Dreaming of drifting away on an adventure?
Make it a reality, by visiting one of these stunning canal cities – which seem to float on water.
In fact, in some of these spectacular destinations, it’s actually easier to travel by water than on the road.
Though many have beautiful streets, too.
Scroll down and soak up these gorgeous pictures of havens that are guaranteed to spark your wanderlust for a watery getaway, with the eye-opening portfolio including a British hotspot with more canals than Venice and a spot in France so picturesque it’s often lined with painters and easels.
Which one would you most like to be cast adrift in?
Pictured is Ghent, a port city in northern Belgium. Ghent’s network of canals have been ‘the city’s lifeblood for centuries’, according to Visit Ghent. The tourism board recommends taking to the water by boat for ‘absolutely charming’ views of the historic city
Birmingham (pictured) has 35 miles of canals, which Birmingham City Council says ‘is said to be more than Venice’, adding that the system is a ‘reminder of a unique industrial history’. Nowadays, the waterways make the ‘ideal escape’ in the ‘middle of a busy city’ says the Canal & River Trust, with ‘vibrant waterfront bars and restaurants and historic architecture to admire’
Pictured is Delft, a city in the Netherlands, located between Rotterdam and The Hague. It is ‘known for its charming canals and historical facades’, says Visit Holland. The tourism board adds ‘it is a living museum of Dutch history and culture’
In eastern China lies Suzhou (pictured), an ancient water city which has been described as the ‘Venice of the East’. Lonely Planet explains: ‘If anywhere truly holds a candle to Venice, it may well be Suzhou’, adding the city is ‘all arch bridges and wooden balconies, hanging above trickling, tinkling canals’
Pictured is Annecy, in southeastern France, a picturesque old city that’s built around canals. The city’s tourism board says: ‘Canals animate the old quarter, bringing it a freshness and life. It is not uncommon to see artists setting up their easels there’
Pictured is Bruges, in northwest Belgium, a city that has ‘magnificent’ canal views around every bend, says Visit Bruges. The tourism team explains that ‘the canals have for centuries been the veins of the city’, recommending tourists ‘take a stroll or a boat trip and discover secret gardens, romantic bridges and medieval facades reflected in the water’
Perhaps the world’s most famous canal city, Venice (pictured) is made up of 118 islands floating on a ‘fairytale lagoon, linked by 400 bridges’, says Lonely Planet. The travel guide recommends visitors of the Italian destination take to the water on a gondola tour or save money with a water taxi
Kurashiki (pictured) is a historic canal city located on Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. The Japan National Tourism Organization says: ‘Canal-lined, white-washed and stone-tiled, the streets of the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter are quintessentially Japanese’
Pictured is Speicherstadt in Hamburg, Germany. The warehouse district is a UNESCO heritage site bisected by a network of canals. Hamburg Travel explains that ‘the best way to experience the maritime charm of the city is to take a cruise along its canals’, describing the waterways as integral to the German city’s identity
Pictured above is the Nyhavn canal, a popular photo-spot in Copenhagen, Denmark. Visit Copenhagen says: ‘It doesn’t take much more than a few rays of sunshine before Copenhagen’s waterfront is filled with renewed energy and joyful faces’
![Aviero (pictured), a city in Portugal's west coast, sits on the 'edge of an extensive lagoon system', explains Lonely Planet. The travel guide adds: 'Where [Venice] has gondolas, Aveiro has moliceiros – colourful boats traditionally used for seaweed-harvesting but now used for canal cruises'. A moliceiro can be seen in the image above](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/11/19/09/92230147-0-image-a-39_1732007267960.jpg)
Aviero (pictured), a city in Portugal’s west coast, sits on the ‘edge of an extensive lagoon system’, explains Lonely Planet. The travel guide adds: ‘Where [Venice] has gondolas, Aveiro has moliceiros – colourful boats traditionally used for seaweed-harvesting but now used for canal cruises’. A moliceiro can be seen in the image above
Empuriabrava (pictured) is a town in Spain’s Costa Brava with a 22 km/13.6 mile-long network of canals and was built on swampland in the 1960s and 70s. While it’s not a historic destination, Empuriabrava has ‘a lot to offer for those seeking a relaxed beach holiday’, says Costa Brava Lifestyle
Pictured is Bangkok, Thailand. It has more than 300 km/186 miles of waterways, with Lonely Planet describing the city as ‘a jade-tinted mosiac of flooded paddy fields, filigreed with the silvery veins of canals’
Pictured is Amsterdam, where, Holland.com claims, no visit is complete ‘without having seen its beautiful, iconic canals’. Described as the ‘symbol of the city’, Amsterdam’s canal system is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the tourism board explains each of the Dutch capital’s canals is ‘unique and has its own charm’
