Visit Venice, Italy - Travel Guide

Pay a Visit to the Dazzling City Venice

The Italian city of Venice lies at the Adriatic Sea and northeast of the country. This city has six districts, while some of the famous islands in the area are Lido and Murano. One particular thing that makes your visit to Venice is that you won't get a regular road. There is a long bridge connecting the land mass from the mainland to Venice, which accommodates both a road and a railway. All other transportation is conducted via the famous canals-numbering 177-that connect the numerous, slightly more than one hundred islands that are made up of Venice. The Grand Canal is one of the widest canals; besides taking a gondola ride, one can also use a waterbus (Vaporetto) to get around the city.

Tourist Guide: What to See in Venice?

Due to the peculiar setup of its neighborhoods, which are surrounded with water, Venice is naturally famous for its bridges, including the Rialto Bridge, as well as its many squares, including St. Mark's Square adjacent to the famous St. Mark's Basilica. But Venice has much more to offer besides gondolas and spectacular infrastructure. Such palaces as Ca' d'Oro and the Doge's Palace, museums like the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Museo Correr, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and churches like the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and San Zanipolo are only a few of those one should try to see during a visit to the city. The very multiplicity of such tourist attractions will perhaps easily allow one to gauge that one is likely to come here again and again for a proper evaluation of Venice's wonders. What to see in Venice?

History of the City of Venice

The history of Venice shows that it was once used as a bridge between the Middle East and the rest of Europe, primarily because its merchant fleet used to play a very important role. It encouraged exchanges with other countries in the early period, bringing to Europe merchandise that was not known yet from faraway countries, such as spices and sugar. The building of ships was also one of the important activities that contributed toward maintaining wealth within Venice. But Venice was not always an Italian city; to begin with, it was a republic. The Venetian fleet in the Mediterranean during that period was quite at odds with the Republic of Genoa. A number of wars and battles, to say the least, the Battle of Sapienza, resulted in Venice losing a large percentage of its fleet. Moreover, the conflicts with the Pope helped destroy the power and richness of Venice. At last, it became that peculiar maritime city we know today, full of history and a tourist destination.

Discovering Venice
This journey will take you right into the core of Venice-history, sights, culture, and practicalities. Whether you're just about to step onto its storied cobblestones or simply indulge in a reverie, prepare to unravel Venice, layer by captivating layer.

Venice Unveiled
The magic of Venice doesn't just lie in its legendary landmarks, but in the tiniest surprise around every corner. Following are some highlights that define this city of enchantment.

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Basilica, or Basilica di San Marco, was the crowning glory of Venice. A wonder of Italo-Byzantine architecture, its glittering mosaics depict stories of saints and biblical marvels. Inside, one is enveloped by gold: endless mosaics stretch above, glittering like the stars, immortalizing Venice's magnificence in both art and faith.

Take a guided tour for a closer look. Lurking beneath is the Pala d'Oro, an altarpiece worth its weight in gems. Scale the Campanile for a smooching view of Venice, where city and sea blend into infinity.

Doge's Palace

This palace was once the seat of all the power Venice had ever wielded—opulent maze of Gothic beauty, Renaissance splendor combined, and the intrigues of politics. A walk through its halls, once a place where the fate of empires was sealed beneath frescoes of staggering artistry, may remind one of council chambers alive with decisions that would shape the world with every echoing step.

And finally, don't miss the Bridge of Sighsa stone corridor that whispers the last lament of prisoners crossing from palace to prison, t-heir last view of freedom framed by the grandeur of the palace.

The Grand Canal
Yet it is the artery of Venice, the Grand Canal, pulsating with life: lined with Palaces, markets, and everyday Venetian bustle-a moving tapestry of commerce and history. It is a soul revealed with every passing gondola, ancient façade, and rhythm of daily life on a Vaporetto, or water bus.

Rialto Bridge
A symbol of Venice, the Rialto Bridge has stood since the completion date of 1591. Its stone arches bear not only the passage of foot travelers but history itself. Below its vaults, the market buzzes with fresh fish, colorful produce, and handcrafted trinkets. In the gold of sunset, the bridge opens onto the Grand Canal-a scene frozen in time.

The Islands of Murano and Burano

Away from the main island, Venice weaves spells with Murano and Burano, worlds in themselves.

Murano: Glass craftsmanship is the mastery of this island. This is an island that is a kaleidoscope of color. Watch as glassmakers take molten masses and shape them into delicate masterpieces; the air is thick with tradition, heavy it hangs. The Museo del Vetro goes all the way down to explaining the spellbinding craft in detail.

Burano: Lace-making and rainbow-hued homes define Burano. Take a ramble through its colored streets, where every house is a splash of color, almost like an artist's palette springing to life. Visit the Museo del Merletto for a glimpse of the intricate art of lace-a tradition sewn into the very fabric of Venice itself.

Gallerie dell'Accademia
To art lovers, the Gallerie dell'Accademia is a treasure of masterpieces from Venice. Get lost in the works of Titian, Tintoretto, and Bellini, where each stroke spoke the very language of the Renaissance. Every room is a journey through the artistic heart of Venice.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Step into the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and there Tintoretto's genius closes in upon you: his frescoes are none other than opened windows toward myth and faith, teeming with emotion and telling. The light flickers, casting the scenes in a dramatic glow that pulls you deeper into the past.

The Fascinating History of Venice

Origins of the City
Venice rose from marshes in the 5th century, when refugees fled barbarian invasions for the safe embrace of the lagoon. The settlers drove stilts deep into the earth and built a city like no other-a city on water.

Republic of Venice
It came to prominence as the powerful maritime republic, shining as a beacon of wealth, trade, and diplomacy. There was a Doge in the palace, elected from among the nobles, reigning in spectacle, ceremony, and control. It was a city that had wed with the sea, and its influence went far beyond its shimmering shores.

Art and Culture
Venice nourished artists, and from its breast flowed the Venetian Renaissance; painters such as Titian and Tintoretto redefined the canvas, and the architecture of the city went into the sky, an almost impossible combination of Gothic delicacy with the grandeur of the Byzantine style. In Venice, the streets were galleries, the buildings no more than frames that held artistic talent.

Contemporary Issues

Today, Venice faces the blighting specter of a rising sea and overwhelming tourism. Acqua alta, the flooding that curses Venice, happens with increasing frequency, a poignant apology that time and tide stop for no city. Still, the fight to save Venice endures, and current restoration projects, coupled with new ideas for sustainable tourism, mean the final chapter has not yet been written.

Venetian Culture

Festivals and Events
Venice sachant fêter. The Carnival of Venice is the riot of the senses: sumptuous masks, brilliant costumes, and the air thick with revelry. For days, Venice gets to be this world of fantasy where the dividing line between dreams and reality gets blurred.

Venetian Cuisine
Venetian cuisine is a real sensual experience and traces back to a very nautical past. The sea gives, and its flavors praise in the recipes.

Sarde in saor: Sweet, sour, and salty, the marinated sardines mingle with onions, pinenuts, and raisins-a dish as complex as Venice herself.

Risotto al nero di seppia: Black as night, this cuttlefish-ink risotto is but a visual spectacle and completely delicious.

Baccalà mantecato: Salted cod, whipped to perfection with polenta or bread, is simple yet deeply satisfying.

Venetian Masks
Masks are not simply ornamentation in Venice; they are the face of the city, its mystery, its jest. Around the city, artisans bend and shape these masks, each a work of art unto itself. Whether the most ornate or the simplest, they reflect the spirit of the Carnival, when anyone can be anyone.

Practical Information for Visitors
Getting Around Venice
The city of Venice is best seen on foot. It is only by wandering its narrow alleys, stumbling upon hidden courtyards, and crossing its many iron bridges that one discovers a Venice unseen by the hurried tourist. For longer journeys, the Vaporetto offers a scenic ride across its waterways.

Best Time to Visit
Spring and autumn provide the perfect Venetian experience: wonderful weather, fewer people, and soft golden sunlight. Summer brings heat and crowds, while winter reveals the city swathed in luminous fog, but mind the Acqua Alta.

Hotel Reservation
Book in advance, especially if it's peak season, such as during Carnival or summer. Venice can accommodate every kind of traveler, from historical hotels in impressive sizes to the coziness of small guesthouses.

Delicate and enduring, Venice is no ordinary city; rather, it is one that dictates being seen, felt, and remembered. Book Now