What are Most Picturesque Canal Cities on the Planet?
Waterways play an important role in transportation throughout history. They also add a unique beauty to the landscape. Waterways have always been part of cities. We have cities across the globe with waterways which are referred to as canal cities which showcase their own unique beauty. Anyone would want to visit these cities. However, canal cities seem to be reducing in number as canals are being dried in order to build roads. The few remaining canal cities have become huge tourist attractions. In this article, we have prepared a list of the world’s most beautiful canal cities.
- Venice, Italy
Venice is a romantic city located on a group of several islands which are separated by canals. The islands are connected together by beautiful bridges. The unique geographic nature of Venice makes it the most beautiful canal city in the world. More than 500,000 tourists visit this picturesque city where rowing a boat known as Gondola is the main mode of transportation. One interesting fact that you should know about Venice is that it the largest car-free city in the whole of Europe.
- Birmingham, England
Birmingham is the second most populous city in England after the capital, London. In the city, canals are used as the main mode of transportation and they extend through the most important parts of the city. The length of the canals extend up to 174 miles, but recently, there have been waterways that have already been dried and paved to build roads. However, the canal system is used as an important part of transportation. Cruising through the canals gives you beautiful views of the city and you could make your way to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery which houses some of the largest collection of the world’s pre-Raphaelite paintings.
- Giethoorn, Netherlands
Giethoorn is a small town that grew up on a swampy marshland. It has about four miles of waterways which are connected together by more than 150 footbridges. The town, like Venice, is car-free whereby boats and cycles are used as the main modes of transportation. There are thatched-roof houses with lush front yards that slope down to the water’s edge. You can ply the town using battery-powered “whisper boat” to get a good view of the city.
- Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Suzhou is a historic Chinese city with picturesque gardens and canals. The city has 15 small canals that crisscross it and has close proximity to the longest waterway in China, about 1200 miles, known as the Grand Canal. The intersection of both the Grand Canal and the small canal form a network that passes through the beautiful parts of the city. The city is a huge tourist attraction in China due to its huge cultural attractions including the beautiful Chinese gardens and gorgeous old water towns that are connected with canals.
- Bruges Belgium
Bruges is one of the most beautiful canal cities in the world, but still underrated. It is famous for its beautiful canals and gothic architecture. The waterways of this city are known as “The Venice of North”. Venturing into a canal tour gives you the best views of the city. All the canals pass through important parts of the city.
- Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and is built on 14 islands. The Stockholm archipelago connects the city to the Baltic Sea to the east. It connects more than 30,000 small and large islands, making Stockholm archipelago the largest in Sweden. It is best to get around the city using boats in order to get a great experience of the Stockholm city.
