Venice Italy

'The city of light', 'the city of bridges', 'The city of water', 'La Serenissima', 'the most serene one', call it what you may, the city of Venice is breathtaking - transporting visitors into a land of castles, art, lively squares, basilicas, palaces, interesting shops and delectable food. Venice Italy embodies beauty and romance!

The entire city is built on water in a lagoon; the streets are narrow and calm. Do not be surprised if you find no cars on the street as cars are banned on the streets of Venice. Venice is the largest urban region of Europe where cars are banned on the roads. You can explore this city by foot or by water.

Venice Italy:
Venice is located on the northeast coast of Italy. A strip of land, the Lido, offers Venice protection from the Adriatic Sea. The expanse in the region of Venice is called the Veneto; Venice is the capital of Veneto. The city of Venice spread across 110 tiny islands in the swampy Venetian lagoon alongside the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. Venice enjoys temperate climate all through the year. Winters are wet and foggy while summers are very humid. Spring and fall are the best seasons to travel. The fortnight-long carnival of Venice in January-February is a big attraction.

Venice attractions
Every place in Venice is worth a visit, listed below are a few attractions that no visitor should miss. Apart from these attractions, wandering along the canals off the main tourist track is a major attraction amongst visitors.

Doge's Palace:
Known as Palazzo Ducale, this palace is located at the St.Mary's square. And is one of the most impressive buildings of Venice. This place was the judicial and political center of the Venetian government until 1797. This palace was connected to its prisons by the popular 'Bridge of sighs'.

San Pietro di Castello:
aola boasts of small bays and long sandy beaches with green vegetation. The Tyrrhenian coast from Praia a Mare south to Paola is known as 'Citrus Rivera' because of the perfume of citrus blossom. The meadows of Paola bloom with a multitude of wild flowers each spring, though the land sustains only light grazing.

San Marco Square:
Piazza San Marco is the main square of Venice, bordered by fancy shops and stylish sidewalk cafes.

Grand Canal:
Canal Grande is the major means of access to Venice. There are beautiful buildings and boats that line the entire stretch of this canal.

Saint Mark's Basilica:
Basilica di san Marco is a beautiful church that combines the architecture of the east and the west and was constructed in 832 AD.

Galleria del' Academia:
It is among the best art museums of Italy boasting of 3 historic buildings and 24 rooms, each of them unique.

Rialto Bridge:
Ponte do Rialto is the principle bridge crossing the Grand Canal that is located in the heart of Venice. This bridge is over 400 years old. Close to this bridge is the Rialto market which is an interesting food market lined with countless small shops.

Travel to Venice
Venice has a small airport called the Marco Polo airport that connects Venice with the rest of the world. Train is the best option to travel to Venice; the Santa Lucia train station is situated in the northwestern edge of the city. Azienda Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV) is the public transport system in Venice. It connects land transportation with buses, and canal travel with water buses (vaporetti). There are 25 routes totally that link the city. Ferry service is available from Greece and Dubrovnik.

Venice is popular all through the world for its canals. The islands on which the cities are built are connected by about 400 bridges. Transportation within Venice is by vaporetti (motorized waterbuses); these are boats that ply all the major waterways. Gondolas are a famous tourist attraction and serve as a primary transportation; their popularity among tourists has made them pretty expensive to travel in. Water taxis are also available for transportation within Venice; gondolas are mainly used for weddings or by tourists.

Whilst in Venice, don't miss to pick up some typical glass handmade pieces. They are deftly crafted and made with a traditional process that has been handed down the generations. Pick up curios, handmade masks, jewelry or even luxury products from high fashion boutiques

Polenta, rice and seafood form the major part of Venetian cuisine. Risotto Nero, zuppa di pesce fish soup, seppia, cuttlefish are all favorite and popular local cuisine. Ciccheti, little appetizers are served at small bars. Accommodation in Venice ranges from bed and breakfast to luxury hotels.