The World's 7 Most Romantic Canal Cities That Aren't Venice

There are few images as evocative of the romance of travel as the canals of Venice, and with good reason. There's something tantalizingly exotic to the average urban dweller about the idea of a city with waterways and boats instead of streets and buses. But Venice is far from the only city to use this strategy for connectivity, and with concerns about the effects of overtourism in Venice mounting, it pays to find an alternative destination.

Luckily, canals happen to be a fantastic way to get around, and cities spanning the globe have figured this out over the centuries and planned around them. If you feel like ditching the car in favor of a boat on your next adventure, these seven cities with prominent canal systems are equally romantic alternatives to Venice, without the environmental concerns, crowds, and sky-high prices that might take a trip to the world's most famous canal city off the table. With a quiet atmosphere, beautiful traditional architecture, and an intimate feel, they're bound to bring the romance — no stratospheric prices or throngs of fellow tourists required.

One of Japan's best-hidden gems, accessible by Shinkansen bullet train, is the once-prosperous merchant town of Kurashiki, set between the regional hub of Okayama City and the much more popular Hiroshima. The city's historic core is built around a system of canals and retains its historic look and feel. Willows droop over narrow canals between historic warehouses in the Bikan Historical Quarter, a perfectly romantic slice of traditional Japan that you'd be hard-pressed to find in crowded Kyoto or Nara. Travelers online rate it a great-value destination with a relaxed, uncrowded atmosphere.  

The medieval town of Bruges is by no means a hidden gem. It's been voted the most walkable city in Europe, and nearly everything about it, from its chocolate shops and romantic canals to its landmark cathedral, has helped put the town on the map. But does that change the fact that this beautifully preserved medieval town is fairytale-romantic and totally worth the visit? Not in the slightest. It's popular for good reason, and Bruges is a town no list of romantic canal cities could possibly exclude. Plus, it's often cheaper to visit than Venice!

Venice isn't the only romantic canal city in the Adriatic. Take Trogir, a UNESCO-listed town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia with a heritage of Venetian rule. Its Old Town is on an island separated from the mainland by a canal that's crossed by pedestrian bridges to allow access to its narrow medieval streets and historic architecture from a variety of periods. Unlike Venice, it's also doable on a tight budget, despite offering many of the same draws. In short, it's all the Venetian romance without the Venetian problems — what more could you hope for?

The nickname "Venice of the East" has been applied to cities across Asia with even the faintest canal connection, but in the case of Suzhou, located half an hour from Shanghai in China's Jiangsu Province, it rings true. The "water city" of Suzhou has a 2,500-year history, UNESCO World Heritage-designated gardens, and beautiful canal streets lined with traditional architecture, including some branches of the famous Grand Canal, which runs through Suzhou en route from Beijing to Hangzhou. One visitor to Suzhou on Facebook praised its relaxed atmosphere, which contrasted the fast pace and crowds in larger Chinese cities. 

It's hard to get more romantic than the medieval architecture lining the canal streets of Annecy, an Alpine city set against a stunning mountain lake. Stone bridges and historic buildings, not to mention the picture-perfect backdrop of the French Alps, make a stroll along the canals through the Old Town about as storybook-charming as it gets. And although it's not unknown, Annecy is also far from crowded – there won't be throngs of people in all of your photos. Nor are the prices sky-high, making Annecy a great alternative to both Paris and Venice.

The capital city of Denmark is hardly a hidden gem among travelers, but few realize that Copenhagen unites the major city amenities of Amsterdam or Venice with the romance of quiet canals flanked by lovely architecture that other canal cities tend to lack. Whether you ply the waters in self-piloted boats or water buses, these canals offer a new vantage point on some of the most scenic stretches of Copenhagen. Its canals pass by stately historic buildings that showcase Copenhagen at its grandest and most romantic. What's more, it's a sustainability-forward city that dodges Venice's myriad environmental concerns. 

If you noticed the glaring exclusion of Amsterdam from this list, there was a reason: It's facing the same kind of overtourism as Venice and might be a destination to say goodbye to for now. In its place, allow us to suggest the uncrowded Dutch gem of Alkmaar, where you'll find all the same historic canal houses fronting quiet waterways that make Amsterdam seem so romantic, only 30 minutes away by train. Praised by travelers online as a quiet Amsterdam alternative, it's famous for its 400-year-old canalside cheese market, held every Friday between September and March.