The waters and streams passing through the city have a great influence on the formation of the cities. Especially the cities formed by the water leaking from the canals to the streets have a completely different charm to them. So, which are some of these cities that we call canal cities, and where are they located?
Without a doubt, the most known among the canal cities is Venice. It remains the largest, most unique, and most fascinating canal city in the world, as evidenced by the fact that fifty thousand people visit it in a day. In fact, Venice consists of 118 different islets. Each islet contains different and unprecedented landscapes. Having too many islands brings with it too many bridges.
In canal cities, the use of vehicles is not very common. In Venice, the largest canal city in the world, transportation is provided by a traditional method, by gondolas. The gondola has also become a characteristic feature of Venice. The largest canal in the city has a length of 3800 meters and through a gondola tour, you can watch the city of Venice with all its beauty.
Another canal city, Birmingham, is the UK's second-largest city. In Birmingham, which turned into a commercial center during the industrial revolution, water channels were opened in order to develop trade. Although the canal is a great touristic treasure, it did not acquire the anticipated popularity. Nowadays, it is a place frequented by local people for religious ceremonies on certain days.
Brugge, which is a living museum of European Architecture, has a quality that carries the authentic traces of the Middle Ages to the present day. This ancient and well-established city is one of the most visited cities in Europe. One of the most pleasant activities you can do in the canal cities, the boat trip will give you the pleasure of an open-air exhibition on the streets of Bruges while flowing on the water.
Can-Tho, on the other hand, is a naturally thriving canal city, unlike other canal cities. With the harmony of the Mekong river, which is the most important factor in the formation of the canals, the city almost turns into an authentic poem with its geography.
The people of Can-Tho, who keep up with this structure of the city and organize their lives accordingly, establish paddy fields, orchards, and coastal villages according to these canals. This natural life encountered at every step creates a visual feast for those who travel by boat. The main waterways that replace the streets and the streets that function as small streams create an organic texture in city planning.
Giethoorn is a Dutch city famous for its canals of extraordinary beauty, where waterways cross each other diagonally. Located in the east of the country, this fairy tale of a city is a travel route equipped with narrow canals, Dutch houses, and wooden bridges. The houses built on the islets can be reached by bridges and boats. As local people and visitors often prefer boats and bicycles for transportation, there is almost no motor vehicle traffic in the city as in other canal cities.
The canal city of Suzhou is located in western China down the Yangtze river, which is Asia's longest river and the world's third longest river after the Nile and Amazon. The most important feature that makes the city of Suzhou attractive is undoubtedly the uniquely beautiful canals formed by the waters of the Yangtze River as it passes through the city.
Another element that adds beauty to the city is the unique garden designs and the stone bridges that give the city's architecture a characteristic look. Suzhou is also famous for its advanced silk trade, as it is close to the great canal where the most important waterway trade in the world takes place.
