Grand Canal, Venice. Most romantic destinations in Europe

The Grand Canal was the center of Venetian life and commerce in the Middle Ages; 45 narrower channels (3-5 m wide) flow into it. Sailing along the Grand Canal with a sightseeing tour (from Santa Lucia station to Piazza San Marco) you can see dozens of magnificent historical buildings and palaces in which Venetian dogs and merchants lived, as well as cathedrals, bell towers and other significant objects of the city. Experienced travelers advise a ride on the Grand Canal at least twice: in the light of the sun and after sunset.

Riverboat "vaporetto" is very convenient, it is the most popular form of transport in the city, with various routes and single tickets for travel. There are 22 routes, allowing tourists to see all the significant objects of the city and visit the islands. Most of them pass through the Grand Canal. Water taxis are convenient for moving even at night, they can quickly and comfortably reach any destination in Venice.

The Venetians call the square not piazza, but campo. At almost every campo you will see a well - the townspeople, surrounded by sea water, have not had access to drinking water for centuries. The wells, which in the city are about 300, served to collect rainwater, which the Venetians drank. Venice has not only the central, ceremonial part, filled with the day tourists, who came here for the very same recognition, which calls many on the road. Finding out what you saw on postcards or on TV is the meaning of travel for many. Therefore, not all travel to less tourist areas. And in vain! Here it is pleasant to walk outside the crowd, here you can watch the everyday scenes, here you can find signs of everyday life of the Venetians.

That's why you shouldn't come to Venice for one day - you just won't see anything, except for the crowd of people at Rialto and on San Marco. 3-4 days - the optimal amount of time to go around the whole city and begin to understand it. If you want to see the contents of museums and churches, add a couple more days. Venice is a mecca of artists. Almost every corner someone draws something. For a long time, Venice has inspired and continues to inspire all creative personalities from past times to the present day.

The easiest and relatively inexpensive way to sail through the channel is to take public transport (a boat called "vaporetto"). Gondolas is a Venetian flavor: legendary form of Venetian public transport, but the most expensive. Venice cannot be imagined without gondolas. These black wooden boats are a symbol of the city and until the end of the 20th century were the main means of transportation through narrow canals. During the existence of the Venetian Republic there were several thousand gondolas. Now there are about 50 of them, and this type of transport serves mainly for the entertainment of tourists - the so-called "love attraction".

Upon arrival in Venice, you will need to choose a place to stop; coastal Venice is best suited for this. This is a fairly large area, located along the shores of the lagoon, prices in hotels are lower than in the island part of the city. To get to the island of Venice is not difficult: it can be done either by boat, or along the dike by train or car. Most of the hotels in the island of Venice are luxurious mansions that once belonged to rich Venetian merchants, dojas, or noble families. Their interior is decorated with frescoes and stucco of the Renaissance, old paintings and sculptures, antique chandeliers and fireplaces. The choice of hotel depends mainly on the financial possibilities of tourists.

Tourists are interested in catching high water in Venice. The water in the lagoon rises due to a combination of south wind and low pressure. It has always risen, but in recent years, due to global warming, the damage that cruise ships passing through the city cause Venice, and because the city falls lower and lower every year, winter floods occur frighteningly often. Water can come and go several times a day. It is beautiful in the photo, it's funny if you are a tourist, but it's creepy if you imagine yourself in the place of Venetians whose property and lifestyle are threatened dozens of times in a season. This is how Venetians live in their city, besieged either by tourists or by high water.

Venice cuisine is a cocktail of the freshest seafood, and a variety of dishes will satisfy every gourmet. Chiketi - so called in Venice, small snacks for wine. They eat here, not pizza, and they drink not the eternal Aperol, but the one invented in Venice Select. If you happen to be in Venice on the days of the famous carnival, you should definitely try the traditional sweet donuts fritole. Treats from dough, the highlight of which are pine nuts, filled with creamy filling or candied orange peel. When serving hot fritole generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Paradox: in Venice, famous for its gastronomic traditions, is full of places where food is not just bad, but disgusting.

Home: Vacation-Travel.photos