Hotels in Venice
Known as La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic and City of Light, Venice is certainly one of the wonders of Our world. An archipelago of 118 islands formed by 150 canals within a marshy lagoon on the Adriatic, Venice relies upon her waterways for transport, with the Grand Canal as the principal highway.
Take vaporetto No.1 from Piazzale Roma, the gateway to Venice, and you can travel the whole length of the Grand Canal to St Mark's Basin, with perfect views of some of the finest architecture the city has to offer. Almost 200 remarkable buildings, most of which rise straight from the water, form the 'banks' of the canal in na extraordinary sequence of façades, their reflections rippling below. This was the most expensive and sought-after area in the city, and these fine palazzi were built by aristocrats and wealthy merchants between the 13th and 18th centuries.
The canal winds through the heart of Venice in an inverted 'S' shape, and the vaporetto zigzags across it to stops on either side, passing under three bridges, the 16th century, marble Rialto, the Academia, made of wood (1854) and the stone Scalzi (1858). Today a fourth bridge is being constructed, linking the railway station and the Piazzale Roma.
This is a breathtaking voyage, varied, colourful and surprisin. You'll see the postman delivering by boat, gondolas carrying honeymoon couples to their waterfront hotel, and vaporetti that cross from side to side rather than up and down. You'll pass fifteen splendid churches, museums and galleries such as the Guggenheim Collection, housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. As you head towards San Marco the canal opens out to its widest point, merging with St Mark's Basin and the lagoon ill a magnificent expanse of water dominated by the gleaming white façade of Santa Maria della Salute, which guards its mouth.
HOW
By vaporetto
WHEN TO GO
All year round, though there can be floods from November to March, and June to September can be very crowded.
TIME IT TAKES
Under one hour - but buy a travel card and you can jump on and off at any number of stops to explore.
HIGHlIGHTS
The fish and vegetable markets at the Rialto - go early in the morning.
The Venice Biennale - a major art exhibition every two years.
The Venice Film Festival - the oldest in the world and highly influential; it takes place in late August/early September.
The Carnival - one of the most famous in the world, with fabulously costumed and masked participants, it ends at midnight on Shrove Tuesday every year.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Venice, with its lagoon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit if you possibly can, the entire place is a work of art.
