Venice is famous for its Grand Canal and gondolas. It is also known for its historic heritage; you only have to mention the Basilica of San Marco and the other churches and monasteries filled with religious stories and unique architecture. Furthermore, Venice is renowned for its glassware and lacework, as well as for its museums and art galleries.
A city of spectacle, its Carnival and Masked balls plunge tourists into its period of 18th century glory in the midst of the riches and extravagance of the past. Venetian cuisine honours the resources of the sea, fresh fish caught that day are offered to customers. Busy by day, Venice plunges back into the calm in the evening to the sound of orchestral music which is played in the open air.
Venice is a very old city, built around AD 421 on stilts because of its unusual geographical situation. Indeed, the city is built on a sandy lagoon floor. It consists of over a hundred islands across which meander some 150 canals equipped with 409 bridges. The main means of transport in the city of Venice are boats, notably the famous Venetian gondolas. The district of San Marco constitutes the lung of Venice; it is packed with shops, Venetian buildings, restaurants, museums, galleries and more.
4 other districts make up, along with San Marco, the historic centre of Venice: Dorsoduro, San Paolo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio and Castello. Bordered by the Alps, the Dolomites and the Adriatic Sea, Venice offers a wide variety of landscapes. In fact, we can find ourselves in an alpine region, a highland region, a region of hills, a vast plain crossed by several rivers, a lake area, a lagoon and beach area and finally a marshy area.
52 cathedrals and churches, which are distinguished by their unique architecture, are scattered throughout the city. The Basilica of San Marco is the focus of the Piazza San Marco. The Ducal Palace is a living example of Venetian architecture combining pink stone facades and marble composed of a succession of rooms and mazes.
Museums trace the past, historical riches and know-how of craftsmen in the city of Venice. Tourists are spoiled for choice between visiting the National Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Costume, the Murano Glass Museum or the Burano Museum of Lace. The Biennale d'Arte showcases international modern and contemporary works. Before the Easter festivities, Carnival transports the whole city back to its period of glory. Private or public masked balls take place for the enjoyment of visitors. Period costumes are de rigueur at these balls.
A big floating festival consisting of a row of hundreds of boats and a huge fireworks display commemorate the Festa del Redentore. The Regata Storica which takes place in September is a maritime celebration where richly decorated gondolas and boats parade. Tourists can wander around and admire all of Venice in a gondola tour or during romantic rides under the Bridge of Sighs. The open air fruit and vegetable market in the Rialto is a real attraction. Visitors tired of the crowds in Venice can visit nearby islands, fishing villages and lace workshops.
Paradoxically, with the crowd invading the squares of Venice and the noisy activities by day, Venice is a quiet town in the evening and offers very little nightlife. Tourists can enjoy classical music concerts held regularly in churches for around €30 or in Vivaldi’s famous house or Chiesa di Vivaldi, or in the famed Teatro La Fenice, the world’s seat of music. They can also attend a play or a Venetian ballet, or just listen to the orchestras in the open air in front of a cafe, in the illuminated San Marco square.
Bars and cafes are open until midnight and offer coffee, refreshments, local food, beer, wine and live music at night. Nightclubs and casinos are not numerous in Venice.
Budget for one week: Approximately €620
Taxes and gratuities: Account for 19% VAT and a gratuity of at least 10% for services.
Local currency: Euro
Spoken and/or official language: Italian
Dialling code: + 39 (0) 41
Other names: Venezsia, the City of the Doges, the Serenissima, Venezia
Main Attractions: The lagoon, palaces, festivals, canals and basins, churches, ...
Electricity: 230 V / 50 Hz: 4 power sources are in place:
- C Type (European plug with 2 round pins)
CEE 7 / 16 (2.5 A/250 V no earth) / CEE 7 / 17 (more powerful German and French type: 16 A/250 V no earth)
- F Type (3 round pins)
CEE 7 / 4 (called shuko in Germany: 16 A/250 V earthed
- L Type (3 round pins in an Italian line)
CCIW 23-16/VII Version 10 A and IEC 23-16/VII Version 16 A
Sanitary requirements: Tap water is drinkable in Italy.
And no, Venice is not written as
- venize
- veneeze
- veniz
- veneez
- veenise
- vennise
- venhise
- vehnise
- venjise
- venises
