Venice

Image via Wikipedia

        Venice is one of the lovely and interesting places in the world. Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of Veneto region. Other names of Venice are  "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini.

        The most famous is the area comprising the 118 islands in the main districts that are called "Sestieri" and they are: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and San Marco. Venice has an average of 50000 tourists everyday.

History in short

There are no historical records for the origin of Venice. But traditional founding is identified that the oldest church, San Giocomo is said to have been at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421. This sanctuary on a lagoon is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to the fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and is heavily touristed (there are slightly more tourists than residents), but the romantic charm remains.

 Climate

If you are planning a trip then plan to go in spring or fall. The summer will be the worst time for you to visit. Venice has a Humid subtropical climate, with cool winters and very warm summers.

Reach

The most popular way to approach Venice is by boat or train. The closest airport is Marco Polo Airport. Marco Polo airport runs a shuttle bus --€3-- (or just turn left and walk 10 minutes under the awning) to the Alilaguna water-bus jetty, where €15 gets you a leisurely 75 minute boat trip to San Marco via Murano, Lido and the Arsenale. Or take the cheaper boat (€6,50) to Murano which takes only half an hour. Alternatively, you can travel in style (and much faster) by hiring one of the speedy water-taxis (30 mins) for about €100. All these tickets are now buyable online. Trains from the mainland run through Mestre to the Venezia Santa Lucia train station on the west side of Venice; make sure you don't get confused with Venezia Mestre which is the last stop on the mainland.

See

1. Saint Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

2. Correr Museum

3. Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

4. La Fenice Theater (Teatro La Fenice)

5. Clock tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

6. Galleria dell'Accademia di Venezia

7. Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro)

8. Rialto market and Rialto bridge

9. Torre dell'Orologio

Do

Ride a Vaporetto( water bus) down the grand canal before sunset.  Regata 'Storica (Historic fleet event) is held on the first Sunday of every September. Voga Longa, the yearly equivalent of a marathon run on water. Spend a day on the islands, mainly Murano, Burano and Torcello.