Where should I explore on my visit to Venice?
Venice is the place of dreams if you like being by the water, mind blowing architecture, romance, beauty, food and wine, style, culture, art, history and music.
Venice city in northeastern Italy is sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.
Venice has been known as the "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 described it in The New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities. This is true!
It has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi. You must check out the Teatro La Fenice - Opera house in Venice, Italy.
Explore online to see if they have opera show at your time of visit which you can book directly on or just visit the beautiful building. http://www.teatrolafenice.it/site/index.php?&lingua=eng
RH Travel top tips:
TRAVEL from airport
Buy a 3 day tourist ticket from ACTV kiosk at airport and take No. 5 ACTV bus immediately outside Marco Polo terminal to Piazzale Roma. Takes about 35 mins. This ticket will cover all public transport whilst in Venice.
Taxi from terminal to Piazzale Roma. 33 euros. About 20 mins.
From north side of Piazzale Roma, take the ACTV No. 1 Vaporetto stop down the Grand Canal to Vallaresso San Marco. This is the most spectacular route.
Alternatively, you could get an Alilaguna water bus directly from the airport across the lagoon to San Marco. 13 euros. Takes 70 mins, Buy tickets in airport arrival’s hall. About 7 mins walk from airport to Alilaguna dock.
Take water taxi straight to your hotel from the airport to the hotel 110 euros and sit back and enjoy the incredible ride. This is what I done!
On a budget..
If you get a Vaporetto water-bus pass, absolutely, definitely get the 10 Euro Vaporetto Dell'Arte extension. This will be the best ten Euros you will spend in Venice, even if it is just for a day trip.
The Vaporetto Dell'Arte boats are only ever about 10% full in the off-season, have comfortable seats, seat back displays showing you buildings along the route, free earphones for the running recorded commentary and paper guides. You can hop on and hop off the Vaporetto Dell'Arte as a normal Vaporetto. When you get on the Vaporetto Dell'Arte they make you scan your ticket at a scanning point on the boat to make sure you have the E10 extension on the ticket, if you do not have this extension you will be asked to get off the boat. One thing to bear in mind is that the Vaporetto Dell'Arte has more limited hours of operation (from 10am to 7pm) and has more limited stops than the normal Vaporetto, mainly along the Grand Canal, St Mark’s Square, the island of San Giorgio and as far east as Giardini. Try to coincide your need to use river transport with the arrival of the Vaporetto Dell'Arte boats, in the summer the normal Vaporetto boats can be hellish and so full that you cannot get through the throng on board to get to the exit in time, thus missing your stop.
Alternatively when in Venice walk everywhere. You can do this and will see so much of the amazing city by foot. It is essential that you meander around the tiny streets, across bridges, over canals and just look up and around you to take it all in. This is the highlight of Venice.
STAY
Stay Centurion palace - Dorsoduro 173, 30123 Venice, Italy. 5 star hotel!
Al Redentore di Venezia, Fondamenta Ponte Lungo 234/A Giudecca, 30133 Venice, Italy. Affordable luxury
Palazzetto da Schio, Fondamenta Soranzo (Rio della Fornace) | Dorsoduro 316/B, 30123 Venice, Italy. Beautiful rooftop apartment.
EAT
Eat in the little streets around St Mark's square and avoid eating in St Mark's square, although beautiful and a must visit day and night, it's also the more touristy part of the city.
Lunch - Aciucheta - off Giacomo is superb $$
Trattoria alla Rivetta for lunch (nearby Ridotto) !! Very local fun and great reasonably priced food slightly off tourist streets $
Dinner - Il Ridotto, campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo (tel 041 520 8280). A tiny up-market restaurant and the chef talks you through how he has made his dishes. a must! Modern cuisine - tasting menu is just devine $$$
Alla Testiere, calle del Mondo Novo (tel 041 522 7220). Again a tiny restaurant which has two sittings (7.0 and 9.0 pm).
Al Portego, calle Malvasia (tel 041 522 9038). Pasta, blackboard menu and of lots of 'cicheti' (little dishes!). $$
Alla Madonna, calle della Madonna, near Rialto Bridge (041 522 3824). A large and popular trattoria. Seafood risotto a must. Cannot book this one. $$
Depending on where you are staying sometimes at 8.30pm a lot of the shops seem to be closed. However, during the day the place comes to life but unlike in most of Italy the shops and restaurant shut early. Also aim to finish lunch by 2.30 pm.
DRINK
Drink at La Carravella - old school wine and cheese bar, sit by the window
Cavatappi, campo della Guerra. "Best spritz in Venice"!
La Masscaretta, calle lunga Santa Maria Formosa, off campo de Santa Maria. Good Prosecco!
Harry's Bar, calle Vallaresso, San Marco. An institution and Bellinis (peach juice and sparkling wine) a must. Expensive!
Coffee bar for a snack on corner of calle dei Spechieri and campo della Guerra, San Marco
SEE
Walk around St Mark's Square
Watch the Opera - Teatra la feniche - Theatre !!
Visit Basilica of the Salute
Linger in San Polo, Dorsoduro and Santa Croce.
Campanile, Piazza San Marco. Tallest building in Venice. Great views. Lift to top. and harbour walk afterwards and then to Trattoria all Rivetta for lunch
Rialto Bridge, walk to the bridge. Busy area, but picturesque.
Santa Maria del Miracoli Church, campo Santa Maria dei Maracoli, Carnnaregio (favourite church in Venice).
Peggy Guggenheim Museum for a bit of culture and area around is good.
Burano Island (not Murano!) if you have time. LN Vaporetto from San Zaccharia. Al Pescatore restaurant is good.
You will certainly need a map! You will also need to book the restaurants as they always seem to be very busy.
Venice is such a romantic city - maybe also because there are no cars. Enjoy!
Subsidence
Acqua alta, or high water in Venice.
Subsidence, the gradual lowering of the surface of Venice, leads to the seasonal phenomenon of Acqua alta where much of the city's surface is covered in high water.
Foundations
The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wooden piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on plates of Istrian limestone placed on top of the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressedclay.
Submerged by water, in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface.
Most of these piles were made from trunks of alder trees, a wood noted for its water resistance.
