Welcome everyone from the city of Venice in the north of Italy. Floating City, City of Water, City of Canals, City of Bridges, or Queen of the Adriatic, by whatever name, Venice is truly a unique place. Venice is called the ‘most beautiful city in the world’ and the most ‘romantic city.’ Venice is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world, whether it is because of the history of the powerful Venetian Empire or the numerous movie scenes of modern times. It is hard to believe there can be such an astonishingly diverse city without seeing it with your own eyes. Venice is the only place without vehicles on the road around the world. There are no cars, trains, buses, not even a bicycle. All travel is done by boat through small canals and foot on the canal side streets! In other cities, cars are seen parked in front of houses; every house has a particular type of boat or gondola in Venice. The magical city of Venice, built on about 118 islands on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, has about 177 small canals connected by about 400 small and new-old bridges!
Preparation:
Preparations for my trip to Venice started in Rome. I had already booked the ticket for intercity train number 588 from Rome to Venice. After waking up and freshening up, I packed my bag having breakfast. Due to excitement, I checked out from the hotel after 9 o’clock and went to the train station. The train station is nearby from the hotel and takes 4/5 minutes to walk. I saw from the information center monitor that the train would leave at 10:22, and I must wait about 1 hour. Then at 10:26, the train left and started running through the gray mountains. On the way, from the train window, you can see various charming scenes, including hilly villages and vineyards. Sometimes some ancient houses and churches are visible. After about six hours, the train reached Venice at 4:16. As soon as I came off the train and out of the station, I saw the sky cloudy, and the bone-chilling cold wind hit me. I went straight to my pre-booked hotel located near the city center. Upon checking into the hotel, the receptionist handed over a form before handing over the room key and deducted the special city tax applicable to tourists. That day, I walked around the hotel and towards the city center, then after eating, I went to the hotel and fell asleep.
After waking up the following morning, I saw that it was raining heavily outside, and I knew from the weather report that it would rain all day. The next morning I had a flight to my next destination. What else to do? I decided to explore Venice as much as possible in the rain. The fare is one and a half euros from the stop near the hotel. No vending machine is here, so you must buy the card from the store. Cards are not available in all stores but in T-marked stores, which they call Tabacchi.
Sightseeing:
I went out early in the morning in the rain, and at first sight, I was overwhelmed by Venice, a living museum of history and heritage. During the Middle Ages, Venice grew in economic and political power and fame as the leading trade port between Europe and Asia. Therefore, the movement of many people from many countries was already in this Venetian Empire. Today, tourists from worldwide travel here because of the history and familiarity of the architecture. It can be said that Venice will remain on the bucket list of most tourists, regardless of whether they want to travel only to Italy or the whole of Europe.
Floating City Venice: Venice is a city floating on the water, with magnificent and picturesque ancient palaces standing on the clear blue water. Rivers and canals meander between the Palaces. Smaller canals connected to the central canal entered this ancient city in a spiral motion. Just looking at the clear water, the reflection of the old aesthetic city is floating. It is like a reflection of the city painted by the artist’s hard work. The beauty of the peaceful, romantic, and aesthetic city is constantly emerging in shooting thousands of film songs from Bollywood, Hollywood, and other movies. Venice always tops the list of floating cities in the world. This beautiful city is, therefore, a favorite city for tourists from all over the world. Venetian houses are built on wooden pillars. After being submerged for centuries, these pillars are still intact and of exceptional quality. These pillars of Adler trees are airtight which does not decay in an oxygen-depleted environment when submerged in water. The Venetians brought these timbers for making the pillars from far Slovenia. Turpentine oil made from the extract of the Russian larch tree is applied to strengthen the wood. As a result, the posts become more robust when exposed to salty seawater and seaweed.
En route to Venice: Boats are the primary means of communication in Venice’s original old island town. The houses look like they are floating in the water, and there is a bit of narrow space between them; it is mainly for walking, and there is no road-like car traffic here. Venice is fun to explore on foot, and every corner is perfect for taking photos. You won’t regret visiting Venice on foot either way. So many souvenirs, ornaments, clothes, shoes, bags, and masks; there is no shortage of shops here. Hardly anyone does not go to St. Mark’s when they go to Venice. You can see Venice from the top of the bell tower with a €3 ticket (buy online to avoid the crowds). There are many other ancient structures to marvel at. Many churches, including the Doge’s Palace, have free entry. Just across St. Mark’s Square is the Doge’s Palace, home of the Doge of Venice. The Doge was the Venetian Republic’s ruler and the city’s most powerful man.
One of Venice’s favorite sights is the stretch from the Ponte dell’Accademia down the Grand Canal. It is a wonderful place to take pictures. The most famous, oldest, and most beautiful of all the bridges in Venice is the Rialto Bridge which spans the Grand Canal. The outstanding craftsmanship of this bridge from within the canal touches the visitors’ minds. The trip would be incomplete if you didn’t ride a gondola under this bridge in Venice. As beautiful as the colorful houses and blue water canals are during the day, this floating city is also beautiful in the evening. St Mark’s Square and all the surrounding structures are beautifully lit at night. Narrow or slightly larger roads, open spaces, shops, and restaurants are all decorated with colored lights, and the colors of these colored lights are reflected in the water and create a different atmosphere.
Seafood Paradise: Waterfront Venice is a tourist paradise for seafood. There are seafood attractions in Venice’s fish markets or restaurants for those who love to eat seafood. Along with various Mediterranean seafood, octopus and squid are brought from the far North Atlantic. Just as these seafood are available in fish shops, Venice restaurants also offer delicious seafood options for tourists.
Gondola Ride: Centuries ago, gondolas were Venice’s main form of transportation. But over time, it has become a trendy tourist attraction and perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Venice. Gondola is a traditional narrow and long Venetian rowing boat. A long pole propels the boat, and the boatman is called a gondolier. The advantage of these is that they can take tourists to parts of the city that cannot be reached by any other means. It is said to be the only vehicle in remote places in the city. In fact, a gondola cruise in Venice is like taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through New York’s Central Park. However, the experience can be enjoyable only if you forget about the fare and enjoy the trip. I didn’t get to ride the gondola due to heavy rain and touring alone. Don’t ride the gondola in Venice – it’s like coming home to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. What else to do in heavy rain?
Murano, Burano, and Lido Islands: The most famous part of Venice is the area between the 118 islands. But many other parts of Venice are worth visiting. Murano and Burano are two separate islands from central Venice. One of the most exciting creations of Venice is Murano glass, also known as Venetian glass. The glass artists of Venice were able to introduce glass art to the world traditionally through rockery designs. Murano glass workers were the first to show how much luxury and variety of products can be made with glass. The creativity of this city has contributed to various fields of world history over the ages. In Murano, you can see how a fire’s heat melts the glass to create different glass objects. They will show it live to you for a small ticket price. Most of the fancy chandeliers and lighting fixtures in the world’s luxurious five-star hotels, prestigious residential buildings, and royal palaces are made of Murano glass, worth more than crores. Also, thousands of items are made from Murano glass, decorator pieces, tops, drinking glasses, plates, tableware, and hundreds of ornaments for women at low prices. Western women demand Murano glass no less than gold.
Burano is one of most tourists’ favorite and most beautiful islands, which seems to be decorated with colors like red, blue, green, yellow, etc. Every building here is painted in different colors, and the colorful small homesteads will fascinate anyone. Known as the golden island of Venice, Lido Island is where the world’s oldest film festival ‘Venice International Film Festival’ is held. A lot of tourists flock to the beach of this island to enjoy the view of the sunset at dusk.
Even though Venice is the most expensive city in Europe, it has become a dream city for all tourists. The art literature of Venice, especially the architecture, is mind-blowing, and each house stands in the water with an aesthetic form and colorful craftsmanship. It is truly a wonderful wetland city, and Venice is a unique city to sit on the banks of the Grand Canal and enjoy the soft glow of twilight. All in all, Venice is undoubtedly a fantastic tourist city. It is acknowledged as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO to save it from the destructive touch of modern technology.
Cost:
Since Venice consists of hundreds of islands, there are different boats to go from one island to another. A full-day pass here costs 25 euros, and a one-way pass from one island to another is 9 euros. There is also a two-day pass for €33 and a three-day pass for €44. There are specific boat numbering to particular islands, which must reach distinct islands. Venice, the city of water, wouldn’t be complete without a gondola ride, and a 25-30 minute ride costs as much as €100. However, online booking in advance can get some discounts. A train ticket from Rome to Venice costs 29 euros. A seat in a hotel dormitory room was 40 euros per day, and the total city tax was 12 euros.
Some Essential Tips for Venice Tour:
- Eat main meals outside in scenic areas. Just do a little Google, and you will find desi food shops.
- Since Venice has many small islands connected, everyone has to walk around the whole place, so it is better not to take anything heavy with you.
- It is better to carry a selfie stick for taking pictures and a power bank for charging the phone.
- Buy tickets from local kiosks called Tabacchi.
- If you’re traveling on a tight budget with family, you can book a hotel in neighboring Mestre, a few minutes by bus or train from Venice.
- There are two essential rules about gondola rides in Venice: if the fare seems high, avoid it; otherwise, explain your destination correctly to the gondolier.
- Finally, Venice is not a city to be visited in one day; anyone should have two or three days to spare.
- Please do not throw waste anywhere while traveling; otherwise, carry a polybag if possible.