Venice is the landmark when traveling in a city on the water. The architecture, the romantic history and the romance of the place itself turned this city into a real treasure when it comes to tourism. However, there are many other cities built on water that ought to be seen at least once in lifetime. Here are the best ten.
1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan, vibrant and highly civilized city. If you spend a weekend or a holiday here, you will have everything you want: boat trips around Amsterdam, private parties on boats, museums with unique works of art in the world, a great nightlife, friendly people, restaurants and bars for all tastes.
2. Hamburg, Germany
It is the second largest city in Germany and seventh in the European Union. Here there are over 2 million inhabitants and the port of Hamburg is the 20th largest in the world. The city of Bridges, as it was called, Hamburg is a great vacation destination due to its elegance and outstanding architecture and its lights. In addition, it is one of the cities with the highest standard of living in Europe, which may be an interesting destination for Christmas or New Year.
3. Suzhou, China
Suzhou is considered the Venice of China and it is a historical city located in the Jiangsu Province, near Shanghai. The old neighborhoods are intersected by numerous canals and buildings, although not as impressive as residences in Venice, they are equally old and beautiful. Suzhou Grand Canal is the widest fairway in Suzhou and crosses the most important sights of the city.
4. Udaipur, India
Most couples in India who want to marry, come to Udaipur. The city is situated between four lakes and the architecture is made up of very old temples and palaces linked to the oriental tales. Because it is surrounded by four lakes, Udaipur locals called it the Venice of the East, and the most common area enjoyed by tourists is Palace on the Lake.
5. Giethoorn, The Netherlands
Netherlands is crossed by a network of waterways around, but some of the most enchanting are found in the east of the city of Giethoorn. Here, tourists can walk in a fairytale setting with traditional style houses and wooden bridges. But what is even more beautiful in Giethoorn is that here there are no motor vehicles here, people only using boats or bicycles.
6. Alappuzha, India
Alappuzha is a famous Indian city with channels connected to Kerala. Tourists can rent wooden vessels turned into houses and discover the beauties of the place. Kerala channels span more than 1,400 km in south- western India.
7. Bangkok, Thailand
In the capital of Thailand, the waterways are called klonguri and are used today as an alternative to traffic jams. With such a floating taxi you can reach the famous floating markets of Bangkok or you can go to areas of the city admiring the beauty of places and avoiding traffic congestion.
8. St. Petersburg, Russia
St. Petersburg stretches its graceful wings along the Neva River at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. A huge city with over 5 million people, included in UNESCO World Heritage, St. Petersburg was built at the cost of lives of tens of thousands of Russian peasants. Winters are cold, with negative temperatures, but are the most spectacular scenery in this period. Hermitage Museum, parks, boats gliding on the Neva, Kunstkamera palace, concert halls, landscapes described by Dostoyevsky in his books, a unique subway in the world and many other attractions await you in this incredible abstract and cosmopolitan city.
9. Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Belgium. The city competes with Venice in terms of preserving historical buildings, while clear river waterways under the old neighborhoods intersect, giving the impression of time travel.
10. Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden’s capital has over 1 million inhabitants and is situated on 14 islands and is the 10th most visited city in Europe. Stockholm is known for its timeless beauty, buildings and architecture, pristine waters that give color to the city and beautiful parks. In December and January, temperatures are between -5 and 0 degrees, but the greatness and purity of this city will make you forget about the cold.
