Venice, of course, but also its little sisters like Amsterdam, Stockholm, Bruges and Wroclaw…

It is the matrix of all the others! Venice stretches over 118 islands in the heart of a lagoon on the Adriatic Sea. Everything has been said and written about the Serenissima, a lakeside city whose heart is located in San Marco square (basilica, Ducal Palace). Its town planning inherited from the Middle Ages, its prestigious residences, its churches, its bridges (Rialto, Sighs …), its famous cafes, its museums …: it is rightly described as sublime.

Among its most well-known islands are that of Lido, with its beaches, or those of Murano and Burano, where there are glass-working artisans… As for major events, there is a famous carnival, a no less famous film festival… And let’s not forget the vaporetti and gondolas that allow you to circulate on the canals of this unique city in the world. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Take a river, the Amstel, and a dyke, a word that says dam in Dutch, and you have the origin of the name of this big city whose importance dates back to the Middle Ages.

In addition to a number of monuments and museums to see or visit, Amsterdam is renowned for its many canals (there are 165), some of which are inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list. This is the case of Gouden Bocht which is bordered by superb houses. We call it the Venice of the North.

The bridges (there are 1,281!) That span these waterways are often also remarkable, as are these successions of boats that serve as dwellings… Cruises on the canals are offered, but it is also possible to borrow on board a… pedal boat!

Located in the Ria de Aveiro lagoon, near the Atlantic Ocean, this town has a pretty historic center with houses decorated with azulejos.

It is nicknamed ” Portuguese Venice ” because it is crossed by canals whose waters are taken by kinds of gondolas. These are the barcos moliceiros, long boats decorated with colorful designs. Traditionally, they were used to harvest seaweed and kelp.

Nowadays, they are used for journeys intended for visitors to the city, especially those who greatly appreciate Art Nouveau architecture because the banks of the main canal are equipped with some beautiful buildings of this style.

You can also walk along canals outside Aveiro, in nature and on wooden walkways, or near salt marshes.

Its splendid squares, its belfry and all its other memorable monuments, including a series of religious buildings, or its museums, make Bruges one of the most beautiful cities in Belgium and Europe. Its historic center is also listed on the Unesco World Heritage list. Obviously the canals of this other “Venice of the North” give an extraordinary cachet to its old districts which have retained a very pronounced medieval and Renaissance aspect.

The Rozenhoedkaai (Quai of the Rosary) is one of the most photographed sites, even that is very appreciated Minnewater , lake called Lake of love because of romantic charm that emanates from it. Treat yourself to a boat ride here is a joy that cannot be denied!

The creation of St. Petersburg in 18 th century on the orders of Tsar Peter the Great who was for a time the capital of Russia, is one of those gigantic projects that mark the history of mankind.

The city was built on islands in the Neva Delta, which lies at the end of the Gulf of Finland, in the Baltic Sea. It was conceived as “a window on Europe”, which manifests itself in a profusion of palaces and apartment buildings of Western styles in its heart, near typically Russian constructions such as several churches topped by bulbs.

We walk on Nevsky Prospect, the main artery of the city, we visit its museums such as that of the Hermitage … And we stroll on the quays of the Neva and canals admiring the architecture of countless buildings and bridges, which can also be discovered during cruises.

The capital of Sweden largely extends over an archipelago consisting of 14 islands, between the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälar. Discovering Stockholm is therefore done using a number of bridges or boats.

Stock signifying pole and holm island, we imagine that the primitive constructions were made by relying on both stilts and dry land. The first islands that were urbanized are Stadsholmen, Riddarholmen and Helgeandsholmen, where the old town is known as Gamla stan. It is a district which has largely preserved a medieval plan, and which conceals many historic buildings.

Note that other islands have a particular identity: museums, green spaces and Gröna Lund amusement park in Djurgården, bars and other trendy places on Södermalm, design shops on Östermalm…

Arms of the Oder River, rivers and canals run through this “Polish Venice” made up of 12 islands.

Rich in remarkable sites and monuments (main square, town hall, etc.), including many churches, the former Prussian Breslau has numerous university establishments. Inevitably, the city is connected by a number of bridges, some of which are remarkable, such as the long metal suspension bridge Grunwaldzki which dates from the 1900s. Or that of Tumski which gives access to the island Ostrów Tumski, where stands the magnificent Gothic cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste to which old cobbled streets lead, lit at night by gas burners.

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