Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam Dec 15, 2025

Spiegelgracht canal in Amsterdam

Have you ever wondered how canals changed the way cities developed? For thousands of years, people have built canals to transport goods, control water flow and connect places. From ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to medieval Europe, they transformed cities like Venice and Bruges into trade hubs. The Netherlands took this even further—by the 17th century, they were designing waterways that shaped cities such as Amsterdam.

© Amith Nag Photography/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 15, 2023SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
Dec 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 21, 2024Ore Mountains, Saxony, Germany
Jan 1, 2025Polar bears in the Arctic
Jun 17, 2024Green-crowned brilliant
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Feb 19, 2024Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Jan 14, 2025Village of Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, Spain
Mar 28, 2026African buffalo, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Jan 14, 2024Whooper swans
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Nov 13, 2025Quiver trees, Namibia
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
June 11, 2026Limpets at low tide on the coast of Praia da Ursa, Portugal
Aug 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument
Oct 8, 2024Mototi octopus
Jun 11, 2024A group of Southern gemsbok in the savannah, Botswana, USA
Aug 6, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
Jan 21, 2026Eurasian red squirrel
Oct 30, 2023Common raven
Feb 5, 2024Monarch butterflies
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
June 1, 2026Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Apr 21, 2026European hedgehog, France
Nov 21, 2025Harbour seals
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
Apr 11, 2024Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Apr 18, 2025Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Jan 5, 2026A herd of impalas