Venice
Venice is the most visited and toured city in Italy, after Rome, due to its sanctuary-like location and its historical validity. The city resembles much how it must have looked six centuries ago, which adds to the tremendous character and feel of the waterborne city. It also is known for its romantic appeal mostly due to the romantic notion of gondola rides.
Although Venice may not seem like a huge city at first, it is made up of many different districts with six main districts that house most of the sights and monuments that tourists visit. These districts are the Santa Croce, San Polo, Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, and the Dorsoduro.
Venice dates back to the year 827 and has a lot of historical significance due to its varied contributions to art and culture during the Renaissance.
The climate of Venice is hot and humid, which causes the canals to start to smell and become infested with flies. Due to this fact the best time to visit is during the spring and autumn when the weather is not too cold, but the air is less polluted and the overall experience is richer. It should be noted however, that since there are no cars in Venice the air is not covered in smog, which is a plus at any time of the year.
Since there are no cars in Venice the best way to get around is by walking, which makes it a healthy city to visit on holiday and also a uniquely pleasant experience. The main sector of Venice is only about an hour walk across at most, so walking is the most suitable way to tour the city.
However, for those who want a break from walking or want to see the city in a new light it can be enjoyable to take one of the water taxis or the vaporetti which are actually water buses that travel along the canals. For a romantic tryst down the canals the best choice is of course a gondola ride.
While in Venice it is important to take in at least a few of the churches for their aesthetic beauty and fine glass stained windows. The San Marco is one of the most well known churches and offers free admission. After this if you want to view more you will have to pay a small admission fee to some of the other historic sites.
Some other notable churches include Saint Mark’s Basilica, the Saint Maria dei Miracoli, the San Giovanni e Paolo, and the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Be advised though that proper attire is required at all of the churches, which mainly affects the ladies since shoulders and knees must be covered.
Also popular in Venice is the cities wide array of museums, which include the Correrr Museum that contains many globes dating back to the 16th century, and the Doge’s Palace tour which will allow you to walk though the five hundred year old palace and see everything from the administration rooms to the Casanova jail cell.
