Lost in Venice

Originally published September 25, 2011
Updated December 3, 2018

There's something magical about visiting Venice, Italy.  This is not your ordinary city.  It's not even ordinary by Italian standards.  Venice is in a class all by itself.  Getting lost in this city of 118 islands where canals are the streets and bridges are the crosswalks is not something you try to avoid.  It's something you look forward to. 

When we were making arrangements for our three-day stay in Venice, the only plans we made were for transportation into and out of town, and where to stay.  We literally left the rest up to chance.  I knew we would visit famous landmarks like St. Marks Square and Rialto Bridge.  What I did not expect was how wonderful it felt to explore a city I've never been to without a plan.

Venice is like a maze.  The city has no streets and no cars.  Miles and miles of canals flow throughout the city.  These waterways are unlike anything you will find anywhere.  Some of the canals are no more than ten feet wide, while others are the width of most city streets.  And then there's The Grand Canal.  This massive waterway is home to beautiful palaces, four unique bridges, and plenty of water traffic.

Boats, water taxis and Venice's famous gondolas travel the canals.  They are the only motor-driven vehicles in the main city.  Sidewalks line many of the canals, and small alleys are everywhere.  More than four hundred small foot bridges connect the many small islands.  Navigating through this area is confusing at best.  And this is where the fun begins. 

After you find your hotel, it's time to head out to see what Venice has to offer.  As you stroll the sidewalks along the canals and alleys on foot, you will almost certainly find yourself lost.  Restaurants, cafes, pubs, bakeries, and gift shops are everywhere.  Beautiful Gothic palaces line the Grand Canal, smaller buildings house apartments, and hotels.  And individual homes, churches, playgrounds, piazzas and more fill the city, which is home to more than 250,000 residents, and visited by more than 3 million tourists each year.

Boats park in front of local businesses.  It's like a street, only
without those pesky parking meters.  

The commute home involves boats, bikes or
just, plain walking. Who wouldn't want to
walk home in Venice?

You will encounter something different  across each bridge and around every corner of Venice. Here, you might stumble upon a courtyard filled with playing children, or a small piazza where locals mingle.  And your are sure to see (and hear) locals sing or play musical instruments for their neighbors and passers-by.

Strolling musicians are common in Venice.
The piazzas are their front yards.

Locals gathering in a local piazza

  

Tourist areas are plentiful in Venice.  St. Mark's Square is a giant piazza, lined with restaurants and cafes along the perimeter of the square.  Here you will find street performers, and plenty of people strolling the area, or enjoying a meal or beverage at one of the outdoor establishments. 

St. Mark's Square is also home to three of Venice's major landmarks.  Basilica de San Marco is a massive church, complete with no less than five copulas, incredible architecture, mosaics and an incredible collection of artwork.  The history of basilica dates back nearly one thousand years. 

The Campanile rises above St. Mark's Square.  Across from the tower are
the copulas (domes) of the Basilica, located behind Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace is located next to St. Mark's Basilica.  This gothic building is now a museum that celebrates its history that goes back more than five hundred years.  The architecture is stunning.

The Campanile rises three hundred twenty-four feet above St. Mark's Square.  The tower in its current form dates back to 1912, but the Campanile itself was first built in the 12th century.  Today it is the tallest structure in Venice, and offers an amazing view from the observation area near the top. 

As you make your way to St. Mark's Square from other sections of the city, you will most-likely cross the Rialto Bridge.  One of four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge was built in the late 16th century.  It's the most popular bridge in Venice with tourists for obvious reasons. 

The famous Rialto Bridge is one of four crossings over the amazing, and
equally famous Grand Canal of Venice.

Hop aboard a water bus for a short cruise to Venice's Northern Lagoon, where the neighboring islands of Murano and Burano await with charm and surprises of their own. Murano is famous for glass-blown art, with several glass factories, a glass art museum, wonderful restaurants, churches and more.

Murano is very similar to Venice, although its canals
aren't quite as busy as its neighbor.

A giant glass structure sits inside a small Murano courtyard.

Today, Burano is a quaint fishing village. It is well-known for lacemaking, with tiny shops located throughout the small business district, where women still hand-tatt lace the way it has been done for generations.         

This small island also has a distinctive look that sets it apart from Venice and Murano.  The small houses that line the canals are all painted different colors, giving this intimate island a very unique and intimate feel.

Some of the famed multi-colored houses that line the
canals of Burano.

Small shops dot the walking pathways of Burano.

Navigating these waters means trying not to run into
one of your neighbor's boats.

We loved our three days in Venice, and found that this was a perfect amount of time to devote to this area.  I expected Venice to be one of the major highlights of our visit to Italy, and it certainly did not disappoint.  There's more to getting lost in this beautiful city than the bridges and mazes of alleys.  Getting lost in Venice is an experience, and a feeling I will never forget. 

Capping-off our first day in Venice with a wonderful meal at 10pm.

JVPtravel Tips

Dining: If weather permits, try to enjoy most of your meals outdoors.  The Venice Canals are lined with outdoor restaurants and cafe's.  A cappuccino and croissant for breakfast along a canal is a great way to start your day. For lunch, grab sandwich or small bite from from a local café or street vendor and enjoy in a piazza or a park.  Italians eat dinner later in the evening.  So wait until after dark and head to a restaurant away from the busy tourist spots for a fine meal at a restaurant with an outdoor eating area. 

Gondolas: Nothing is more romantic than a gondola ride along a quiet canal.  Of course at €80 to €100 for a 40-minute ride, there isn't much in Venice that's more expensive either.  If you want to splurge, go for it.  But if you want to experience a gondola ride that won't break the bank, try the Traghetto.  This is a service that provides gondola rides across the Grand Canal throughout the day.  Traghetto crossings take about three minutes, and cost €2 per person.