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Venice
Travel Guide, climate:
Best: Feb [Carnival], March-June, Sept, Oct;
winter time is chilly but uncrowded, and can be misty and romantic.
Avoid: July and August ; in summer time the canals get smelly
& prices rocket.
'Like
eating a box of chocolate liqueurs in one go' T. Capote
Main
Festivals guide:
Feb, Venice Carnival, do it once at least, it's cramped magic! See
Venice
Carnival Pictures.
May, Vogalonga, boat race.
July, Festa del Redentore, a huge flotilla of decorated boatstravel
around the canals, regatta, fireworks.
Nov, La Salute [religious] festival at the beautiful Basilica Santa
Maria della Salute.
For
some precise dates or more information see: European
Festivals or Arts
Festivals.
Arts/Culture
guide:
Museums and Galleries: the number one gallery is the Accademia,
Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, Ca' Peasaro, Ca'd' Oro-Galleria Franchetti,
Museo Archeologico.
Classical Music: Goldoni, Palazzo Prigione Vecchie, Scuola
Grande di San Giovanni evangelista, Pietà church for Vivaldi.
Dance/Opera: Fenice Opera, Palafenice.
Theatre: Teatro Malibran.
Live Music: Paradiso Perduto, Da Codroma
Check 'Un Ospite di Venezia' for event info/listings.
Culture
vultures will be happy to buy the Orange Venice Card [£10
- 1 day, £19 - 3 days] which gets you into some sensational
museums, palazzos and free onto all water buses.
Short
Trips:
Lido [beach, casino], Murano [glass factories].
Venice
Shopping guide:
Classy: Piazza San Marco; the route between San Marco, the Rialto
and the station; Murano glass factories. These are all overpriced
and clichéd. For more interesting, cheaper glass work try
Ivano Soffiato in Dorsoduro and watch him at work.
Accomodation:
For more than a few nights stay why not rent an apartment and live
like the locals - shopping at markets like the one beside the Rialto
Bridge. See links on the right side. |
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Why
Travel to Venice?
Because it's unique and timeless and sinking into the mud. A stunning,
decaying city with no wheels, a labyrinthe of mysterious streets
and canals, suprise views, sublime buildings and particularly Piazza
San Marco, 'the finest drawing room in Europe' according to Napoleon.
On the downside the city goes to bed early, food and gondolas are
expensive [unless you stick with pizzas and cicheti, see
below].
Sights
guide:
Venice is a great walking city, especially after a couple of expressos
and a brandy.
First see the Rialto Bridge, Piazza and Basilica San Marco, the
Doge's Palace, Accademia Bridge and the Grand Canal - along with
all the other tourists.
Then stumble around the back streets and find your own exquisite
little sights. North to Cannaregio or west to Dorsoduro will take
you well away from packagees.
Venice Tourism now offers a leaflet of great, little-known walks
called 'Venezia Beyond San Marco', available from near the old
San Marco vaporetto stop.
Boat
travel:
Go by water bus, not hideously expensive gondola. One or three day
passes available.
Water buses also run from Marco Polo airport to St Mark's Square
for a few dollars.
Self-drive boats are avialable from Brussa is Boat in Cannaregio,
or you could even hire a sleep-aboard cruiser for not a lot from
Rendez-Vous Fantasia in Chioggia. Driving licences not required
for either self-drive! See links page.
Cuisine
guide:
Beware of ripoffs. Check prices carefully [preferably written],
don't be dragged in by a maître d' outside, eat where Italians
are eating and ask for a written bill/check [conto] at the end.
Good value:
Pizzas are the cheapest way to eat fully and two of the most popular
are la Perla and Casa Mia, both in Cannaregio.
Alternatively bars can be an economical way to eat as they often
have delicious cicheti titbits costing very little, similar
to 'antipasti' you find in restaurants.
Not expensive:
Avogaria in Dorsoduro serves excellent seafood, while La Zucca at
Ponte del Megio specialises in pasta and salads.
Over the Top:
For the best [woah $$$!] dining experiences in Venice try either
Hotel Cipriani's gorgeous terrace restaurant, Da Fiore or Dalla
Marisa in Cannaregio.
For high society cafe scenes go to Italy's oldest cafes, Caffè
Florian or Gran Caffè Quadri, in Piazza San Marco.
If
you plan to travel to Venice, how about another city on your trip?
Check these Bug guides:
Rome
Guide
| Florence
Guide | Siena
Guide
Vienna
Guide | Budapest
Guide | Prague
Travel
Paris
Travel | Barcelona
Travel | Venice
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