The "mystery" behind the nicknames of famous cities.

Below is a collection of nicknames and familiar ways of referring to famous cities around the world that many people are already familiar with.

Let's start with nicknames that "need little explanation," such as Chicago (USA), known as the "Windy City," or Los Angeles, which, from Spanish, means "City of Angels." Ushuaia, in Argentina, is a settlement at the southernmost point of the planet and is known as the "End of the World."

"The City of Seven Hills" or "The City of Four Rivers" are nicknames that tell us a lot about the topography of Lisbon, Portugal, and Turin, Italy. The Italian capital, Rome, was also built on seven hills but is often called the "Eternal City" because the Romans believed their empire would last forever.

Vancouver, Canada, is often jokingly called the "Rainy City." Still related to the weather theme, some popular resorts and tourist destinations are often drawn to by their "not too hot, not too cold" characteristics. These are often hilltop towns in tropical countries or regions, where the high altitude allows visitors to escape the heat of urban areas.

Da Lat in Vietnam (1,500 meters above sea level) is a prime example of a summer getaway, similar to Kunming in China. Or the city of Medellin, in Colombia, also nicknamed "The Land of Eternal Spring".

Da Lat is also known as Vietnam's "Honeymoon City," much like Paris is known as the "City of Love." Philadelphia, on the other hand, is known as the "City of Brotherhood," because in Greek, phileo means "affection" and adelphos means "brother."

Las Vegas is often referred to as the "Sin City," although locals prefer the name "The Entertainment Center of the World."

Or some regions also have nicknames based on similarities to other more famous cities. Many places are known as the Venice of the North (such as Saint Petersburg, Russia), the East (Suzhou, China), the South (Sitangkai, Philippines) or the West (Nantes, France), let's not forget the Venice of Hong Kong (China), Tai O.

Next, Prague is known as the "City of a Hundred Towers," although many say the Czech capital has between 500 and 1,000 towers, turrets, and bell towers.

Founded on the religious diversity of its formative years, Adelaide, Australia, is known as the "City of Churches". Meanwhile, Oxford, England, is the "City of Dreamy Towers," a testament to its captivating architecture once described in a Victorian poem.

Some nicknames are related to food and drink. Bordeaux, France, is known as Cité du Vin, or "The City of Wine." The bustling city of New York is more commonly known as "The Big Apple," associated with the popular horse racing of the 1920s.

More recently, several cities in Southeast Asia have also been known by similar nicknames, such as Jakarta being called "Big Durian" or Bangkok sometimes being called "Big Mango". Additionally, in common Thai, Bangkok is also known as Krung Thep, or "City of Angels".

Some nicknames reflect the ambitions of the city. Hollywood has been known as Tinseltown since the 1920s. The name evokes the bright and glittering light of the area's thriving film industry.

The Indian city of Mumbai is known as the "City of Dreams," for the thousands of migrants who arrive daily from across the Indian subcontinent in search of a better life.

Let's return to Venice, one of the places with the most nicknames. It has been called the "City of Canals" (with 150 waterways), the "Floating City" (117 islands), and the "City of Bridges" (with at least 400 bridges). But perhaps best, we should call it the "City of Nicknames".

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao