This week as I perused my friend's bucket lists, I ran across that wonderful country of Italy on Marissa's list. This time of year, my attention turns to Venice and all of the unique things it has to offer the world of travel. So, here we go...Venice!
Venice is in the far northeast corner of Italy and if you don't like water, not for you. Sitting in between the Po and Piave Rivers, this metropolitan area of 118 islands connected by I don't know how many canals and crossed by 400 bridges is entirely about water. There's also the lagoons and the Adriatic Sea. If you want to go to the beach, visit in the summer. They are numerous and beautiful.
As far as the islands go, there are private islands, garden islands, village islands, fishing islands, and of course Murano.
Murano is known for its art glass around the world. This colorful island community is a water taxi or Vaporetto away and a great place to spend some time. There are five glass companies on the island, three glass factories to tour and a ton of shops to buy the beautiful creations made in the factories. There are shops, restaurants and all kinds of colorful things to see.
Probably the second most visited island is Burano, which is famous for their cookies. Not joking, but a great place to spend some time.
I always advise that when visiting a city, to get out of the city center and find some of the less touristy parts of town. I would definitely say to visit a garden island or a fishing island or whatever. Broaden the horizons.
Venice is one of a handful of cities around the world that really shouldn't exist due to its geographic location. It was built as a port prior to the 1,000's and has flourished through several different regimes and rulers, to become part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. The city center in the modern era boasts about 260,000 residents while the entire metropolitan area boasts roughly 2.6 million. It has been home to such celebrities as the explorer Marco Polo and the infamous Giacomo Casanova. It was the location for Shakespeare's Othello and the obvious Merchant of Venice.
Venice is more than a place, it's a culture. The local sport is Volga Alla Veneta, a rowing sport that holds several regattas a year. It's done in gondolas and the athletes stand throughout the races.
Gondolas are a great way to get around, but they are highly for cruises and set up for tourists. If you want to take what I would call a regular gondola, there are Traghettos. These multi passenger gondolas are comparable to water taxis in New York. There are also Vaporetto which are water buses and the cheapest way to get around by mass transit. The one thing you probably won't do in Venice is drive. There are a few areas where you can and a couple of islands, but for the most part, you will either walk or travel by some sort of floating craft.
We've all heard a lot about Venice over the years, and architecture is one of the big reasons to visit this amazing city. The cathedrals, palaces, basilicas and bridges are creations of legend. The styles range from Gothic to Baroque to Renaissance to Rococo. There's so much to look at that it can be overwhelming. For this reason, I would recommend a local tour if you don't want to miss anything. Maybe a couple of them. Walking tours are great. Gondola tours are also fabulous. You have to ride a gondola while in Venice. If you don't at least take one up the Grand Canal, you'll be missing a right of passage of every tourist. St. Mark's Square and Basilica are something that you have to see, along with the Basilicas of di Santa Maria and St. Anthony. You should visit Doge's Palace where Casanova was incarcerated and his home across the canal. There are hundreds of other great places to see, but those are the musts for the first time visitor.
There are over 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice. There are dozens of different kinds of services and tours they provide. But, what's the best? That varies. If you want to see the most popular parts of Venice, take a standard tour that will cover the Grand Canal, the bridge at Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Square. If you're being romantic, take one with a serenade. Be aware, most gondoliers don't sing. If you want to get a bit off the beaten path, take one that goes to the Jewish Ghetto of Venice. There, you can see unique architecture and even visit a museum. Like most major cities in Europe, the Jewish Quarter was necessary for the Jewish folks to preserve their way of life at the time that it was constructed.
When traveling anywhere, you will have to eat and want to shop. Venice has you covered. The city hosts shopping streets, stands, massive malls, and luxury shopping areas. Restaurants are everywhere and have all kinds of food. The food is primarily seafood, but other than that, varied. There are several different Italian cuisines represented with very little local specialties. Venice was such a melting pot during their height of being a trade hub that they absorbed a lot of different cuisines and several are still represented. Needless to say, you won't get hungry, and you will be able to find a great place to eat outside with a view.
Venice is known as a city of romance, leisure, and luxury; also history and beauty. You will enjoy the sea, the water, the canals, the gondolas, hotels in old palaces, ancient basilicas and great food. It's a place of mystery, as most people don't know that Casanova wrote his own story. You can take a night tour that will cover any ghosts or mysterious tales of the city. They can normally be arranged by the concierge at your hotel.
But, what should you know about visiting Venice? First, know that the best time I believe to visit is either in late May or in September. The winters are wet, the summers are crowded. Unless you feel the need to hang out at the beach and go swimming, I wouldn't visit in the summer.
As has been reported for decades, Venice encounters more and more water issues. The city is built on water, with most buildings standing on ancient wood pilings. St. Mark's Square was indeed flooded not long ago. Keep all of that in mind when planning a trip to the city.
How do you get there? I would say, fly. It's easy to arrange transportation from the airport into the city. Don't drive. It's just not worth it. You can take a train. Transportation is once again easy to arrange into the center of the city.
Where to stay? I'd say on this one to stay in the center of the city. This does get to be expensive, but Venice is expensive. It's a luxury trip and not something you will do on a dime. Spend the extra and stay in the center of the city. There are apartments to rent that may be far less than a hotel.
Should you take a tour? You could. Dozens of cruise lines go to Venice. It's easy to take an Adriatic cruise and book day tours through the ship. It's also easy to find a tour company to take you around Venice. I recommend talking with your concierge about local tours. You could also book a local tour online. Sometimes, if you intend to stay several days in the city, you could schedule several different local tours and see exactly what you want to. Tours By Locals, is a favorite of mine.
The other way to look at this is that you may not want a tour. Most of the sites that you will see on a first trip are so famous that they aren't hard to find. Transportation is plentiful and lots of people speak English who work in tourism. It's entirely up to you whether or not you want to book tours. I would for some things and not for others. Personal preference.
Ah, Venice. The amazing city of canals is home to one of the most famous Carnivals in the world. The event had fallen to the wayside, but the amazing Venetians revived the tradition in the 1980's and it blossomed into the massive event that exists today. This year, Carnival runs from February 12th to March 1st, 2022. There are parties, contests, and dinner shows, and balls throughout Carnival. It's one of the world's largest parties. It's the single most crowded time of year, and the most expensive time to visit. Costumes are elaborate and commonly seen on guests all around town.
My advice is if you visit during Carnival, don't be scared of Covid-19, be prepared to spend a lot of money on at least one costume for the event, book events ahead of time, and brace yourself for a loud giant party everywhere you go. Sounds like a lot of fun to me, but if that's not for you, wait until May.
So, there you have it. Venice. It's one of the most unique cities in the world. There are numerous festivals, including a world renowned film festival to attend. There are islands to visit, gondolas to ride, shopping, eating and architecture. There's so much to look at that a good week should be spent in that single city. It's a once in a lifetime trip to take, and it's something that may be falling into the sea. So, now is the time to visit Venice and enjoy!
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