Gracht

The canal ( Dutch pronunciation: ɣrɑχt, plural: canals ) is generally the Dutch and Low German term for channel, ditch or moat.

In a narrower sense narrow, artificial waterways are designated cities of the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium as canals. Best known are the Amsterdam canals that run through the entire city center in several rings and are spanned by many bridges. The Canal Belt of Amsterdam was created for convenient delivery and collection of goods from 1612 to directly built it warehouse and merchants' houses, and for drainage and defense.

The network of navigable waterways of Amsterdam has a total length of over 80 kilometers. These include the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. For tourists Canal Cruises are offered. Other cities in the Netherlands with canals are Alkmaar, Delft, Dordrecht, Gouda, Groningen, Haarlem, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Utrecht and Zwolle. In the Belgian cities Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent there are also canals. Canals were also in the German town of Friedrichstadt in Schleswig -Holstein, founded in 1621 as Exulantensiedlung of Dutch Arminianism created.

In the German - Dutch-Belgian border area and sunken roads caused by the transport of timber, called a " canal " are. Of these canals exist in each area are usually several canal and the name is often found in street names of this area.

Etymologically canal is connected with its moat, one into High German taken from the Low German term for a moat.

Others

• The canals in Duisburg are an urban element as part of the renovation of the downtown area
• Similar waterways in Hamburg are called canals.
• The trench around the Great Park in Hanover -Herrenhausen is called Graft.
• Another Dutch and Low German term for moats is Delf.