In Europe there are a large number of small towns with canals and bridges that recall beautiful Venice due to the similarity of their landscapes.. Some of these cities are well known such as Amsterdam, Bruges or Hamburg, but there are also less popular ones such as Annecy in France, Wroclaw in Poland, Giethoorn in the Netherlands, Ampuriabrava in Spain or Aveiro in Portugal.
Annecy is the capital of Haute-Savoie, and is considered by tourists as the “Venice of the Alps”. In this city you can enjoy the most beautiful canals, bridges, flower-filled banks and historic buildings that seem to be taken from a postcard. The most suitable street to walk during your visit is Santa Clara, with arcades and very beautiful houses and at the top the Castle Museum of the former Genevois-Nemours Dukes. Lake Annecy is the second largest in France and where you can visit the Pont des Lovers.
In a much more rural environment, in Holland, is Giethoorn, known as the “Venice of the North”. Located an hour and a half drive from Amsterdam, it is a town full of lakes and reed beds, as well as thatched-roof farms and 180 wooden bridges. The comedy «Fanfare alla» was filmed in this town, which catapulted the place to fame and made tourists include it in their destinations.
While in Poland, after the ravages of the Second World War, Wroclaw, the “Polish Venice” was restored and although it is little known, it is a very beautiful city, with canals, bridges, squares and a large number of buildings of tourist interest. You can visit the Market Square, one of the largest in Europe, and enjoy the historic buildings such as the Town Hall and the popular Salt and Flower markets.
In Portugal, just 55 kilometers from Coimbra, is Aveiro, which has numerous canals and bridges. The city is crossed by canals in areas surrounding the «Beira Mar» neighborhood where the traditional houses and salt warehouses constitute a place worth admiring. In Aveiro the traditional is mixed with the modern thanks to the university life of the place and its temperate climate is suitable for enjoying beaches at any time of the year.
For its part, the “Spanish Venice” is located in Ampuriabrava, Gerona. Located in the Gulf of Roses and surrounded by the Marismas del Ampurdán National Park. It is the most important residential marina in Europe and consists of 24 km of navigable canals. The main economic activity in the area is tourism and it is divided into three areas: the historic area called Villa Condal, the nature reserve, made up of the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà National Park, and the more modern tourist area, made up of a marina residential called Empuriabrava.
Any of the cities you choose will make your visit an unforgettable, romantic experience that you will treasure in your memories with the most beautiful images of these European places.