Venice and its Lagoon

If you are bored with Venice you are surely bored with life. I've been there 5 times and I never find it boring. It's become very overcrowded in the summertime, something of a victim of it's own success but go in the winter when it's cold and foggy and practically deserted and you'll see a totally different city. It's so much easier to get around in winter too, there aren't so many vaporettos but the ones that run are less crowded.
I can't say that there's any one thing that you really should see or one thing you should do, just being there is enough. It shouldn't exist, it's a crazy notion to build a city in the middle of a lagoon, especially 1,500 years ago and then to go on to dominate trade in the eastern Mediterranean but they did it. Venice's fall from grace was equally spectacular and they are now "just" a major tourist destination with all the problems that brings. The locals can get fed up with hoards of tourists and I don't blame them but I've always met nice locals there. It's not for everyone, my friend is a great traveler and supporter of World Heritage and she was unimpressed, I still don't know how, but for most of us it's a magical place that should be on everyone's bucket list.

Having just returned from my fifth trip to Venice - but the first for nearly a decade - I feel compelled to say something about a timeless place that is so well known and so well reviewed that it is impossible to offer an original thought in appreciation. Anyway, here is my personal restatement of what others offered in the past: There is no place in the Western Hemisphere that continues to fascinate me as much as La Serenissima, and no other place that I believe is as rewarding when explored on foot.

If you are not an avid urban walker, you can still enjoy all of the top sights in Venice, since the vast majority of them are next to or within a short walk of a vaporetto stop - Linea Uno by itself puts you in touch with practically every major point of interest (hint: buy a multi-day pass, which starts saving you money on your 3rd trip per day on average).

But you will miss a lot if you do just that. Hit all of your major targets, by all means, but also find time to wander aimlessly around the city. The real charm of Venice is found away from tourist crowds. Forget about the map for a while, walk where your whims take you, retrace a few steps when faced with a canal without any means to cross, linger where you feel like it - I would strongly argue that along with seeing its …

What is there to say about Venice that hasn't already been said? It's not surprising this World Heritage Site is the most reviewed of all the Italian sites; this city on water is captivating. I've visited Venice twice, and both times left me wanting more time to explore. Traveling by boat on the Grand Canal, the Venetian architecture is mesmerizing, while the smaller side canals offer a more intimate view of the city's colorful neighborhoods. Venice's vaporetto system offers a relatively inexpensive way to travel around the islands, and I highly recommend taking Line 1 for an evening circumnavigation of the Grand Canal, when all the churches and palaces are illuminated. On foot, the paths between neighborhoods meander past churches and apartments and plazas, with a variety of bridges crossing the network of canals. It's easy and worthwhile to lose oneself in Venice in this way, but if you need reorientation, the signs on the corners of the building direct back to main parts of the city. Recent press articles have bemoaned the death of Venice by tourism; I agree it should be managed, but I'd have to say I did not feel overwhelmed by crowds on my prior visits in spring and fall. Perhaps those are better times of year to visit.

Logistics: Upon arrival to Venice by train or by automobile, the best way to see the city is either by boat or on foot. Venice's vaporetto network is a great way to travel around the canals and …

My first visit to Venice took place in 1987: it was my first holiday abroad without my parents, and I had joined a youth group tour to Slovenia that included a side trip to Venice. I remember nothing about what we did that day, and only have a few holiday snaps left of a gondolier in front of some church. So there is reason enough for a return visit to one of the richest cities in Italy in terms of history and art. But again in 2016, I had only one day to spare for Venice. This time I arrived by train from Aquileia via Cervignano.

So how much ground can one actually cover in one day? During the train ride, I noted down a mix of sights and activities from the 2005 Michelin Green Guide Italy and some ideas copied down beforehand from the internet. This resulted in an all-day itinerary of eight things to do: vaporetto to Canal Grande, St. Mark’s Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Sta. Maria della Salute church, Ca d’Oro, I Frari church, Rialto bridge and Scuola di San Rocco.

Unmissable from any day in Venice is a ‘cruise’ by vaporetto. Waterbus #1 follows the Grand Canal through the city center, but I (accidentally) started with waterbus #2. It also ends at St. Mark's Square, but arrives there via a different route. It takes a long way round, along the railway station, through the lagoon with its islets and in the company of larger ferries …

I agree with the reviews praising vaporetto rides and exploring backstreet Venice on foot. At San Zaccaria Church, I saw a beautiful Bellini altarpiece with a joyous angel playing the cello. I also loved seeing Emma Ciardi's Impressionist paintings of Venice at the Ca' Rezzonico 18C Museum that is in a gorgeous palazzo. The Ca' d' Oro is another lovely palazzo with a fascinating collection of paintings and sculptures. Palladio's San Giorrgio Maggiore made me realize why Palladio is often copied in other nations.

I agree with the review that said Venice is the world's most memorable city.

I visited this WHS various times. Venice is a unique place in the world and it is an enchanting city. In July 2009 I also visited Murano, Burano and Torcello islands in the Venetian Lagoon and the highlight of my trip was definitely Burano, with its colourful buildings and old local lacemakers.

Among the weirdest cities in the World, Venice, Italy must rank among the top five. I don’t mean this in a BAD way actually, but the place is completely so unlike anyplace else in the world that it cannot be called anything but very strange.

Other cities have canals. You’ve got Amsterdam and Stockholm, both of which are strewn with canals close to the water’s edge, but they have streets, and trams and other forms of mass transportation, which make those towns seem relatively normal. Also, while they have museums, they are not, of themselves museums. Venice, having lost its independence and its livelihood over two centuries ago, is.

The “serene republic” lasted a thousand years and a century before being actually invaded for the first time by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. The reason for this was because of its intense weirdness. It’s a bunch of islands in the middle of a lagoon, connected by a series of bridges. Here, it developed a unique culture and set for the to build an empire which ruled over the islands of what are now Croatia and Greece, trading with the Byzantine and later, various Moslem empires in the east to become the cultural portal of the western world during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Even as new trade routes made Venice less lucrative, the serene Republic continued to thrive, attracting artists and architects, poets and visionaries. But that’s all gone now…

When the French finally destroyed the old Republic, they destroyed …

Having seen the streets, piazzas and canals of Venice on previous visits, this time I decided to visit the Lagoon. Armed with a 12 hour ticket I took a Vaporetto LN from Fondamente Nova. This vessel cruised past St Michael's (Cemetery) Island to Murano with its lines of glassworks. We then continued past Mazzorbo and Torcello to Burano. I could see that Torcello's campanile was wrapped in scaffolding so I disembarked in Burano to explore the narrow canals with their colurful houses, and also for an excellent seafood lunch.

Returning to Venice I went to the church of San Giorgio Maggiore and for E5 took the lift up the campanile to get a bird's eye view of Venice.

There are reasons why some sites are so famous; Venice is a case in point. This really is a unique and magnificent city, and really justified as being one of the most famous cities in Europe.

My visit was a truly wonderful experience, walking around it was hard to wipe the grins off of our faces. Arriving at the waterfront near St Mark’s square for the first time felt like we had just stepped into a Canaletto painting. Aside from the unique atmosphere of the road free city, the main sights were also very impressive. My first visit to St Mark’s Basilica was incredible, the mid morning sun was streaming in and making the gold mosaics shine, it really was an impressive feeling. Also the Doge’s palace was well worth investigating, the sheer amount of impressive painted interiors really made it worth the entrance fee. Venice can be a pretty expensive city to visit, but I visited out of season and managed to get some cheaper accommodation, and there are plenty of ways to cut down cost. Perhaps the most fun I had saving money was eschewing the costly gondola ride (€120 p/h) in favour of the wobbling across the grand canal on a traghetto (a gondola in which you stand up) all for the princely sum of €0.50, we enjoyed it so much we did it again the next day as well.

One of my favourite parts of my visit was strolling through the vegetable and fish markets on …

I was in Venice earlier this year (May 2010) it was my first time and I have to say I knew hardly anything about it. My friend had been twice and had raved about it, so I went with an open mind. I loved it!

We went for a week, booked an Hotel on the Lido so we had the best of both, with a beach on one side and Venice on the other. We did just about everything we wanted to do, including a trip by bus down the Lido and across to Choggia on the mainland. We also spent a day trip across to Murano, Burrano and Torchello. We both agreed that Burano was the best, it was so pretty.

A lot of people only go to Venice for a day, they only see and do just a couple of things and it would probably be packed with people anyway, which can spoil it.

St Marks Square on a warm late evening when all the tourist have left and you can stop for a coffee in peace or have an ice cream or a drink is absolute magical.

Visited Venice in 1985 and stayed in the international youth hostel a short canal ride from St. Marks Square. The city was somewhat commercialized, touristy, and expensive. I could only afford spaghetti! Magnificent architecture and a unique system of canals make this city a real gem. St Marks was really impressive. The small Gugenheim art gallery had a precious collection of paintings. The city lacked the local charm of other Italian cities.

One of the most overwhelming scenes that I remember in my life is when you turn around the corner and arrive to St. Mark's Square in Venice. The sight of that amazing church, the thousands of doves, and yes, the bunch of tourists, simply took my breath away. Venice has a lot of other sights worth visiting, and the city itself, just walking around and getting lost in it (don't worry, eventually you get to St. Mark's Square again, even if you don't understand how). If you feel like running away from all the crowds, you can take a boat to the pintoresque island of Burano, where you will find lovely streets with colorful houses and a much more peaceful sorrounding than Venice. Venice is a very romantic city, but even if you go there without a couple, it is still very enjoyable

My visit to Venice left me wondering if this was a city or movie set. It was all so surreal. The charming narrow pedestrian streets and ornate bridges made it seem more amusement park than metropolis. The gondola ride was expensive and would hardly have been worth it had I not been on my honeymoon (I think you could get arrested if you don't spring for the ride on your honeymoon, let alone the fallout with the wife). Regardless, this is a unique place that more than earns its designation as a heritage site.

Venice is a city of extremes. One either loves it or hates it. Like Prague, it hosts millions of tourists each year to the extent that one doubts the existence of a true Venetian citizen. Yet, also like Prague, it boasts incredible beauty and extraordinary qualities that make it unique among the cities of the world. It is no surprise that people flock to Venice; there is quite simply no place like it. St. Mark's Square, the Basilica, and the Doge's Palace with its Bridge of Sighs constitute the main tourist sights, along with the Grand Canal and its Rialto Bridge, but for me, the real joy of Venice lies in its labryinth of tightly packed streets, many of which end in the deadend of a canal bank but still others of which lead to remarkable sights far off the tourist radar. The city can be overwhelming with its crowds and its waterways, but if you take the time to lose yourself among the people and campi of Venice, you will find a delightful local culture lurking just below the tourist facade.

My first and only trip to Venice took place in 2002 with my second cousin from Trieste.It was a remarkable experience. I had not known that one must take a train over a causeway(land bridge)to get inside the city.The only other way is by boat.

Once inside the ancient city, one is greeted and overwhelmed by history, architecture, arts and crafts and a flowing continuity of shopping adventures. We took a gondola ride down the canals on a sleek ebony colored luxurious craft and saw the home of Marco Polo and the original Don Juan who, my guide said, "had a different woman every night."

I was impressed by the enormity of Venice for I had always envisioned a rather small quaint place, but one can not possible walk over 400 bridges in a few minutes!

The expansive piazzas were host to tourists from every place imaginable and I strained my neck to view a gigantic tower whose grand image must surely have inspired the smaller version in Epcot in Disney World.Indeed, Venice itself reminded me of a ancient "DIsney World' for everywhere were the sights and sounds of entertainment. Itinerant musicians, wonderful Italian food, quaint shops with glass wares, porcelin, and unusual gifts which were too tempting to pass by.

The day at Venice went by all too quickly and even though it was raining a little that day, it was one of the highlights of my trip to italy and I have expressed my admiration for that city …

To me this is the nicest city I have ever seen. First time I visited it on nighttime, during wintertime - I was walking on empty streets under moonlight four weary hours. It was strange to see the incredibly ornate inner rooms in houses, where light was on.

Next time I spent there four days. Managed to visit Burano island - it is something different, picturesque fishery village with leaning belltower and few tourists. Murano - pretty similar to Venice - but far less tourists, here you can spend much time speaking (or trying to communicate) with glassmasters or just look at their work.

I am dreaming about returning there some more times. For others - try to avoid the central streets - they always are crowded, prices are just stupid. Some quarters away - silent and much cheaper.

I was in venice in april 2004 and I just can say one word "fantastic"! in this city you really feel you walk throgh history. No cars, just boats and very nice old churches. the highlight is for me to enter to St. Marco's square.. cuz first you walk trough soem thight streets and suddenly you get into St. Marco square and the effect of the change from the small tight streets to the giant square is really unbelivable!

also the view from the tower in St. Marco's square is so beautiful, you see the city surrounding by see and you feel like really being in 14th century!!!! great place to visit

What more can be said about Venice that hasn´t been said before? One of the greatest cities of Europe, if not the world, and a place everybody should have seen. Sure, it´s usually very, very crowded, the streets are a complete maze, and when there´s acqua alta (and that´s frequently), you wouldn´t want to be there without boots. But hey, it´s Venice, and you can accept a few inconveniences to see St.Marks´s Square, the Basilica of St.Mark´s, the Ducal Palace, a score of museums, the Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal, the gondolas, the Academy,...well, you know what I mean. Just wandering the narrow alleys and not knowing exactly where you are going is half the joy of exploring Venice. And if you are fed up with the crowds, just take a boat to one of the islands in the lagoon that are usually very quiet places.