Few times visited, it's one of my favorites in Europe. Even when having guests with a longer stay in Munich, a three day trip over the Alps to Garda and Venice is always a consideration.
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Venice was established as a trading point at a northerly point of the Adriatic Sea. The island, once well protected in the Laguna Vaneta, is slowly sinking due to over-dredging and to worsted things, global warming is raising the level of the seas! Plans are underway to build dykes to control the spring tides which flood some of the areas is to be financed with tourist money.
A lot of patience and a good general sence of direction are needed to explore the labyrinths of streets and waterways, map is essential.
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| Favourite spots: |
The stairs next to the Ponte di Rialto (the middle of three bridges on the Canal Grand) makes a good place to sit and chat with students and watch the traffic go buy.
Piazza San Marco at carnival the days before Ash Wednesday, with the hundreds of colourfully costumes and masks.
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| What's really great: |
We walked from the car-park (Autorimessa) at Plaza de Roma eastwards towards the Ponte di Rialto zig-zagging through the streets, each corner revealing something different. From there south to the Piaza San Marco side stepping down alleys and exploring. After the days done, ferries run back to the car park.
Gondola riding should be done even if only for a few minutes. They are taxis so do short runs as well although they prefere to talking tourists on a slower but longer ride. If not getting romantic or on the thrifty side, group up with other tourists to share a boat.
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| Sights: |
Piazza and Basilica San Marco (Center of Venice)
Chiesa della Salute, accessable over the Rio Grand at Accedemia
Rio della Canonica, lot of small bridges and Rio Tovaso
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| Accommodations: |
We night out of Venice, a lot of accommodation in nearby towns across the lagoon like Portogruaro. connection to Venice is then by ferry.
[Added 2008-02-01]: While I expect hotels are expensive in Venice itself my last trip was to Lido di Jesolo just across the lagoon. There are literally hundreds of cheap hotels here with fantastic beach, pedestrian zone and hourly ferry connections to Venice. See pictures at:
http://www.globosapiens.net/italy-travel-/Veneto/Lido+di+Jesolo.html
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| Hangouts: |
[Added 2008-02-01] Piazza and Basilica San Marco is the central meeting place of the city.
It is here that for carnival a lot of local artists display themselves in all kind of masks and costumes and on the opening day an angel, a chosen beauty queen, flies across the plaza on a cable suspended from the cathedral. Just this year the council decided to discourage masks because they are "depressing"!!! Also, this year instead of an angel a male American rap singer flew down that cable!!!
There are a lot of little squares in the backrods (canals) of Venice, most have coffee shops with tables and chairs where the local meet.
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| Restaurants: |
The restaurants away from the main Plazas are cozzier and also cheaper. Observe where the local people are eating - best food and buy. Patience is needed at most restaurants south of the Alps. Waiting 10 minutes to get the order done and 30 minutes to get the food served is not unusual. perhaps thats why the heart attack rate is so low there!
Nobody hungers in Italy, the Mediterranean is the kitchen of the world!
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| Other recommendations: |
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Fort at Sermione, Lago de Garda.
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The quieter islands of Murano, Burano are accessible by ferry.
[Added 2008-02-01] The lagoon and Venice is protected from the sea by a long bank of sand "lido" like Lido di Jesolo, the "Miami" of Venice with hundreds of sea shore hotels. If in Venice, worth visiting by short ferry trip, clean, cheap and incredible.
Lake Garda is about a 3hr drive north-west for those wanting to see a great alpine lake.
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Published on Tuesday September 28th, 2004
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Publish on Facebook
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Fri, Feb 01 2008 - 12:31 PM
 by davidx
| A very good report but I should have welcomed more on Murano and Burano. |
Thu, Jan 27 2005 - 06:57 AM
by ardelia
After reading this, I would like to visit Venice more than anything! Thanks and enjoy reading your report and cool pictures!
Ardelia |
Wed, Sep 29 2004 - 01:09 AM
 by beograd
| I love this city! A few weeks ago I visited it for a few hours and fell in love with it immediately. It's in our plans to visit it again for a longer stay... Great report. |
Tue, Sep 28 2004 - 09:22 PM
by ravinderkumarsi
hii rudi,
well i do have lots of concern abt the news of this beautiful city's sinking news.in fact now its peak time to think abt it .
well written report
ravi |
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