gracht

Gracht (; plural: grachten) is a Dutch word for a canal within a city. Often, Grachten encircle city centres in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern Germany. Outside the Netherlands, the word grachten mostly refers to the city canals of Amsterdam (for which it is well known) and also Utrecht, Leiden and The Hague. The Koninginnegracht in The Hague was conceived by King Willem I for the promotion of tourism in the early 19th century. Since 2009 the Willemsvaart once more offers tours over this gracht, to Scheveningen, known as "StrandRelax" or "BeachRelax", a unique stretch of sand between The Hague and the sea.

==Translation== thumb|240px|Amsterdam, the [[Netherlands' capital, is known for its UNESCO-listed Grachtengordel (literally: belt).]] thumb|240px|Rokin, Amsterdam - Nov 1977 thumb|240px|A in Groningen, in the Northern Netherlands, locally referred to as a . This particular water way had an open connection to the [[Wadden Sea; the right quay is higher than the left, so ships could be loaded and unloaded at both high and low tide.]] The word cannot be easily translated; for this reason, it is necessary to distinguish between four related terms: A (city-canal) is a waterway in the city with one-way streets on both sides of the water. The streets are lined with houses, often in a closed front. In rare cases, there is only one street, and on the other side of the waterway, the houses border on the water. A (literally meaning ) is a man-made watercourse, usually in the countryside, with or without streets along its banks. A is a canal used for transport, rather than for other purposes such as drainage. Like most , they are usually in the countryside. A is by origin a water-filled moat which surrounds a city for defense purposes. When the city expands, the is incorporated in the city's structure and can no longer be distinguished from a , but the name is usually maintained. As such, often encircle (older) parts of the city. However, in other cases regular were dug in circles as well, like the famous (literal translation: belt) of Amsterdam.