Gardens of Versailles
Grand Canal
With a length of 1,500 metres and a width of 62 metres, the "Grand Canal", which was built between 1668 and 1671, physically and visually prolongs the east-west axis to the walls of the "Grand Parc". During the "Ancien Régime", the "Grand Canal" served as a venue for boating parties. In 1674, as a result of a series of diplomatic arrangements that benefited Louis XIV, the king ordered the construction of "Petite Venise" – Little Venice. Located at the junction of the "Grand Canal" and the junction of the northern transversal branch, Little Venice housed the caravels and yachts that were received from The Netherlands and the gondolas and gondoliers received as gifts from the Doge of Venice, hence the name (Marie 1968; Nolhac 1901, 1925; Thompson 2006; Verlet 1985).
Venice
Having failed in its 2013 bid to ban oversized cruise ships from the Giudecca canal, the city switched to a new strategy in mid-2017, banning the creation of any additional hotels; currently, there are over 24,000 hotel rooms. (The ban does not affect short-term rentals in the historic center which is causing an increase in rent for the native residents of Venice.) The city had already banned any additional fast food "take-away" outlets to retain the historic character of the city; this was another reason for freezing the number of hotel rooms. Less than half the millions of annual visitors stay overnight, however.