WOX TRAVEL CONTEST | WEEK 5 | Walking around Fort Lauderdale, Florida

America's Venice warms the heart during the winter months

Fort Lauderdale is located in the southeastern part of the US state of Florida, about 40 km north of Miami.

Famous for its countless picturesque inland canals, the city deservedly bears the title of "the Venice of America."

The water of the salty Atlantic Ocean and the sweet tributaries of the New River merge into the canals. However, the ride on them is not with gondolas, but with luxury yachts, water taxis and tourist boats.

The subtropical climate, almost year-round sunshine and famous beach have made the city a desirable destination for tourists from the US and abroad.

Florida's tourist season is from November to May, when temperatures are around 25 degrees Celsius, with low humidity and no hurricanes. Residents from the northern states and Canada, affectionately known locally as "snowbirds", come to spend the winter months in Fort Lauderdale and other cities in the southern state.

In addition to Fort Lauderdale Beach, along which luxurious hotels, restaurants and shops elegantly rise, guests of the city can enjoy a few more sights.

The Riverwalk is a scenic promenade located along the New River. A walk along it pleases the eyes of every visitor with a picturesque landscape of flowers and palm trees nestled between luxurious multi-storey residential buildings. On the rest benches, those stopping for a break enjoy slowly passing yachts and restaurants with mouth-watering seafood and cold cocktails.

The Himmarshee Historic District is the oldest part of Fort Lauderdale's commercial center. "Himmarshee" is actually the Native American name of the river and means "New Water". It attracts fans of historic buildings and house-museums.

The city has over four thousand restaurants and over a hundred nightclubs to accommodate the huge amount of tourists. The city is known as the birthplace of comedian Leslie Nilson and the infamous singer Marilyn Manson. The city is known as a yacht center - there are 42 000 yachts on its territory, which are at the ports all year round. The ports themselves are over a hundred.

Fort Lauderdale got its name from the chain of forts built by the US during the Second Seminole War. The forts were named after Major William Lauderdale (William Lauderdale), who commanded the soldiers who built the first fort. But the development of the city did not begin until fifty years had passed since the abandonment of the forts at the end of the war. Three forts named Fort Lauderdale were built.

The place where the forts were built was inhabited thousands of years ago by the Tequesta Indians. In the sixteenth century, the Spanish settlers appeared, who destroyed the tribe, because they brought with them many diseases, which the Indians could not withstand, since these were not typical diseases of the area and they had no built-up immunity to them. Among these diseases was smallpox, which proved fatal to the otherwise healthy and rather hardy Indians.

In 1763 there were only a few Tequesta Indians left in all of Florida. Control over the area changed - it was under the control of the Spanish, the British and the USA.

Fort Lauderdale was known for a long time as the New River Settlement. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, only seventy people lived in it. In 1836, several Indians attacked the farm of the local justice of the peace, and killed his wife and children. The Indians did not attack any other houses, but this marked the beginning of the withdrawal of all the white inhabitants of the settlement.

The development of the city started in the twenties of the twentieth century. In 1926, the Miami Hurricane and then the Great Depression took a toll on the city's economy. At the beginning of World War II, Fort Lauderdale became one of the main American bases where American pilots were trained.

In the 1960s, over 83,000 people lived on the territory of the city. In the seventies of the twentieth century, more than 140,000 people already lived in Fort Lauderdale. Suburbs began to be built, as there was no more room for new buildings in the city. In the 1980s, however, the population experienced stagnation. After the beginning of the 21st century, the city's population increased with the addition of new areas to the city's territory.

If you're looking for a way to warm your heart during the cold winter months, take a short stroll through the scenic Fort Lauderdale spots I saw for you through my camera lens.

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