Erie Canal & Great Lakes

Visit Niagara Falls with River Cruise Your Way

UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the Erie Canal & Great Lakes

Along the Erie Canal and Great Lakes of the Northeast United States, and nearby you can find these amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visits to some may be included in your river cruise itinerary, but some may require some creative travel planning by your River Cruise Artist in order to visit.  Learn more below about these UNESCO Sites and the history you can experience when you visit them. Let River Cruise Your Way take you away to the history around the Erie Canal and Great Lakes.

The Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal, a monumental early 19th-century construction covering 125 miles of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers from Ottawa south to Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario, was built primarily for strategic military purposes at a time when Great Britain and the United States vied for control of the region. The site, one of the first canals to be designed specifically for steam-powered vessels, also features an ensemble of fortifications. It is the best-preserved example of a slackwater canal in North America, demonstrating the use of this European technology on a large scale. It is the only canal dating from the great North American canal-building era of the early 19th century to remain operational along its original line with most of its structures intact.

The Statue of Liberty

Made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the steel framework), this renowned monument to liberty was a gift from France on the centenary of American independence. Inaugurated in 1886, the sculpture stands at the entrance to New York Harbour and has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States ever since. Perhaps a visit to New York City with a customized pre- or post-trip extension customized by River Cruise Your Way will enable your visit to this amazing monument to Liberty.

Your Erie Canal & Great Lakes Cruise Awaits!

Are you ready to start planning your Erie Canal & Great Lakes Cruise Vacation Your Way? A River Cruise Artist at River Cruise Your Way is ready to be your vacation concierge. Contact us today at 1-800-259-7612 or use the form below and let us know when it is most convenient to call you, we will confirm via e-mail, and then reach out at the agreed upon time and date.