September 27, 2015

3 days in Italy: day three – Venice

Venice is always a good idea

After two great days in Florence, Pisa and Montecatini Terme, the third day we went to Venice. We’ve already been to Venice a couple of times before, so we just took a walk in Venice streets, some of them we have seen before, some of them we walked through for the first time. I like to walk through small streets that are not too crowded. And it’s good t get lost. You can always find a way out somehow, but it’s more exciting if it takes time. It’s like a maze, so you better take some time and not hurry, just slowly explore beautiful streets.

The sad fact is that the city is getting way too much overcrowded with tourists, which causes some troubles. Venice is a beautiful city that I would recommend everyone to see it, but at the same time, I realize how much mass tourism is hurting it. Venice is already very expensive, but I agree with the new city taxes and I hope it will help to preserve the city.
Venice’s city council approved a visitors tax on day-trippers from 2019, aimed at paying for essential services that are more costly to perform in the lagoon city, such as trash collection and the cleaning of public areas. Day-trippers will be charged a daily tax in a range from 3€ to 10€.

The City of Bridges

The “City of Bridges“, as it is usually called, stretches along the mouths of the Po and the Piave rivers. It is situated across a group of 117 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. In Venice, you’ll find many historical buildings, with modern interiors and also with the traditional designs which are common all over the city. The fastest and the best transportation is, of course, by boat. Gondolas are the most famous and romantic means of transportation for experiencing the city. The gondola is the symbol of Venice, which has made it famous all over the world.

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola, but it’s a bit expensive. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin; in between, it makes a large reverse-S shape through the central districts of Venice. It is 3.8 km long, and 30 to 90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters.
We parked on Tronchetto parking, which cost us 16€ for 4 hours – the most expensive parking I have ever been to. Near parking there is a Vaporetto water boat bus station, we took a one-way ticket (7,5€ per person) to Piazza San Marco.

Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco, St Mark’s Square, is the principal public square of Venice. As the largest square in the city, St. Mark’s Square has always been the location of important government buildings and other facilities central to the goings on in Venice. The most important building is, of course, magnificent St. Mark’s Basilica. For its expensive design, gold ground mosaics it’s a symbol of Venetian wealth and power.

We went to the top of St. Mark’s Campanile, bell tower. Price for the elevator is 8€/person, it’s very crowded up there, but the view is really nice. The tower is 98.6 m tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark’s Square, near the front of the basilica.

Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The Doge’s Palace was the residence of the Doge (the ruler of Venice) and also housed the political bodies of the state. Within the lavish complex, there were law courts, administrative offices, courtyards, grand stairways, and ballrooms, as well as prisons on the ground floor. It’s worth visiting the palace interior, but you need to have some extra time. More information and tickets here.

Rialto bridge

It was under construction, unfortunately. Besides Piazza San Marco, this bridge is probably the heart of the city. Rialto Bridge was the city’s first bridge over the Grand Canal connecting the highest points on the Venice islands settlement. Part of the city near the Rialto bridge has always been the center of Venetian trade and is the oldest part of the city. On the bridge and its surroundings, you will find various stalls and restaurants. At the top of the bridge extends the interesting view of the Grand Canal and the market.

Venice offers plenty of nice architectural details, I especially love doors. An easy stroll around the city is a perfect way to find all the beautiful things about Venice.