "but it can still get a lot better." – dpa