The best barge canal holiday destinations in Europe

[jw5]

London, England -

Little Venice is an affluent residential district in West London, around the junction of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Regent's Canal, and the entrance to Paddington Basin. The junction, also known as Little Venice and Browning's Pool, forms a triangular shape basin designed to allow long canal boats to turn around.

 

[jw5]

Crinan, Scotland -

The Crinan Canal cruise meanders through truly magnificent scenery and is rich in history, with many world-class heritage sites. It is a designated wildlife reserve with stretches of forest walks and cycle ways. If you bring your own bike (or you can rent one in Ardrishaig), you can cycle the towpath and explore the canal's surroundings.

 

[jw5]

Nancy, France -

The Marne River has inspired artists, such as Cézanne and Pissarro, for years, and continues to inspire all who encounter it today. The Canal de la Marne au Rhin is a 314-km canal that stretches from Strasbourg in Alsace to Nancy in Lorraine.

 

[k1976]

Amsterdam, Netherlands -

Most of Amsterdam’s world-renowned canals are flanked on either side by over 2,500 houseboats. This unique accommodation became popular after World War II due to an abundance of damaged houses.

Must visit Zaandam and take the boat ride

 

[k1976]

Zaadam - I lost my old photo

 

[jw5]

Hamburg, Germany -

There are several different operators for a Hamburg canal trip, and each route is individually taylored. The trip over the Kleine Alster is one of two options and leads through the city center past the town hall market to the Nikolaifleet and the Zollkanal neighbourhoods, through the Speicherstadt and part of the old harbor.

 

[ChinaCommunistSG]

Beautiful

 

[jw5]

Stockholm, Sweden -

Stockholm's most famous waterway, the Djurgårdsbrunnskanalen, runs through the center of the city, separating attraction-heavy Djurgården island (home to cultural powerhouses like the Vasa and Abba museums) from the mainland. The five km tow path that follows the canal is one of Stockholm's most popular walking routes.

 

[jw5]

Utrecht, Netherlands -

The stunning and magical Dutch town of Utrecht is enclosed by a six km canal ring that acts as the city’s main artery. You’ll find a series of delightful wharfs dotted along the waterway providing a Utrechtian hallmark, since it’s one of the only towns in the world to feature these kinds of urban working docks that date back to the Middle Ages. These days, they’re used less for loading cargo and more as floating terraces where happy locals and visitors mingle and drink and bask in the sun.

 

[jw5]

Birmingham, England -

Birmingham is England’s second city and is bursting with beautiful waterways with an impressive and extensive canal network, meandering through the city’s most significant historic neighborhoods. Try seeing them all on a guided walk from the Canal & River Trust, before rewarding yourself with a terrace-top pint at one of the Gas Street Basin’s many quality drinking holes.

 

[jw5]

Annecy, France -

Annecy’s picture postcard old town has a sliver of glinting water snaking between rows of pastel-colored houses, with locals calling it the “Venice of the Alps.” Spend the day weaving between the many restaurants, bakeries, and boutiques that line the canals, all housed in buildings dating back hundreds of years.