All over Europe, beautiful waterways big and small have been relegated to pipes hidden under the city. In that respect, Utrecht was no different until they put the question to residents: do you want the canal back? The people of Utrecht voted overwhelmingly in this ‘wet-erendum’ to demolish the 12 lane motorway that had been built over the canal, bringing the water and surrounding greenery back to the city.
It’s twenty years since that vote, and the last section of the canal has finally been unveiled. As well as plenty of infrastructure and activities for local people and visitors, the canal also boasts a gizmo for another kind of visitor; the ‘fish doorbell’ is a screen that lets passersby see if there are many fish waiting at the canal gate to swim on to their mating spot. If there are, you can press a button that alerts the lock keeper that it’s time to come and let them through.
