The German city of Augsburg was Saturday granted World Heritage status by UNESCO for its over 800-year-old water management system boasting an aquaduct, water towers, ornate fountains, canals and hundreds of bridges.
The 2,000-year-old city in Bavaria state calls the system which has since the Middle Ages provided clean drinking water and sanitation an "intricate interplay between the innovative spirit and a technical tour de force".
The old town centre of Augsburg, located on Germany's Romantic Road, is criss-crossed with canals and boasts over 500 bridges, "more than in Venice", according to the city.
"The history of water in Augsburg is linked to the cultural and artistic wealth of this city," Thomas Weitzel, the city's cultural affairs director, told AFP.
"Augsburg considered water such a precious asset that it has always sought to protect it."
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