Utrecht
A canal on two levels: wharves and cellars just above the water.
Utrecht is the city of the Oudegracht. Along the canal the city has two levels: up top, cyclists and shoppers pass the façades; a few metres lower lies the wharf, with vaulted cellars behind it that run under the street. Canals with wharves like these are considered unique in the world. They grew out of centuries of digging, trading and making clever use of a difference in height. Cellars that once held goods for trade are now homes, studios and terraces by the water.