10 Amazing Cities Built Near or Through Rivers

In ancient times, the cities were built near rivers to have easy and convenient access to water. This helped people in growing crops and raising livestock without much effort. Considering the commercial perspective of ancient civilizations, it was cheaper to build cities near a river for agricultural reasons.

And in modern times, the goods are shipped along rivers from a country to another. The cities situated near rivers also gave them opportunities to trade large volumes of goods rather than transporting them through caravans.

So here are some amazing cities built near or through some major rivers in the world.

1. London - River Thames

Built on the River Thames in the southeast of the island of Great Britain, London has been a major city for settlement for over 2 millennia. The longest river in England and second-longest in the UK, the River Thames is 215 miles long and flows through southern England, most notably through London gushing the entire Greater London.

Having a rise and fall of 7 m, Teddington Lock is where the river’s tidal section reaches up to including most of its London stretch. River Thames has been the “London River” for the merchant seamen. This river is responsible for providing two-thirds of London's drinking water in the total catchment area.

2. Kolkata - Hooghly River

Indian city Kolkata is built near the banks of the Hooghly river. The city stretches north-south along the east bank of the river. Ferry services connect Kolkata with its twin city Howrah that is located along the Hooghly river. The river is the source of potable drinking water for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

3. Budapest - Danube River

Hungary’s capital city Budapest has its central area along the Danube River; this area is classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site having Gresham Palace, Liberty Statue, Buda Castle among others. It is the largest city on the Danube which unified two parts of banks in 1873- Buda on the west and Pest on the east.

Europe’s second-longest and one of the most known rivers ‘Danube’ is 2872 km long that flows through the capital city of Budapest. It has also been a part of the trans-European waterway beginning at the Black Sea and runs all the way to the North Sea.

4. Cairo - The River Nile

The Egyptian city Cairo lies along the Nile River. Over the years, the river has moved westward and the western bank of the Nile is generally included inside the urban and commercial area of Cairo. Cairo Tower is located in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the Nile River.

5. Agra- Yamuna River

Agra, the city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, stands on the bank of the river Yamuna. The magnificent monument & UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Taj Mahal’ lies on the south bank of the river. Then there’s Mehtab Bagh or Moonlight, Ram Bagh, Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb, or ‘Baby Taj’ also lying on the bank of river Yamuna.

6. Amsterdam - The Amstel River

The capital city of Netherlands ‘Amsterdam’ is situated near the Amstel river. The river ends in the city center and is connected to various canals that eventually terminate in the IJ. The building complex ‘Stopera,’ where the Amsterdam City Hall and Dutch National Opera and Ballet House are located, and the Hermitage Museum are also located on the Amstel River.

7. Lisbon - Tagus River

Lisbon is situated on the mouth of River Tagus. The longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, the southern bank of 626-mile-long River Tagus has the heavily industrialized Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the monument to Christ the King (Cristo-Rei).

8. Berlin - River Spree

The capital and largest city of Germany ‘Berlin’ is nearly 250 miles in length. The river Spree flows through the city center of Berlin. Berlin's most iconic bridge Oberbaumbrücke crosses the River Spree. The UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Museum Island’ in the river has 5 museums.

9. Shanghai - Yangtze River

Located in the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai sits on the south edge of the estuary of the Yangtze in the middle portion of the East China coast. The international attention to Shanghai proliferated in the 19th century when Europe recognized its economic and trade potential at the Yangtze River.

10. Varanasi - The River Ganges

Standing on the banks of Indian city Varanasi, the River Ganges is a 1560 mile long river that originates from India’s Western Himalayas and gushes into the Sunderbans delta at the Bay of Bengal. Due to great mythological and historical significance, the Ganges River is regarded as the National River of India.