Venice

Venice is a town of romance, of art and of beauty.  Located in Italy, it is in fact a group of 118 islands connected via a water channel.  It is for this reason that one always visualises the romantic trips in a gondola on the waterway in the moonlight.  The whole of Venice is named as an UNESCO Heritage Site.

Climate of Venice

Venice has a subtropical climate.  The summers are very hot and humid and winters are cool.  Rainfall is high and spread relatively even throughout the year.

Attractions in Venice

Venice is famous for the spectacular architecture from the romantic Renaissance era.  Many of the buildings are still original buildings from centuries past.

Venice has a large amount of these buildings that the tourist can view.  The most spectacular buildings are the churches, palaces and the artwork and statues contained within these buildings.

The main attraction in Venice has to be the Grand Canal.  The Grand Canal is the main thoroughfare in Venice and you can view many of the interesting places and Renaissance buildings from a gondola steered by a gondolier.

The St Mary of the Friars is an ancient church built in the 14^th century.  It is a beautiful church built in typical Venetian Renaissance architecture and contains extraordinary artworks by Bellini and Titian who is also buried in the church.  The tombs are pieces of artwork in own right and add to the design of the romance and mystery of the church.

The Gothic structure of the Palazzo Ducale is an impressive building featuring council chambers, residential apartments and prison cells. Explore the beautiful decorated interior and view the artworks from Venetian masters.

The opera house is another site to visit if you are an art lover.  The Musica A Palazzo is a grand palace, yet comfortable and cosy enough to make you feel at home.  Shows are featured daily, each day of the week.

The best way to view these stunning landmarks will be to join a tour group.  Guides are trained and experienced to show you the architecture and give the history of these sites.  Without their guidance, you may miss some other spectacular sites such as the St Marks’ Basilica, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco Gallery and the San Marco Lighthouse.

Modern Venice

The St Marks’ Square is a popular venue for festivals and other activities.  Many shops and restaurants occupy the square.  Enjoy the sidewalk cafés with live orchestras playing while you savour your meal.  It is just as in the movies!

The nightlife in Venice also has the feel of romance. There are clubs and bars with live music and many of the bars may seem insignificant by day, but comes to life at night.  Night entertainment is rather found on the mainland.  So if you are a party seeker, travel to the mainland, or be content with casual and relaxed night out in town.

Accommodation in Venice

Accommodation in Venice is not hard to find.  It ranges from top standard hotels, including a Hilton Hotel, to apartments for rent.  Alternatively, rent a private villa in true Venetian style.

Conclusion

If your intention of a city break is one where you can relax, enjoy history and art and experience the Italian flair, look no further than Venice.  Here you can experience all this, either on land or via the famous waterways.