SOften the beauty of cities is reflected in the waters of the rivers that cross them. AND the charm of liquid cities. Water as an inseparable element from the city’s identity. A complex and articulated relationship, a close bond that is shaped and changed over the centuries, but without ever breaking. Happens in Paris and the Seine, in France. Along its banks, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 19991, prestigious monuments and sumptuous historic buildings rise, as well as the Notre-Dame cathedral, on the Île de la Cité. The famous monument, destroyed by fire in 2019, will be reopened to the public at the end of 2024.
On the waters of Paris
Staying atOff Paris Seine (offparisseine.com), floating hotel moored near Austerlitz station, you can choose which bank of the river to look out on to admire how the play of light and reflections change at different times of the day. Another privileged view is the one enjoyed from an electric boat on a short private cruise (greenriver-paris.fr) to see Paris pass before your eyes from an unusual perspective, or sail freely (even without a boating license) on the canals north of Paris (marindeaudouce.fr).
During the third edition of ParisLocalscheduled for November 17-19it is possible to visit the ateliers near the river of various artisans to observe carving the slate typical of Parisian roofs (toitsparisiens.com), to admire Camille Orfevre, a goldsmith-restorer at work (camilleorfevre.fr) or even taste jams (confiture-parisienne.com)or have a drink at the Bonnie bar (bonnie-restaurant.com), on the sixteenth floor overlooking Paris, the Seine and the Eiffel Towerperhaps staying at the Best Western Quartier Latin (bestwestern-quartier-latin.com), on the Left Bank.
Flow in Tyrol
The enchantment of water is undeniable; if it then flows placidly through the heart of the city it becomes an essential feature. Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol, in Austriais a city with a singular combination of culture, nature and sport. Its name means bridge over the Inn river, along which historic pastel-colored buildings overlook.
A glimpse of Innsbruck, on the Inn river. (Getty Images)
Walking around the center you come across various testimonies of the history of this elegant city in the Alps, shaped by the Habsburg emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519), in the transition period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The emperor made it the heart of his kingdom, which stretched from Spain to Hungary, and commissioned it Zeughaus, the arsenal, to the east of the city, which today houses a museum in the fortress, and the Golden Roof, an erker (a balcony) with a roof of golden copper tiles, the symbol of the city. To admire the river from above, the alleys and the peaks around Innsbruck, you can climb the 133 steps of the medieval Civic Tower or, even better, in twenty minutes from the centre, reach the mountain stations Seegrube (1905 meters) or Hafelekar (2256 meters) with the facilities Nordkettenbahnen (nordkette.com).
The Danube in Zagreb
The charm of water can be found in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, bathed by a tributary of the Danube: the Sava. Here the river is not yet navigable, but it becomes navigable further along its course. On its banks, one of the city’s best-kept secrets, is an area with a style all its own, far from the 19th-century Habsburg architecture of the old town. You discover it on foot, jogging or cycling. The liveliest part of the right bank is located between the Jadranski bridge (Adriatic bridge), which can be reached from the city center by tram 14 or 17, and the Slobode bridge (freedom bridge).
A curiosity: the green railway bridge Zeleni Most, has been called Hendrix by the people, since graffiti with the surname of the legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix first appeared on the bridge in 1995. Immediately after the bridge the walk passes through the largest open-air art gallery in the capital, which in recent years has linked the city more and more closely to the river. There are 12 sculptures created by important Croatian artists, the most famous is Putokaz, the pair of enormous upside-down legs signed by Zvonimir Lončaric. A little further north there is the Caffe bar Vrtuljak, for a relaxing stop on the river, and approaching the Slobode bridge there is the legendary Club Močvara (mochvara.hr), mecca of alternative music.
Where to sleep in Paris, Zagreb and Innsbruck
Le Bristol Paris
Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 112, Paris. Five-star Parisian sophistication, on one of the city’s most elegant streets. Double room from 1,900 euros. oetkercollection.com
Best Western Quartier Latin
Rue Monge 71, Paris. On the left bank of the Seine, near the Sorbonne, the Panthéon and rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest and liveliest streets in the city. Double room from 170 euros. bestwestern-quartier-latin.com
Hotel 9
Avenija Marina Drzića, Zagreb. Boutique hotel, central and modern with the dominant white color on the first floor. Double room from 130 euros. hotel9.hr
The swimming pool of the Hotel Das Innsbruck.
Hotel Das Innsbruck
Innrain 3, Innsbruck. In the city center, a package proposed by Gattinoni: three nights in a double room in December with breakfast, a guided walk and visit to the Swarowski factory, 680 euros per person. hotelinnsbruck.com/it/
Where to eat
Balon
Savska Cesta 56, Zagreb. Close to the banks of the Sava, with windows on three sides, it offers contemporary dishes. restaurantbalon.com
Ottoburg restaurant
Herzog-Friedrich- Strasse 1, Innsbruck. Try the käsespätzle, cheese dumplings, the Viennese schnitzel or the roast deer accompanied by blueberries and red cabbage. ottoburg.at
Info on cities:
infozagreb.hr/it
innsbruck.info
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