Which city is known as the City of Canals?

Venice is known as the City of Canals because its historic centre is built across a lagoon and organized around an extensive network of waterways.

The city occupies a group of islands in the Venetian Lagoon in northeastern Italy. Its main waterway, the Grand Canal, follows a broad S-shaped route through the historic centre. More than 400 bridges connect the islands, including the famous Rialto Bridge and Bridge of Sighs. Traditional Venetian boats include the distinctive gondola.

Venice grew into a major medieval and Renaissance trading power, especially through commerce with the eastern Mediterranean. Its buildings rest on wooden piles driven into lagoon sediments, where limited oxygen can slow decay. Amsterdam and Bruges also have famous canals, but Venice’s city-wide lagoon setting and historical identity make it the most established bearer of the nickname.