Overview
There is no denying that
La Serenissima (The Divine Republic) is an epic, unique and
unforgettable city.
Venice has the capacity to impress not only wide-eyed first-timer visitors, but also the most jaded of travelers. Quite simply, La Serenissima is unlike anywhere else on the planet, with a collage of
116 islands connected by
409 bridges, where cars are banned and everyone, including postmen and the police, goes by boat.
History is writ large in this northeastern Italian city and when visitors ease through the morning mists on empty
canals, with
grandiose buildings rising up on all sides, it is easy to slip back through the centuries, to the time of the
Doges - the omnipotent rulers, whose influence spread well beyond the Venetian Lagoon.
Venice then was an
exotic melting pot of East and West, where travelers breezed in and out and traders peddled their silk and spices. Venice under the Doges was a land of
unimaginable wealth, and riches were spent wisely in crafting some of Europe's most memorable buildings, from the imposing
Doge's Palace to the grand architecture of
St Mark's Square, famously described by Napoleon as the ‘drawing room of Europe'.
Away from the main tourist throng, another Venice appears, with narrow canals, women hanging out their washing and small
osterias (bars) where locals, for once, outnumber tourists. The introduction of the smoking ban has done little to dampen
la dolce vita.
In the
intense heat of a Mediterranean summer, the city can just get too warm and the tourist congregations too large. Many visitors are now choosing to turn up out of season, when swirls of mist and frosty winds descend upon the canals.
At this time, the beauty of this unique city emerges through quintessential Venetian experiences, such as getting off a
vaporetto at a random stop and ambling down a deserted canal; discovering an unheralded
trattoria; or bouncing across the Venetian Lagoon after a freshly mixed Bellini at
Harry's Bar, en route to dinner at the
Hotel Cipriani.
The city's citizens have endured flooded basements for decades, wearing Wellington boots to navigate its waterlogged streets during
acqua alta (high waters), and there has been chronic damage to some of its most impressive buildings. But finally something is being done to shore up Venice: the
‘Moses Project' has come to save the day after years of political struggles.
Perhaps the last word on Venice should be left to one of her most illustrious patrons, Henry James: ‘Dear old Venice has lost her complexion, her figure, her reputation, her self-respect; and yet, with it all, has so puzzlingly not lost a shred of her distinction'....
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Tourist Information
WalkingToursWalks Inside Venice (tel: (041) 524 1706; website:
www.walksinsidevenice.com) organizes comprehensive English-speaking tours around the city. The company caters for small groups of up to 12 people and most tours are three hours long. Sights visited depend on the tour taken and include the
Bridge of Sighs, the
Doges’ Palace and the largely unspoilt Cannaregio District. Tours usually depart from the hotel in which the client stays or from St Mark’s Square. Other cultural, historic and artistic tours can also be booked at tourist information offices. The tourist office has an excellent range of free brochures outlining suggested walking routes. Those preferring to explore by themselves can hire a GPS led audio guide from
Planet Audio Guide (tel: (041) 528 5051; website:
www.planetaudioguide.com) daily 0900-2000. Alternatively, pick up one of the walking itineraries titled
Easy Guide and Map of Venice that are freely available at the tourist offices.
BoatToursVenice Walks & Tours, Via Villanova 27, Pordenone (tel: (041) 520 8616; fax: (041) 296 0282; e-mail:
info@tours-italy.com; website:
www.tours-italy.com) offers a boat tour of the Grand Canal, although this may seem unnecessary, seeing as the local ferry network is the most efficient and cheapest way of getting out and about on the water. However, no local ferry will include a glass of sparkling wine while whisking its passengers down some lesser-known canals in a luxurious motor launch. The 70-minute tour departs daily at 1630 and costs €40 per person (with a minimum of five and a maximum of eight people per ride). ...
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