Travel

Venice

Venice, the capital of Veneto, according to a latest census in 2004, has a population of more then 270,000. It is located in the north-east part of Italy on numerous small islands that belong to the Venetian Lagoon.
Venice is a dream shimmering on the waters, a city of painted palaces and serene churches. Except that in this case, the dream came true. This unique urban masterpiece has canals instead of streets, boats instead of buses, and ornate bridges instead of subways. A trip to Venice offers an unforgettable glimpse of life’s defining moments played out on watery avenues: weddings, funerals, carnivals and regattas.

Venice accommodation
Venice, gateway to the Orient, is one of the few cities in the world that can be truly described as unique. Over an extraordinarily long period, the city was embellished with monuments of rare splendour that today make it a tourist attraction like none other in the entire world.there are many cheap hotels so you can enjoy with low budget .

Getting around Venice
Venice is a unique city in the world, not only for the beauty of its churches and its monuments or for the richness of its artworks, but mainly for its particular morphology and location: in fact, the city, whose shape resembles a fish, rises on an archipelago of about a hundred big and small islands, separated by numerous canals and joined by bridges.
Venice is a “water city”, surrounded and carried through by the water of its lagoon.
Therefore, there aren’t any roads for cars, motorbikes or bicycles, but only lanes, squares, waterways and canals… the city traffic takes place exclusively on pedestrian routes and on water!
For this reason, arriving and getting around in Venice can be difficult if you are visiting the city for the first time.

Places to see in Venice
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal or Canal Grande winds through the heart of Venice. It’s over 21/2 miles (3 km) long and full of vaporetti, barges, water taxis and gondolas. Bordering the canal are beautiful palazzi, mostly dating from the 14th to the 18th century. You can admire them by taking a gondola ride or more cheaply by taking vaporetto no 1 from front of Santa Lucia railway station. Three beautiful bridges span the canal (Scalzi, the Rialto and Accademia).
Basilica di San Marco
This is where the Byzantine meets the Western art. Basilica di San Marco is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the most important church in Venice. It was built over several centuries, starting in 832. Inside, the basilica is covered in splendid Byzantine mosaics (only illuminated at certain times). There is an entrace fee for the treasury and for Pala d’Oro (the main altarpiece made of gold and precious stones) and to see the four ancient bronze horses kept in the Museo della Basilica (the ones on the balcony are copies). From the balcony one can get a nice view of the Piazza.
Rialto Bridge
Until the 19th century this was the only bridge between the two sides of the Grand Canal. The bridge as we see it today was built in the 16th century when a competition took place to chose the design of the new bridge to replace an older structure. Michelangelo was among the contenders but the competition was won by Antonio da Ponte. This is one of the centers of activity in Venice and everywhere on the islands there are signs indicating the direction for the Rialto bridge. The bridge is a good place to watch the activity on the Grand Canal at any hour of the day.
The Clock Tower
The Republic was said to have gorged out the eyes of the man who created the clock tower found in St Mark’s so that he would never be able to create another for any other city.  In May, on the day of the Ascension, the figures of the three wise kings, preceded by an angel, mechanically appear every hour before a figure of the Virgin Mary and bow to her.

Shopping  in Venice
Alluring shops abound in Venice. You’ll find countless vendors of trademark Venetian wares such as glass and lace; the authenticity of some goods can be suspect, but they’re often pleasing to the eye regardless of their place of origin. For more-sophisticated tastes (and deeper pockets), there are jewelers, antiques dealers, and high-fashion boutiques on a par with those in Italy’s larger cities but often maintaining a uniquely Venetian flair. There are also some interesting craft and art studios, where you can find high-quality, one-of-a-kind articles, from handmade shoes to decorative lamps and mirrors.
It’s always a good idea to mark on your map the location of a shop that interests you; otherwise you may not be able to find it again in the maze of tiny streets. Regular store hours are usually 9-12:30 and 3:30 or 4-7:30; some stores are closed Saturday afternoon or Monday morning. Food shops are open 8-1 and 5-7:30, and are closed Wednesday afternoon and all day Sunday. Many tourist-oriented shops are open all day, every day. Some shops close for both a summer and a winter vacation.