Venice, rich in history, and legends take
the tourists to an incredible array of endless calli, campielli, channels,
churches, museums and splendid buildings that represents Venice as the
meeting of east and west. There are the shop windows, full of glasses and
colored masks up to the St. Mark Square, and then one has the extraordinary
Venice marked by narrow alleys, passing the façade of building.
Tradition has it that Venice is wed to the sea and true the soul of the
city is there. Its said the foundation, history and fortune of the city are
born of the sea and the 118 islets that form the Venice lagoon.
Venice is famous throughout the world for its textiles, carpets and the
lace; for the splendor of its music and for its unique Carnival.
Fact File
Country : Italy
Population : 63000
Languages : Italian, French, German and Slovene
Climate : Venice is at its worst in high summer (June-August): it's
hot and sticky. The most pleasant time of year to visit is late March into
May, with clear spring days and comparatively fewer crowds. September is the
next best in terms of weather. Flooding occurs in November and December, and
winter are unpleasantly cold. Summer : 24° C to 27° C ; Winters :
0° C to 10° C.
Official Currency : Euro; 1 Euro = 52.443 Indian Rupee = 1.2047 US $
= 0.678141 GBP (subject to change)
Location : The city of Venice lies on the north eastern coast of
Italy.
Getting There
By Air : Venice Marco Polo Airport is 10km (6 miles) northwest of
the city (travel time – 20 minutes) has good airport facilities. Buses
and taxi services run to Piazzale Roma and the railway station. Water taxis
operate to San Marco.
By Train : ‘Santa Lucia’ is the main railway station in
Venice. The efficient railways connect the city of Venice to test of the
country and to the rest of Europe.
Getting Around
Vaporetto (Boat) : These simple, bulky boats are the backbone of the
city's transit system and arrive and depart every 10 minutes from key
stations (Piazza San Marco, Rialto, Accademia, etc.) along the Grand Canal -
extending as far as the Lido. Tickets cost $1.50. The sleeker Motoscafi
boats are smaller, faster and more expensive, making runs inside Venice and
to outer islands such as Giudecca and Torcello.
Gondolas : Cruising the Grand Canal at night or day by Gondola is a
great experience though an expensive one.
Accommodation
The city a has number of good hotels to provide a comfortable and
convenient stay for the tourists. Mentioned below are some of the hotels in
the city:
5 star hotels in the city:
Monaco & Grand canal hotel
Hotel Londra Palace
Hotel San Clemente palace
4 star hotels in the city:
Hotel Danieli 4
Dei Dogi, a Boscolo luxury hotel
Hotel bauer
3 star hotels in the city:
Hotel Antiche Figure
Best Western Hotel Bisanzio
Major tourist attractions
Doge’s
Palace : This largest civic building in Venice, was the official home of
the Doge – the ruler of Venice – and the seat of government for
the Venetian Republic. Dominating the staircase known as the Giant’s
Staircase are the Giants – depictions of Mars and Neptune.
Bridge of Sighs : The famous bridge links the Prison to the Doge’s
Palace and is so named for the “sighs” reputedly heaved by
prisoners on their way to face the judges in the Palace. This encounter
often signified torture and in some cases death for the convict.
St. Mark’s Basilica : This medieval basilica reputedly houses
the remains of St. Mark. Apart from the unique architecture of the
multi-domed cathedral, the highlight of this church is the Quadriga –
the quartet of horses from the Roman era brought here from Constantinople
(Istanbul) after the Venetian invasion of the city in 1204.
Harry’s Bar : This bar is synonymous with Venice and the house
specialty is Bellini which is a fresh peach juice and sparkling wine
combination that has made the mark for the bar and is located at far edge of
Piazza San Marco.
Santa Maria Della Salute : This white church right by the waters of
the Grand Canal is an outstanding baroque landmark and houses some
magnificent works by tintoretto and Titian.
