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Lavishly decorated gondolas sailing through winding canals, monumental Gothic palaces floating on thousand-year-old wooden piles, driven deep into a mushy green lagoon, and of course every beautiful pastel-colored building in sight:
It’s no wonder that tens of millions of tourists flock to Venice every year to marvel at the wonders of the Ancient World. it crumbles under the weight of overtourism is also no surprise.
From the outright ban on large boats to rising lodging costs, and more recently the introduction of an entrance fee for day trippers who don’t stay in hotels in the Old Town – which, guess what, applies to the majority as most travelers will base themselves in Mestre, Venice’s more affordable neighbor –La Serenissima has had enough of being a playground for Instagrammers.
If you’re an American heading to Europe this season, you might want to remember the good news Venice a miss, unless you don’t mind being rushed along the narrow road fondamentior shouted out by impatient Italians.
The Good news is that Venice is not the only European city best known for its canals.
This 5 lesser-known gems built on water offer a similar atmosphere and are equally stunning in their own way, and believe it or not, the crowds are still at a manageable level!
Chioggia, Italy
The perfect miniature
A 2 hours vaporetto From Venice, across the island-studded Adriatic Sea, charming Chioggia lies on the much less touristy southern side of the Venice Lagoon, with the same fondamentiwinding canals and pastel-colored buildings that made the Floating City famous (but none of the crowds).
A miniature version of Venice, in other words one of the oldest fishing towns in Italyand the quality of the food served on the canal ostery here is second to none. For the best seafood risotto you will try in your life, make sure you add Osteria da Nicola to your bucket list.
Of course, Italian food isn’t the main reason why disillusioned Venice tourists come here:
Chioggia’s main canal, Corso del Popolo, is the Venetian Grand Canal less pompous, modest sisterflanked by lean mansions and family restaurants, and of course the Cathedral of Chioggia, a 17th-century Baroque masterpiece that rises high above the canals, is worth the detour alone.
Friedrichstadt, Germany
The odd one out
Friedrichstadt, also known as the ‘German Amsterdam’, is a small town in northern Germany best known for the Dutch-style waterways that run through its historic center. It doesn’t necessarily have a Venetian character, but hey, the canals are there!
If you’re wondering why it feels more like the Netherlands than Germany proper, you should know that much of the old city follows a Dutch Mannerist design.
After all, it was founded by Dutch immigrants who fled religious persecution in the 17th century, so it’s hardly a shock that they would have injected their culture and culture into it. savoir faire in urban planning.
The houses here have steep facades and half-timbered construction a la Amsterdam, and they are located along the cutest, postcard-ready navigable canals. The main difference? There are no hordes of Instagrammers visible from the cafe-lined area Marketplace to the picturesque Main channel.
Martigues, France
The lost Provencal Twin
Martigues, a picturesque coastal town on the shores of the French Mediterranean, is just a half-hour drive from bustling Marseille. Given its beautiful main canal and colorful waterfront buildings, it may come as no surprise to you that that’s what the locals call it La Venise Provencale.
The Venice of Provence.
Martigues is built on three main islands, separated by busy waterways and linked by walkways, but the comparisons don’t end there: the narrow Italian buildings with green shutters, the laid-back atmosphere and the fishing heritage. Real makes it feel like a Provencal echo of Veneto.
The food scene here is undoubtedly next level. For authentic Marseille-style bouillabaisse or fresh seasonal dishes with wine pairings, head to La Cocotte de l’île: it’s in the heart of the canal belt, and for the south of France, an average $19 main course isn’t bad at all.
Comacchio, Italy
The distant cousin
We are going back south to Italy for this. You may not know this, but Veneto isn’t the only region in Italy known for its floating cities: Comacchio, in the borders of Emilia-Romagna, looks (and feels) like a distant cousin of Venice.
Spread over several small islands, which are naturally unevenly arranged in the serene Valli di Comacchio lagoon, it features the typical Venetian arch bridges over canals, colorful buildings and towering bell towers that have tilted dangerously sideways over the centuries.
Of course, it feels a lot more intimate and less exaggerated than Venice, which was once the center of a mighty maritime empire. We dare to say that the locals are also a lot friendlier.
The local ‘Rialto’, the Trepponti Bridge, is the iconic multi-arched symbol, but the real showstopper is the Renaissance Palazzo Bellini: impossible symmetry, beautiful windows and ornate cornices. Nothing less than a Northern Italian stunner.
Aveiro, Portugal
The Portuguese Look-Alike
Portugal is best known for its hilly port towns, but what if we told you that halfway between Lisbon and Porto, a few kilometers inland, lies a Venice look-alike with decorated flat-bottomed gondolas travel across large canals and see azulejo-clad buildings reflect on the water?
Aveiro has rightly been crowned Portuguese Venice, not only because of its canals and moliceiro boats – pfft, that’s an ongoing theme at the moment – but the rich culinary heritage and abundance of baroque churches.
Pastel de nata is overrated: you don’t have that Real been to Portugal until you tasted Confeitaria Peixinho’s ovos moles.
Aveiro Cathedral, a Gothic-Baroque mash-up, has a grand interior with gilded altarpieces, and if you find Venice’s Grand Canal impressive, wait until you’ve strolled along João Mendonça Street on the canal side, lined with Art Nouveau facades, intricate tile patterns and wrought-iron balconies.
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