Travel and Explore the World: A Review of the World's 6 ‘Venices’, Primarily Utilizing Riverboat Transportation
When we mention cities, most of us think of wide roads and vehicles flowing non-stop. But did you know that there are cities in the world that are mainly based on rivers and small boats, and some even have no cars? Let's take a look at 6 interesting 'Venices'.
Venice is a famous tourist and industrial city in northeastern Italy, and it is the only city in the world without cars. It is composed of 118 artificial islands and an adjacent artificial peninsula, as well as 117 crisscrossing waterways, making it a world-renowned water town and an important historical and cultural city in Italy. ‘Born of water, beautiful because of water, thriving because of water’.
There are many ancient sites within the city, including numerous churches, bell towers, male and female monasteries, and palaces, numbering over 500. The Grand Canal is the longest street in Venice, connecting the city into two parts; St. Mark’s Square is Venice’s central square; each hall of the Doge’s Palace is decorated with oil paintings, frescoes, and marble sculptures, which is very luxurious. The waterways are the streets and alleys, and boats are the only means of transportation in Venice. The unique Venetian gondolas are a must-try when you visit Venice.
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is called ‘Northern Venice’. It is a city built on islands located on the east coast of Sweden, with beautiful scenery and is a famous tourist destination.
Stockholm is also a cultural city with more than 50 museums, of various types and with their own characteristics. The old town has a history of over 700 years, and has been well preserved because it has not been affected by wars, and now it maintains a style of ancient and rustic. The central square of the old town still retains a well, which is said to be the only freshwater well used by residents hundreds of years ago.
Suzhou, a famous water city in China, is called ‘The East’s Venice’. The water area accounts for 42.5% of the city's total area, with lakes such as Taihu Lake, Yangcheng Lake, Danyang Lake, Jinzhou Lake, and Puerhui Lake scattered throughout.
The waterways in the ancient city are connected and extended until the 1990s. The main mode of transportation between urban and rural Suzhou was still dominated by boats and ships. ‘When you arrive in Suzhou, the houses are all along the river’—this is a famous saying that reflects the characteristics of Suzhou as a famous water city.
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is located in the Chao Phraya Delta, called ‘Asian Venice’. Originally, Bangkok has low terrain and many rivers, and it was later dug with many canals. By the 19th century, Bangkok had become a water city with crisscrossing waterways. The city can often see boats and waterways like in Europe, so people call it ‘Asian Venice’.
Later, with the development of road transportation and modern chemical commerce, rivers gradually lost their function as transportation routes. Since 1969, most of the waterways in Bangkok have been filled in to become parks or roads. ‘Asian Venice’ is a little meaningless. However, Bangkok is still a great tourist city, with attractions such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Four-Faced Buddha Temple being very famous.
Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, is known as ‘African Venice’. The city is composed of 6 islands with different functions, connected by a high-level bridge.
There are many islands and bays with unique styles, sea caves, and natural near-sea lakes, which are all must-visit places when visiting Lagos.
Kinderdijk, Netherlands, is known as ‘Green Venice’. Compared to the opulent beauty of Venice, the Dutch water town is more quaint and elegant. Here there are waterways, bridges, wooden boats, thatched houses, green grass, and cattle and sheep, combined with colorful flowers and fresh air, creating a beautiful, friendly, and cute landscape, like a fairy tale world.
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