The surprising destination tourists are calling ‘the Venice of the UK’ – and it even has its very own Bridge of Sighs
More than anything Venice, The Floating City, is known for its beautiful maze of canals.
You could be forgiven as a Brit for going to the Italian city and assuming that nothing on these shores could come close.
However, one UK city has been labelled as just that – ‘the Venice of the UK’.
Read below to find out why one major English location almost 1000 miles from the Italian tourist hub has garnered this reputation.
Venice’s maze of exquisite canals is one of the main reasons it attracts millions of tourists every year
Venice of the UK? Cambridge has its very own bustling river network, especially on a sunny day
Cambridge has been likened to Venice for many years by those who have visited the East Anglian city.
In addition to an array of Italian delis and restaurants, which frankly you would be hard pushed not to find in a major UK town, Cambridge is complete with a set of canals that can transport you all the way to northern Italy.
The city, home of one of the world’s most prestigious universities, also boasts its own ‘Bridge of Sighs’ which was built over 200 years after the Venetian original.
Getting on the water is the best way to get a view of Cambridge’s copycat crossing.
Punting is a popular sunshine activity for both students and tourists in Cambridge, and resembles the fleets gondolas which are so commonplace in Venice
Cambridge even has its own ‘Bridge of Sighs’ (left), built over 200 years after the original (right)
Punting is a popular activity in the English city, and involves one person standing on the end of the flat-bottomed boat with a long pole, pushing the boat, called a ‘punt’, up the river.
It’s a pastime enjoyed by holiday-makers, locals, and students, especially on the hottest days.
Similar to Venice’s gondolas, which use oars instead of poles, punts are yet another reason why people have been comparing the two cities.
On TikTok Iviè Milan posted a video saying: ‘This is your sign to go punting in Cambridge before it gets too crowded this summer.
‘You get Venice vibes for a fraction of the price, and can even rent out your own punts and go around the River Cam yourself.’
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