The Beauty of Venice (Italy)

Trip DetailsWhere: Venice, ItalyWhen: 2nd - 5th October 2011

The rest of my trip to Venice was also great. After solving the mystery and not finding my treasure (check The Venice Quest post for more information), me and my friends could finally enjoy Venice. We bought a map and started walking through some small streets on the way to the circled numbers on the map (the sights).

The first thing we noticed was something very typical for the town. It’s full of bridges over canals and beautiful buildings around.

Venice

This one reminded me of a movie I’ve seen about Casanova. He used to jump off balconies on those bridges running from some angry husbands after spending the night with their wives.

 

The next thing we realized was that people there used boats as means of transportation.

Boats, Venice

As you may know, no motor vehicles are allowed on the island. So it’s either boat or on foot.

One of the days there, we sat on a bridge for two hours just to observe the passing boats. There were all kinds of them – carrying mineral water, food supplies, construction materials… There even was a crane.

I should be honest about those two hours on the bridge, though, and admit that we weren’t observing only the boats. Italians turned out to be very good looking. (Yes, I’m blushing.)

Anyway... Beside Italians, there are a lot of tourists in Venice. We followed the flow and got ourselves on Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge).

Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge).

It’s the oldest bridge that connects Venice over Canale Grande. There are shops on both sides.

And here’s the Canale itself:

Canale Grande

Canale Grande

The boat on the bottom of the first photo is the public transport there, also known as “vaporetto”. It takes you around Venice, also to the islands close by. It’s fun riding on it. We got on one right before the sunset and we saw this amazing view:

One of the most famous sights in Venice is Piazza San Marco (Square San Marco).



Piazza San Marco (Square San Marco).View from the Bell tower

It is known for the hundreds of pigeons there.

Piazza San Marco (Square San Marco).

Unfortunately, there were too many people and just a few birds when I was there. I didn't even get the chance to feed them or take a photo with one of them hanging on my arm...

 

On one side of the square, there’s the Basilica San Marco.

Basilica San Marco

Basilica San Marco (never mind the ghosts... it's not so spooky in reality ;)

Right across the Basilica is Museo Correr (The Correr Museum).



Museo Correr (The Correr Museum).

It contains collections of paintings, prints, coins, weapons, military regalia, representing the history of Venice between the 13th and 16th centuries.

 

The Bell Tower

The Bell Tower

reveals an amasing view.

Vie from The Bell Tower

Next to the Basilica is Palazzo Ducale (The Palace of the Doges).

Palazzo Ducale (The Palace of the Doges).

It actully looks more like a parliament than a palace.

It features the famous Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs).

Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs).

They used to take prisoners from the courtroom to jail through that bridge.

Ponte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs).

They sighed when they saw Venice for the last time.

View fromPonte dei Sospiri (The Bridge of Sighs).

That’s how it got its name.

You can see a Gondola in the photo above. Getting on one is supposed to be a very romantic experience. It takes you through Canale Grande. The gondolier sings while you're on.

The view from the Basilica is spectacular as well.

View from the Basilica

The building on the right is The National Library and on the left is The Palace of the Doges.

 

Right next to The Palace of the Doges, we found the hotel, where Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp's characters from "The Tourist" stayed.

Hotel Danieli

Be sure to watch the movie before you go there. ;)

There were classical musicians in the restaurants around Piazza San Marco.

The music created a really beautiful atmosphere.

Another famous thing in Venice is the masks. The town is full of shops, selling them.

Masks, Venice

I guess it’d be great to visit during the Carnival (some time in February-March), when there’s a whole parade of masked people.

 

Another thing Venice is popular for is its glass.

Glass Figures, Venice

 Yes, these are made of glass. And there are many more like that.

 

On one of the days we were there, we took the vaporetto and went to Lido island. It was a huge surprise when we found a beach there.

Lido Island

 I almost forgot. You should definitely try the Pizza Rolls.

Pizza Rolls

Sightseeing makes you hungry. ;)

You can also try the Limoncello. It's a typical Venetian drink. And of course whatever else is in your taste (I personally loved the dark chocolate ice cream and the Italian coffee).

 

So as a whole, the trip was very exciting. Venice is different than other towns, as you probably have noticed, and very beautiful. I really had fun and would gladly go back one day.

 

Who knows, I might meet you there. ;)