Online magazine of Lithuanian children living in Brussels – Maklinėtojai – shares his travel experiences in Europe’s Venice.
The Venices of Europe. Maklinėtojai visited 6 cities like Venice, which they will tell you about. The “real” Venice is one of the most famous cities in the world, in the Veneto region of Italy, located on 118 islands and islets connected by more than 400 bridges. The city was so impressive that it “gave” its name not only to ten other Venices around the world (nine Venices are in the USA, one in Canada), but even to the country – Venezuela (the Italian traveler Amergas Vespucci called the country “Veneziola”, i.e. “Little Venice”).
Bruges
Bruges is a Venice of the North. Although this region of Belgian Flanders has been landlocked for almost a thousand years (since around 1050, when alluvium separated Bruges from the sea), the remaining old and newly installed canals, graceful bridges, small boats and huge visitor flows are truly reminiscent of Venice.
Amsterdam
The Venice of the North is also called Amsterdam. Amsterdam, the (constitutional) capital of the Netherlands, competes with Bruges and Hamburg for the name Venice of the North. If we had to decide, with apologies to other cities, we would definitely give this title to Amsterdam. 1500 bridges, 90 islands and even 100 km of waterway network. An abundance of various boats, bridges and embankments more beautiful than each other, and a non-stop hustle and bustle day and night.
The canals of Amsterdam
The canals of Amsterdam
Anesi
Alpine Venice Anesi (French: Annecy). Located on the side of the Alps in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, next to the stunningly beautiful Lake Annecy, this city is truly reminiscent of Venice. The canals crossing the city and the Tiju River created a special view of the old part of the city. Numerous small shops, flea markets, street musicians, rodeos, endless streams of visitors, charming buildings – all this justifies the name Venice of the Alps.
The channel of Anesi
Minge
Minija (Mingė) is the Venice of Lithuania. This small village is often called the Lithuanian Venice. No, there are no canals here, in fact there aren’t even any bridges. However, the Minija river passing through the village represents to the villagers a street buzzing, that is, boats and boats sail along it, and in ancient times, apparently, shells and shells used to cross the river.
Colmar
Colmar (French: Colmar) – this charming town in Alsace in France earned the name Little Venice for a reason. The old town carved by the canals and the Lauch river attracts lots of visitors – numerous small inns, cafes, flower pots on bridges, on wooden beams, fairy-tale houses seem to ask Colmar to be called Venice.
The channels of Colmar
The channels of Colmar
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is another Venice of the North. It is a French city on the Rhine in historic Alsace. Of course, since Strasbourg has become one of the most important cities of the European Union, where EU institutions are located, additional comparisons with Venice are hardly necessary. Nevertheless, in Strasbourg you really feel surrounded by water – here you can find canals, locks, tourist boats, ponds, small lakes, the majestic Rhine.
The channels of Strasbourg
The channels of Strasbourg
However, if you do not manage to visit these cities, we will tell you that there are more Venices: You can find the Northern Venices in Norway (by the way, there are even six here): Olesund (Norwegian Ålesund), Arendal, Bulandet, Verlandet (Norwegian Værlandet), Henningsvær (Norwegian Henningsvær), Svolver (Norwegian Svolvær); in France (Amiens), Germany (Bamberg, Emden, Friedrichstadt), Lübeck, Schwerin, the Netherlands (Gythorn), the United Kingdom (Birmingham, Burton Bourton-on-the-Water), Maryhill (English Glasgow-Maryhill), Leeds (English Leeds), Manchester, Skipton), Denmark (Bornholm, Copenhagen), Poland (Gdansk, Kalisz, Wroclaw) , in Ukraine (Vylkové (Ukrainian: Вилкове) and even in Russia (of course, yes, St. Petersburg).
We hope that you will be able to visit these Venices. Or maybe you have already visited some or even all of them?
European Venices
European Venices
