Oudegracht

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The Oudegracht, or "old canal", runs through the centre of Utrecht, the Netherlands. It start in the south-east of the city. Here the Kromme Rijn (the original main bed of the Rhine river) and the Vaartse Rijn (a medieval canal reconnecting Utrecht to the newer main stream of the Rhine, the Lek arrive to meat the original moat of the fortified town, and the Oudegracht goes from there into the center of town. Parts of the Oudegracht follow the original flow of the river Rhine, but there is some disagreement what parts. The northern part is most likely an early canal (app. 1100) connecting the Rhine section to the river Vecht. The water level of the Oudegracht is lower than when it was constructed, hence the typical wharfs (Dutch: werven) below street level. Warehouses used to line the canal, today many of these warehouses have been converted into restaurants and cafés.