Venice is known as a romantic and aesthetically beautiful city in the world, with its several waterways and narrow alleys. It is called by several pet names, such as ‘City of Canals’, ‘City of Bridges’, ‘City of Water’ and ‘Queen of the Adriatic’. It is said that the city of Venice is slowly sinking and visiting it as early as possible is one of the best decisions. Venice is an ideal place to spend a weekend break. The city had been built on an archipelago containing 117 islands. They are criss-crossed by 177 canals surrounded by a shallow lagoon. There are about 455 bridges to connect the various parts of the city between these canals.
Due to the large number of visitors to this famous city in Italy, it is better to avoid places that are thronged by tourists heavily, such as St. Mark’s Campanile. Several quite tourist spots such as San Giorgio Maggiore and calm districts with native Venetian residents like Castello and Cannaregio are ideal to spend a relaxing weekend. Other major attractions of Venice are the St. Mark’s Basilica, the Piazza San Marco and the Lido di Venezia. The last one is visited by thousands of film industry people such as actors, celebrities and critics.
If you desire to mingle with the locals in a party atmosphere, then the smart but tiny bars near the fish market on the San Polo area of the Rialto Bridge is the best place. However, the local laws of Venice City do not allow bars to remain open throughout the night. If you wish to spend the entire night drinking and dancing, you will have to head to the industrial town of Mestre situated on the mainland.
The Alberoni beach lying on the southern tip of the Lido, with forests in the background, is one of the most scenic spots you can find anywhere in the world. Naturists abound in this beach and weekends are usually quite crowded. In Venice, you can enjoy your breakfasts in the Campo San Luca area south of the Rialto Bridge. Lunch-breaks with wine, known as ‘ombra’, and the famous local dish, cicchetti, must be in Calle dei Do Mori area. You can taste the delicious toasted sandwiches in the middle of the night in the bars and small restaurants near the Rialto Bridge. Most of them are open up to 2-00 am.
For a leisurely weekend day, you can take a river boat or vaporetto around the Laguna and visit the rustic but quiet island of Torcello. You can also take a train ride to view the spectacular buildings of Palladio, the most famous among them being the Teatro Olimpico. If you like walking around, then a guided walking tour is ideal. You can admire the famous squares, the narrow streets and the numerous bridges of Venice at a slow pace. The cobblestone alleyways are among the best picturesque spots in the world.
During the weekend, you should not miss the gondola ride. The 35-minute ride along the Grand Canal to the Rialto Bridge will allow you to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of this enchanting and romantic city. The Rialto Bridge was the first bridge built across the Grand Canal. The guided walking tour and the gondola ride are offered by many travel agencies for about $50 to $60 a day per person.
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Mon, Apr 5, 2010
Destinations