1. Seine, Paris
Integral to the sublime romance of Paris, the Seine curves through 10 of the city’s 20 arrondissements, its banks dotted with some of the most famous landmarks of Europe. It was both to celebrate and protect this glorious waterway, with its elegant bridges and beautiful buildings, that the stretch between the Eiffel Tower in the west and Saint-Chapelle and Notre Dame cathedral in the east was added to Unesco’s World Heritage list in 1991. From Easter to All Saints’ Day (1 November) the city’s river shuttle is in operation here, offering one of the finest ways to see this supremely stylish city.
2. Ill, Strasbourg
The principal city of France’s Alsace region was strategically founded by the Romans on an island in the river Ill, close to its confluence with the Rhine on what is now the border with Germany. For all Strasbourg’s current bureaucratic associations as the seat of the Council of Europe, its historic heart is a picturesque place of Gothic churches, gables, ancient battlements and atmospheric bridges. These are best seen either by strolling the banks of the Ill or joining a bâteau mouche tour, operating throughout the year from the landing stage of the Palais Rohan.
3. Vltava, Prague
The Czech Republic’s longest river, the Vltava, cuts through the centre of this stunning city of turrets, spires and domes. The views from Karluv Most, or Charles Bridge, are famously breathtaking but even more so is a trip along the city’s magnificent waterway, with the cream and golden hues of elegant baroque buildings mirrored on the surface.
4. Danube, Vienna
The Danube slices this wedding cake of a city into unequal halves. The old town and most of the historic sights are south of the river, with the Danube Canal, which branches off from the main waterway, forming one of the borders of the ancient centre. While the sumptuous Schloss Schönbrunn, the sublime latticework of the Stephansdom church and other splendours of Austria’s most famously romantic city are best viewed on foot, a number of river boat companies offer musical evening cruises and day trips along the Danube Canal and the river.
5. Rhône, Lyon
Ancient capital of Gaul, 19th-century centre of silk weaving, and now considered the gastronomic heart of France, Lyon sits at the confluence of the Rhône and the Soane. Conventionally tourists home in on the architectural riches of the central district and, for gourmet sightseeing at the least, stroll down the rue Mercière on Presqu’île. But for a fine outlook of the cityscape, take a ride on Lyon’s rivers. Snaking through the town along both the Rhône and the Soane, you glide beneath at least 20 of the city’s bridges, gazing up at the imposing cathedral of Saint-Jean and at the dramatic Fourvière Basilica, and passing great sweeps of Renaissance facades.
6. Neva, St Petersburg
An imperial masterpiece, St Petersburg remains very much the dream and vision of Tsar Peter I (later dubbed “the Great”). In the early 18th century he orchestrated the construction of this purpose-built capital on the banks of the river Neva, draining the surrounding swamps into a network of canals in the process. The result is still a jawdropping fusion of water and architecture, with magnificent panoramas of pillared mansions intensified through reflections. To view the city from its watery thoroughfares is to take in its true glory. From May to October riverboat tours depart from a number of piers including Anichkov Bridge at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Fontanka river, Ploshchad Dekabristov, near the bronze equestrian statue of Peter, and Griboedov Canal near Nevsky Prospekt metro station.
7. Ljubljana, Ljubljana
A stroll along the gently bustling banks of Ljubljana river in Slovenia’s capital presents a superb prospect of the atmospheric Old Town which is billed as “the new Prague”. Lined with bars, cafés and restaurants, the river offers wonderful vistas of Baroque and Art Nouveau mansions interspersed with overhanging trees and foliage. There are graceful bridges to amble across, intriguing alleys to explore and a seemingly endless choice of churches and impressive galleries and museums to visit. In the summer and early autumn boat tours operate from Ribji trg pier near Ljubljana’s Triple Bridge.
8. Dnepr, Kiev
The Dnepr river flows from Russia into Belarus, and then cuts a great swathe through Ukraine and its capital, Kiev. River trips provide a striking perspective of this city, founded in the 5th century and, despite wars, fires and invasions, still containing some of the architectural treasures of the region. On one side the golden domes of the stunning Caves monastery at Pechersk rise above the foliage while the stupendous statue of Mother Ukraine glints on the horizon. On the opposite bank, great slabs of Soviet-style apartment blocks serve as monumental reminders of the recent past. Private boats can be hired from the central river station.
9. Thames, London
With the redevelopment of Bankside, the opening of the London Eye and the completion of the 183-mile (294km) Thames Path (which runs from the source of the river in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in Docklands), Londoners have finally rediscovered the waterway that was once the great thoroughfare of their city. But for years tourists needed no such inducements and appreciated that the Thames offers wonderful panoramas and perspectives of some of London’s finest and most historic sights. During the 1990s about two million visitors a year took cruises on this great waterway. The majority of these services operate between piers at Waterloo or Westminster and Greenwich, providing spirited commentary on the capital’s architectural glories and its mercantile past as the boats sail slowly past such landmarks as the Houses of Parliament, the Globe Theatre, St Paul’s and the Tower of London.
10. Moselle, Trier
Once known as “the second Rome”, Trier was founded on the banks of the Moselle in 16BC. For centuries Germany’s oldest city remained one of the great political and cultural power centres of Europe, its fortunes faltering after Viking invasions in the 800s. By today’s standards Trier is a small and compact place. Its Roman and medieval glories are best explored on foot before taking a soothing trip along the Moselle to view the historic city banks and meander on to sleepy villages surrounded by rich wine country. From Easter to October boats depart daily from the city docks at Zurlauben embankment for a four-hour trip to Bernkastel, passing vineyards, churches and semi-ruined fortresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment