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City nicknames: 15 local names for towns around Britain and abroad

Credit: Dun.can / Flickr Edit: TheWonderlist.net

11/ “Auld Reekie” and “Athens of the North” : Edinburgh

Auld Reekie meaning Old Smokie in a Scots dialect is not the most savoury name for the Scottish capital.  Nor’ Loch which sits below the castle and is now the the beautiful Princes Gardens used to bewhere the entire city’s waste was drained.  This plus the industrial smoke gave off a horrendous stench. It’s other more appealing name comes from the architecture than is reminiscent of the Greek capital on Carton Hill as seen below.

City nicknames
Credit: Dun.can / Flickr

12/ “The City of Angels” : Los Angeles

Not so inventive a nickname but still very poetic! That said, the name has been shortened. A long time ago during the Spanish colonization, Los Angeles was called El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora the Los Angeles Reina de Porciúncula. A good idea to abbreviate all that.

surnoms de villes
Credits photo : Wikipédia

13/ “The Granite City” : Aberdeen

City Nicknames
Credit: Stu Smith / Flickr

The Scottish city is known for it’s place in the oil industry but the city’s nickname is derived from the granite stone used to construct the houses and buildings.  In the sun the buildings can glint and sparkle but when the haar comes in off the sea the city becomes even more grey and cold!

14/ “Chocolate City” : York

City nicknames
Credit: Rachel Clarke / Flickr

The city of York get this nickname from it’s sweet confectionery industries dating back to the 19th century.  The city of York is the home of Rowantree which includes many brands like Kit Kat, Aero and Yorkie as well as Terry’s Chocolate Orange.  Although these brands have been bought over by international companies theirs roots lie in York !

15/ “The Imperial City” : Vienna

City nicknames
Credit: Barnyz / Flickr

Vienna is known for it’s imperial sites that are dotted around the historic centre.  If you like art and culture the capital of Austria is the place to go.

15/ “City of Light” : Paris

surnoms de villes
Credits photo : Pixabay

Everyone loves the romance of the French capital. This nickname comes from the fact Paris was the first European city to use electric street lights.  Nowadays the city is full of light at night with the Eiffel Tower lit up.

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