Venice
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Venice
From its unmatched romantic allure to its historical heritage to its indisputable beauty, there is no other city like Venice. The "Queen of the Adriatic" is composed of a maze of islands, canals, and bridges, hiding magnificent buildings, historical landmarks of great artistic and cultural importance, as well as charming restaurants and squares. There are no cars in Venice, but you won't need them anyway since "The City of Bridges" is best explored on foot.Find your trip
Located in St Mark's Square (Piazza di San Marco), next to the Doge's Palace, The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark — commonly known as St Mark's Basilica — is the most important religious temple in the city, as well as one of the finest examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.
St Mark's Square is the biggest and the most well-known square in Venice. If you truly want to comprehend the power of the former Venetian empire, this is the right place to visit. The square is full of striking and inspiring sights, like the bell tower, from which you can grasp a splendid view of Venice.
Built in Venetian Gothic style and one of the most iconic landmarks of Venice, the Doge's Palace or Palazzo Ducale used to be the residence of the Doge of Venice, as well as the seat of power for the Venetian Republic, which lasted more than 1,000 years. Both the court and the prison were located within the palace walls, but since 1923 the building is better known as a museum.
There are several tour operators offering different types of Gondola tours. You can choose between a more romantic style with serenades sung to you and your beloved partner or a more classical sightseeing tour with a guide telling you the history of all the beautiful buildings around. There are even tours where you can learn how to row the Gondola yourself. Whichever tour you end up choosing, you're sure to have a memorable experience.
Burano Island is famous for its brightly coloured houses, picturesque canals, and peaceful atmosphere. Other attractions include the Church of San Martino with its leaning bell tower and the Lace Museum – lacemaking is a fruitful industry in Burano, and you'll find many artisan lace shops on the island.
Murano Island is a popular tourist destination in Venice renowned for its glassmaking industry, which is the result of a centuries-old tradition. You can learn more about it by visiting the Murano Glass Museum or any of the numerous glasswork studios on the island.
The island of Murano in Venice is famous worldwide for its long tradition of glassmaking. And if you're looking for a fun and unique way to spend an hour and a half on Murano and then leave with a glass treasure you made yourself, consider taking a personalised glassmaking lesson. In this 90-minute glassmaking workshop with a local artisan, you'll learn how to craft your own glass artwork while discovering the secrets of Murano glassmaking techniques. The best part is that you get to take your glass creation home.
A fun activity for both kids and adults while visiting Venice is to craft your own Carnival mask. Enjoy a course on mask making from a master artisan in Venice while learning all about the history of this ancient tradition. Choose between a production class, decoration class, or both. Whichever option you choose, you get to bring home your creation as a souvenir from this unique experience.
Located in St Mark's Square (Piazza di San Marco), next to the Doge's Palace, The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark — commonly known as St Mark's Basilica — is the most important religious temple in the city, as well as one of the finest examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.
St Mark's Square is the biggest and the most well-known square in Venice. If you truly want to comprehend the power of the former Venetian empire, this is the right place to visit. The square is full of striking and inspiring sights, like the bell tower, from which you can grasp a splendid view of Venice.
Ristorante Vini Da Pinto is situated right across from the Rialto Fish Market, which means a daily fresh selection of locally caught fish and crustaceans — just ask for the special of the day. Seafood specialities served all year round include spaghetti alle vongole (clams), tagliatelle all’astice (lobster), and seppie al nero (squid in its ink). You can choose to enjoy your meal either outside or in its rustic-chic interior featuring ancient stone pillars, bare brick walls, and beams from the 14th century.
Once a neighbourhood tavern fit for "un' ombra" (Venetian slang for a glass of wine), today Da Fiore could possibly be the city’s best restaurant, with sober décor, elegant rooms, and delicious dishes like misto crudo (marinated raw fish) and pennette with crayfish and broccoli.
Fresh, unpretentious seafood dishes are the focus of this traditional restaurant located in a small piazza, just a few minutes from the Rialto Bridge. That combined with impeccable service and affordable prices is what keeps visitors coming back to Ristorante Ca' Dolfin.
Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi is the perfect place to go if you're looking for Italian-style tapas accompanied by a glass of wine. This 19th-century tavern offers the most inventive cicchetti in Venice. Don't miss the crostini-style layers of bread, smoked swordfish, and slivers of raw zucchini, or pungent slices of Parmigiano, fig, pistachio and toast.
Al Nono Risorto serves simple and authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of the city. Enjoy classic Venetian dishes like sarde in saor (sardines preserved in a sweet and sour marinade) along with baccalà (dried and salted cod), pasta, and homemade pizza. During the warmer months, you can dine al fresco in their spacious and lovely wisteria-covered courtyard.
Italy is world-famous for making great pizza and pasta dishes. Da Mamo offers those Italian classics along with traditional local dishes such as creamy salted codfish with polenta in a cosy, candlelit setting.
Located near San Giacomo Square, La Zucca is a small and welcoming restaurant serving seasonal Venetian dishes with a focus on vegetarian options. Some of their specialities are pumpkin flan and pumpkin soup, hence the name La Zucca, which means "the pumpkin" in Italian. In summer, the restaurant offers 12 canalside seats.
This restaurant's watchword is "detail". The romantic atmosphere and the elegant and refined design go hand in hand with the enchanting terrace overlooking the lagoon. The sophisticated menu featuring modern Italian dishes leaves prices on the higher side, but once you've tried the food and enjoyed the chic, rustic-style setting, you'll find it to be worth your visit.
Ristorante Vini Da Pinto is situated right across from the Rialto Fish Market, which means a daily fresh selection of locally caught fish and crustaceans — just ask for the special of the day. Seafood specialities served all year round include spaghetti alle vongole (clams), tagliatelle all’astice (lobster), and seppie al nero (squid in its ink). You can choose to enjoy your meal either outside or in its rustic-chic interior featuring ancient stone pillars, bare brick walls, and beams from the 14th century.
Once a neighbourhood tavern fit for "un' ombra" (Venetian slang for a glass of wine), today Da Fiore could possibly be the city’s best restaurant, with sober décor, elegant rooms, and delicious dishes like misto crudo (marinated raw fish) and pennette with crayfish and broccoli.
Drogheria Màscari is the oldest traditional food and spices store in the centre of Venice. The shop was opened near the Rialto Bridge in Calle degli Spezieri, the spices merchants' street. It offers a wide range of the best distinctive products of traditional Italian cuisine, including truffles, teas, dried mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar, as well as cookies, typical sweets, candies, and more than fifty types of honey.
By the will of the Municipality of Venice, Banco Lotto 10 was opened in 2003 in an attempt to exhibit the fruit of a retraining program at the women's prison on Giudecca. The stylish clothes and accessories you'll find here are all designed and hand-made by inmates who work in the boutique assisted by many volunteers.
Even if you're not looking for a new book, this unique, offbeat shop is well worth a visit. This self-proclaimed "most beautiful bookstore in the world" contains thousands of books, magazines, and maps lying helter-skelter in glutted rooms or inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and gondolas. Do not be afraid if you see cats prowling, they're on a friendly footing with the owners.
At this small but elegant glassware shop, you can revel in colourful and uniquely designed glass pieces, innovative vases, and other types of glass works of art. All of them are original pieces directly from the glass factory NasonMuretti, a Venetian company in business for over 12 years.
This tiny shop is officially recognised as a historical location of the Veneto Region. In this small boutique, you can find all kinds of hats of the highest quality. If you need a gondolier's hat in your wardrobe, you'll find it here along with wool hats, hats for the carnival, wedding hats, and original Panama hats imported directly from Ecuador.
The Vascellari family has been in the world of optics for several generations, and the shop on Ruga Rialto has been around since 1964. They design their own eye-wear brand and pay close attention to finding the perfect pair of glasses for every customer, taking into account their individual face shape and personal style.
Located on the island of Murano, Marina e Susanna Sent is a jewellery workshop specialising in the production of glass pieces such as sculptures, plates, and lampshades. The combination of innovation and traditional methods renders the Sent sisters' creations unique even though their work embraces simplicity. Don't miss two other shops in Dorsoduro and St Mark's Square.
Italy is known for its good food made from local high-quality products, and of the best places to get them is at Prosciutto e Parmigiano, a little Italian gastronomic speciality shop near Piazza San Marco. Don't miss the dry-cured Prosciutto di Parma and the Prosciutto di San Daniele, or the 30-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, among over 150 varieties of traditional Italian cheeses.
Drogheria Màscari is the oldest traditional food and spices store in the centre of Venice. The shop was opened near the Rialto Bridge in Calle degli Spezieri, the spices merchants' street. It offers a wide range of the best distinctive products of traditional Italian cuisine, including truffles, teas, dried mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar, as well as cookies, typical sweets, candies, and more than fifty types of honey.
By the will of the Municipality of Venice, Banco Lotto 10 was opened in 2003 in an attempt to exhibit the fruit of a retraining program at the women's prison on Giudecca. The stylish clothes and accessories you'll find here are all designed and hand-made by inmates who work in the boutique assisted by many volunteers.
The best time to visit Venice and enjoy sightseeing is mid-spring, particularly the first half of May when the cold winter gives way to sunny days and comfortably warm temperatures. With less boat traffic on the canals and calm waters, this season is best for relaxing on a gondola ride. If you want to avoid the stress of the high tourist season, December through February may do the trick with quiet and peaceful local areas. Low season also provides discounted accommodation rates. Moreover, the famous Venetian Carnival takes place annually in February, which gives visitors the chance to join in on the festivities and try on a traditional ornate mask.
Venice Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) is situated 7 km north of the city. There is a wide selection of transport from the airport to the city. Choose between buses, taxicabs, and boats. If you choose a boat, be prepared for a short walk first. The water bus is operated by Alilaguna and the journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. There are also motorboats and the price varies from company to company. A land route to Venice is offered too. The two transport companies ACTV and ATVO have direct buses between the city and the airport. The journey takes approximately 20-25 minutes.
Treviso Airport (TSF) is located 30 km north of Venice and it's used mainly by low-cost airlines. ATVO and Barzi buses depart from/to Venice and the journey takes about 40 minutes. There is a ticket office located at the arrivals hall.
Italy can be visited visa-free for up to 90 days by citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, UAE and most countries in America. If you are not sure whether or not you need to apply for a visa, we recommend you to contact the embassy or consulate in your country. In order to enter the Schengen zone, international (non-Schengen) travelers need a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of their intended trip. Citizens from Schengen countries can travel without a passport, but they must bring with them a valid ID during their stay.
The ACTV operates ordinary buses together with the bus boats, the so-called vaporettos. Tickets can be purchased at the stations, from newsstands or on board the boats. There are also several travel cards to choose from, but remember that you need to swipe them before boarding. If you need to cross the Grand Canal, you can catch a traghetto, a large gondola leaving from different places between the bridges.
Taxis in Venice are mainly boats of different sorts. Travelling by gondola is rather expensive and it is better used for sightseeing or special excursions. The boat taxis are slightly cheaper. One of the premier boat taxi operators in Venice is Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia.
Does Venice smell? Unlike what you might have read or heard, Venice does not smell. If anything, what you will smell in the city is the salt water from the canals, just like you would at any seaside destination. However, what can happen on the hottest days of summer is that the low water levels in smaller canals allow for the contact of algae from the lagoon with the atmosphere and its consequent deterioration. But other than that, Venice is not smelly at all. Is Venice safe for tourists? Despite being one of the most visited cities in the world, Venice is a fairly safe city for travellers. However, as with most major tourist destinations, pickpocketing is the biggest concern here. So be careful with your belongings around the city's main attractions, such as Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. Is Venice sinking? Yes, Venice is progressively sinking. A combination of factors is causing the city to continuously drop in elevation. From the city's inadequate foundations — the ground beneath Venice has slowly compacted over time — to the subduction of the Adriatic tectonic plate beneath the Apennine mountains to the rising sea level caused by global warming. Studies suggest that Venice could be underwater by the year 2100. In addition, studies have also shown that Venice is gradually tilting slightly to the east.
Stamps can be purchased from tobacconists that carry either the blue and white "Tabacchi" sign or that are simply marked with a "T". There are a couple of post offices across the city and you find one of them at: Merceria San Salvador, 5016 +39 041 240 4149 Opening hours: Mon–Fri 8:20am–7:05pm, Sat 8:20am–12:35pm, Sun closed
The best time to visit Venice and enjoy sightseeing is mid-spring, particularly the first half of May when the cold winter gives way to sunny days and comfortably warm temperatures. With less boat traffic on the canals and calm waters, this season is best for relaxing on a gondola ride. If you want to avoid the stress of the high tourist season, December through February may do the trick with quiet and peaceful local areas. Low season also provides discounted accommodation rates. Moreover, the famous Venetian Carnival takes place annually in February, which gives visitors the chance to join in on the festivities and try on a traditional ornate mask.
Venice Marco Polo International Airport (VCE) is situated 7 km north of the city. There is a wide selection of transport from the airport to the city. Choose between buses, taxicabs, and boats. If you choose a boat, be prepared for a short walk first. The water bus is operated by Alilaguna and the journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. There are also motorboats and the price varies from company to company. A land route to Venice is offered too. The two transport companies ACTV and ATVO have direct buses between the city and the airport. The journey takes approximately 20-25 minutes.
