Almost all cities around the world were built along waterways, or along a coast of an ocean, sea or lake. The multifaceted relationships between urban planning and water have structured and influenced the development of metropolitan areas, cities, towns, rural areas, villages, and even neighbourhoods throughout history and will continue to do so (Brandeis et al. (2014)).
Over time, the settling of humans next to rivers and lakes has transformed the natural environment into the towns and cities we see today. Urbanisation has come at a cost to rivers and lakes, as they have been heavily degraded to enable development, carry waste, supply drinking water and facilitate transport and industry.
In Europe, almost all capital cities have at least one major river or lake crossing their urban landscape (see Table 2). The largest rivers of Europe such as the Danube, the Rhine and the Elbe are home to a number of cities on their main channels, their tributaries of the wider catchment and on their estuaries.
Table 2. Major rivers and lakes of the capitals of the 33 EEA member countries.
EEA member countries |
Capitals |
Rivers and lakes |
Austria |
Vienna |
River Danube, River Wienfluss, River Liesing |
Belgium |
Brussels |
River Senne |
Bulgaria |
Sofia |
A number of rivers cross the city, including the Vladayska and the Perlovska |
Croatia |
Zagreb |
River Sava, Jarun Lake |
Cyprus |
Nicosia |
River Pedieos |
Czech Republic |
Prague |
River Vltava |
Denmark |
Copenhagen |
Lakes Sortedam, Peblinge, and Sankt Jørgens Lake (originally, there was one long stream which was dammed) |
Estonia |
Tallinn |
Lake Ülemiste, Lake Harku, River Pirita |
Finland |
Helsinki |
River Vantaa |
France |
Paris |
River Seine, Lake Daumesnil |
Germany |
Berlin |
River Spree, River Havel, several lakes (Tegeler See, Großer Wannsee, Großer Müggelsee) |
Greece |
Athens |
Historical rivers are the Cephissus river, the Ilisos and the Eridanos stream |
Hungary |
Budapest |
River Danube |
Iceland |
Reykjavík |
River Elliðaá |
Ireland |
Dublin |
River Liffey, River Tolka, River Dodder |
Italy |
Rome |
River Tiber |
Latvia |
Riga |
River Daugava |
Liechtenstein |
Vaduz |
- |
Lithuania |
Vilnius |
River Vilnia, River Neris, numerous lakes |
Luxembourg |
Luxembourg |
River Alzette, River Pétrusse |
Malta |
Valletta |
- |
The Netherlands |
Amsterdam |
River Amstel, River/Lake IJ |
Norway |
Oslo |
River Alna, River Akerselva, Lake Maridalsvannet, Lake Østensjøvannet and many smaller lakes |
Poland |
Warsaw |
River Vistula, several lakes e.g. Czerniaków Lake, the lakes in the Łazienki or Wilanów Parks, Kamionek Lake. |
Portugal |
Lisbon |
River Tagus |
Romania |
Bucharest |
River Dâmbovița, River Colentina, numerous lakes e.g. Lake Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina, |
Slovakia |
Bratislava |
River Danube, River Morava, several lakes |
Slovenia |
Ljubljana |
Rivers Ljubljanica, Sava, Gradaščica, Mali Graben, Iška and Iščica |
Spain |
Madrid |
River Manzanares |
Sweden |
Stockholm |
Lake Mälaren; River Norrström |
Switzerland |
Bern |
River Aare |
Turkey |
Ankara |
River Ankara Çayı ran through the center of the Roman town; it is now covered and diverted |
United Kingdom |
London |
River Thames, St. James Park Lake, Serpentine Lake |
Some of the most popular tourist city destinations in Europe are built on and strongly defined by their rivers, among others Paris on the River Seine, Rome on the Tiber, Budapest and Vienna on the Danube, Prague on the Vltava and London on the Thames. Some European cities, such as Dublin, are characterised by a complex water landscape unknown to most visitors passing through (see box below).
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Regarding lakes and rivers mentioned in Table 2 for Reykjavík, Iceland:
The river already mentioned (Elliðaá) is usually called Elliðaár (in plural because of two channels).
Additional Lakes that might be metioned are Elliðavatn and Langavatn but both are only partly inside the bounderies of the municipality of Reykjavík.
Additional river is the river Korpa and the river Leirvogsá. Leirvogsá lies for the most part on the boundery of the municipality of Reykjavík and the neighbouring municipality.
b.r. Tryggvi