Italy – Venice

Venice, Italy

Wonder at the sights on the island of Venice Italy. Explore the alleyways, get lost in the decadence of the buildings and experience the uniqueness that Venice holds for tourists the world over. Queue to see the Palace (it’s worth it!), drink Aperol in St Marks Square and take a gondola (cheesy but fun!). Finally, take the path of the condemned man over the Bridge of Sighs, and do not forget to take a water boat along the canals. Benvenuto a Venezia !

I guess Venice, Italy is on everyone’s bucket list of places to see and mine was no exception. I often wondered why everyone wanted to see it. Was it because of the uniqueness of its canal side setting in a vast lagoon? Was it because of the preservation of 15-18th century majestic yet crumbling buildings? Did the connection of Marco Polo (however lose that may be), to this city inspire people?

Probably all of these together and then some, but it what was it for me? Well I had this impression of a quiet (absolutely not), romantic (somewhat) town, set up with singing gondoliers (I heard none!) and a chance to see captivating architecture (definitely yes).

I’ll explain all these points as I go along and no doubt cause some consternation with readers on the way. I have to say that whenever I mentioned I was off to Venice, Italy or just back from there, my friends’ eyes would light up. They would marvel at the statement and ask how it was as there – not the same reaction if I mentioned Chisinau in Moldova, (click here for that info) or Valletta in Malta, (click here for this city), which are among my favorite places.

Clearly everyone has a vision of Venice for themselves and the only way to get a reality check on it is to actually go there yourself and experience it.

Marian on her podcast site https://citybreakspodcast.co.uk has reviewed my website with some wonderful comments on many of my visits. She actually did a review on her podcast of my visit to Venice, quoting me and referring to my comments.

Click on her podcast site from the link here to hear what she has to say about my Venice post https://citybreakspodcast.co.uk/city-break-ideas-08

She also talks about many other places to see on a city break, some also further afield, as well as many cultural and thought provoking posts. I found her site fascinating and it’s worth a listen to get info before you leave to the destinations she talks about.

My Venice post has also been guest posted on two other sites also – they must like Venice as much as I do! See one of the links below

https://decouvrirlavie.com/2020/09.20/how-to-see-venice-in-two-days

Which airport for Venice- Marco Polo or Mestre?

A word of warning. Many airlines fly to “Venice” but check which airport you are flying into. Venice’s official (and closest) airport is called Marco Polo, (see website for transport info here). This one is about 13 miles by road from Venice. It’s about a 25 mins bus ride (line 5) to Venice’s Piazzale Roma bus station on frequent services (buy tickets at machine in airport and catch it outside arrivals).

There’s also the Express non-stop (line 35) in about 20 mins. There is also a more convenient 25-30 mins water boat ride to various stop-offs on the northern side of the island. You can also bus it into Mestre and then catch a train/bus to Venice but why bother when there is a direct service unless you are not staying on the actual island of Venice.

A nearby airport at Treviso (click here for transport connections), is referred to as Venice but often advertised as “Venice Treviso” or often “Canova” airport. It tends to be used by budget airlines and often not clearly stated as being in Treviso and this is about 27 miles away. Again, there are frequent bus and train services from Treviso city station to Venice but you need to catch the shuttle bus into town first (takes about 10 mins) to connect with them. Then the bus train/journey can be around an hour.

There is also a direct bus service to Venice but even this takes just over an hour.

All the above timings will depend on traffic conditions so allow extra time .

Which locality in Venice to stay in?

Another warning. Check where you want to stay in “Venice”, Italy.

Many places will advertise as being in Venice but in the locality of “Mestre”. This is a city across the lagoon and you will have to bus or train it into Venice island itself on the causeway.

Others advertise as being in “Venice Lido” or “Venice Murano” and this can involve a long walk to a water boat stop and a long water trip to get to the island so chose carefully and look up the location on a map.

All these places usually offer rooms at substantially cheaper prices than central Venice, which if that is important, then do consider them. However, look into the logistics of how you are going to get to and from Venice island, especially at night/early morning or on public holidays.

Where to stay in Venice

This is a good question. As I just said, outlying island/areas/inland are great options and often much cheaper. Central hotels are much more expensive as they carry the prestige on actually being on the island and often a short walk away from the attractions. They are often in older buildings and e.g. The Gritti Palace or Danieli ultra-luxury are great if you can afford a Palace environment.  The lesser hotel’s rooms may be dated and smaller as the conversion regulations of historic buildings are strictly enforced. You may even get that charm of a 17th century feel with a canal side view but remember noise from nearby restaurants and bars can be intrusive.

Many rooms can be ornately over the top – a very “Venetian” feature so check pics first. Personally, I hate that look, so I turned down many hotels just because of their over the top embellishments and over decoration in brash gold and reds despite the good price. Check how far your hotel is from the places you want to visit as Venice island is uniquely almost totally pedestrianised and it is a big island. You won’t be able to hail a cab or catch a bus on the island for that 25 mins walk home and leg power may be the only way, unless you are near a water boat stop.

Check out if there is a water boat stop near your hotel as this is practically the only motorised form of transport on the island and can save you a long walk.

Where did I stay in Venice?

So, having given all that advice to you where did I stay. Well surprisingly I stayed off the island. I checked into the Hyatt Centric Murano hotel- see here, on Murano island.  Now you may ask why – and quite rightly so as it is an island in the lagoon connected to Venice only by water boats. But this hotel was different and the advantages were enormous for the following reasons.

A. The hotel has its own free water-boat and if you tell the hotel what time you are arriving at Marco Polo airport, the boat will pick you up. The hotel will tell you where to go and at what time its own boat will pick you up from the water boat stop at the airport. Yes the airport has its own water boat station just outside !

I was picked up within 15 mins of arrival at the water boat stop and whisked to the hotel with about 5 other passengers (hence why they need your arrival time to coincide with other hotel clients).

Their boat is a big stylish semi speedboat but also large enough to carry about 15 comfortably seated passengers. We flew along the lagoon with the wake spiralling behind – what an entrance to the city!

 B. This hotel has another advantage and that is that it is about half the price of a similar category 5-star hotel on Venice island. It was a 5-star Murano island residence at a 3-star Venice island price but nothing compromised in quality. It’s a great hotel, built in modern, comfortable, stylish fashion inside a huge renovated warehouse/factory so has a fab look from the outside.

C. The sites to see on the island were incredible too as I was on the famous island of Murano where the world renown Murano glass is manufactured and intricate glass ornaments are made. A visit here was on my list anyhow so I was a walk away from it all. The island even has public monuments and artwork in glass and the churches, bridges, painted canal side houses, tethered boats and views across the lagoon were photo opportunities in themselves.

D. The hotel’s free boat service also runs fairly frequently from outside the hotel on its own pier to Venice every day. You book from the scheduled times when you want to go (it can get full, so do it the day before at least). It brings you back from the Fondamente Nove water bus stop on the north of the island. You can walk in about 20 mins from here to Marks Square but there is so much to see on that walk anyway that it is a captivating time.

So, you have your own hotel water boat ferrying you across the water faster than the public boats would take and all for free too. If you need to go outside the hotel’s boat times then there is always the public water boat also with a stop next to the hotel but be warned that water boats do not ply late at night so check them out if you are e.g. dining at night on the island but residing off-island.

I never had that issue as I was too tired at night after my sightseeing and just wanted to get to the hotel, which has a great restaurant anyhow and several small pretty waterside restaurants on the island nearby. Rooms are fabulously stylish, modern and super clean.

My morning speedboat ride into Venice, down the canal ways of Murano, was the thrill to start each day off and what a way to arrive at the city!

San Michele Island and cemetery

We sped past the huge island cemetery of San Michele and across the green/blue seaway lagoon. This island is an odd sight, as it is a single solitary island in the middle of the lagoon, with a church and graveyards and some houses. It looks strangely fortified from the outside with its walls and turrets and I never got to go over there as it is …. well ….. just a huge graveyard. After my return back to the UK, I actually found out that Igor Stravinsky, the classical music composer is buried here and a visit here would have been huge kudos to me from my music friends.

The hotel or public boat drops you off at the F.te Nove stop and from here it is a walk across the island to get to my destination of St Mark’s Square. However, the walk there is through the plethora of canal side streets, marvelling at the architecture at every turn.

This is the best way to see Venice as virtually every building is classical history, amazing shapes and views and with so many churches, palaces, public buildings and squares along the way.

Water ambulances and canal-side hospital!

One of my first sights was of a big hospital in what was probably an old palace. Moored outside were speedboat ambulances – I kid you not!!

I have never seen water craft converted as emergency ambulances and so many as well tethered up waiting for an event. As I walked towards it, I heard the siren and one approached the hospital and went into a small side quay with an overhead protective canopy. A walkway was slung across to the boat and a wheeled stretcher appeared and was wheeled into the large opening …. And off the water ambulance went again.

Surreal but totally true. Another unique sight I can put down in the diary …. Only in Venice can you probably see this!

Campo San Giovanni e Paolo

Once on Venice Island, I walked to Campo San Giovanni e Paolo, a majestic square with fabulous buildings that were resplendent in different architectural styles. I was captivated at the sight and this was just a minor square! My visit had started well! I saw the intricately carved Scuola Grande di San Marco on the corner with the huge Gothic styled Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the burial places of 25 Doges (Lord/Rulers) of Venice.

The square has a huge statue in the middle and lots of open-air restaurants and cafes on its perimeter. In many cities, a square with such imposing buildings and open-air eateries as this, would be its main square. Yet here it was just a lesser square that I stumbled upon as a means to get to my destination. There were e many gondolier boats moored up and the quayside, maybe their owners were taking a break in the nearby cafes?

As I walked over the small steep bridge over the canal, a continuance of my walk, several boats drifted underneath on their water trip and the scene was a photo opportunity in the making. I walked through several small, what can only be called alleyways but are actually important thoroughfare. I went past old shops selling intricate painted masks for the carnival and every now and again had a glimpse down another canal way or past more ancient small buildings.

The fact that it was a maze of small totally pedestrianised streets (no car would fit down them anyhow), felt strange but atmospheric, as I had never encountered this type of walkway in such abundance before.

I looked down a canal way from another bridge and readied my camera for another picturesque shot. Then a gondolier just drifted into the picture silently and created an atmospherical pic of the decaying old buildings, silent canal water and a solitary peaceful boat meandering past. It was at first shocking to see the decrepit state of some of the houses on the canals and the worn, cracking and roughed up brick work and stucco.

I came to realise that this was normal and whilst not meaning that the buildings were falling down just gave a hint to how hard it is to upkeep buildings that are actually built into the water. The decay gave an atmosphere of history and memories and was certainly different to the somewhat pristine maintenance of old buildings that I was used to.

Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Venice.

I followed my map towards another church and arrived at the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Here the outside is covered in different coloured marbles, mostly cream coloured with bands of brown and one side of the church is actually in the side canal and facing the nearby plain but typical Venetian square of Campo Santa Maria Nova.

Again, here were eateries, artisan shops and picture galleries selling artwork. It appears also to be a kind of terminus or resting place for several beautiful gondolier boats as they were tethered up with no boatmen in sight. It gave me my first chance to get up close to one of these boats that I had only seen in adverts and see how decorative they can be.

From here it was simply a wander down several walkways passing lots of tourist bars, restaurants, gift shops, ice cream parlours, small grocery shops etc, etc and up and over canal bridges. The crowds were a bit heavy and at times you have to go at the pace of the multitude as overtaking or speeding up is impossible with these numbers – and it was not even peak season yet.

Take into consideration when moving around that your pace is slow because of the crowds ahead of you. I arrived at a big dept store, The Fondaco dei Tedeschi. I was intrigued at what this was in the centre of Venice and went inside to find it was the Harrods of Venice. It had the usual designer concessions but some interesting views from the higher levels down into the inner courtyard.

Rialto Bridge

Next door was one of the attractions I had come to visit specifically – The Rialto Bridge. At first, I was disappointed as all I saw was a crowded stepped bridge with covered tourist shops along its sides over the canal. I was expecting something more historical and open to the water but no, tourism ruled supreme.

I went onto the bridge in disappointment and scanned the up market but defo touristy small shops and came down again disheartened. I walked past and took a look from the canal side down towards the Rialto Bridge and got the view that I was expecting. Heartened more by this view I took some shots but it still left me thinking it is actually smaller than I expected and much heavier looking.

It is a majestic bridge, no doubt but not the amazing structure I was quite expecting.

There is a big river boat stop here and several tourist eateries but the crowds again were enormous and somewhat frustrating in their size. I was also becoming tired of seeing tourists with selfie sticks and constantly being bumped into by others too busy with their phones to look where they were going. This was becoming annoying so I decided to divert to the side streets to go around to avoid these annoying, slow moving crowds.

I worked out a route that would take me via the quaint San Luca Square in front of an old University building and onwards via the main Gondolier basin “terminus” and towards a side entrance into St Mark’s Square.

Gondola Station, Bacino Orseolo, Venice.

This was a good choice as I was away from the crowds but still had a route that was full of historical and atmospherical Venetian buildings. I arrived at the terminus to see the biggest numbers of gondolier boats ever. It was indeed a hub with many people waiting to get on/off and the boats circling in a big circular canal basin as they entered then left.

Something to experience if you want to see a traffic jam of gondoliers and the shouting they were doing at each other in their efforts to avoid collisions and move the masses on!

St Mark’s Square and St Mark’s Basilica.

I entered the world renown St Mark’s Square through a side street from this basin area and took a sharp inhale as I walked into this huge square.

Now this did impress. Much bigger than I was expecting. A little more worn around the edges than expected but also with restaurants and bars along unexpected covered arcades and several porticos. It was very symmetrical in this part of what is actually an L shaped plaza.

The big St Mark’s Basilica, Venice Italy stood straight ahead of me in all its glory. Not as high as I expected and at first it reminded of an overly ornate Raj/Victorian building of India. Weird first impression, but there you have it, with its many domes and intricate statued roofline. I walked the length of this part of the square and headed for the Basilica.

There was a huge long queue snaking across one part of the square which ended at the doorway of the basilica so I reluctantly joined it hoping it would not take long. About 30 mins later I was in. Let me warn you now that apparently there is always a queue and this was not high season. I later read of people queueing for much longer in high season so go early or be prepared to wait in a long queue in possibly hot sun.

So annoyed to get inside and be told that there is no photography allowed inside – I snuck a few pics like everyone else when the attendants were out of sight and not hushing everyone speaking, to maintain the solemnity.

You move in single file round a proscribed route in the main part of the church which can feel frustratingly slow and unnatural but it is the only way they seem to know how to deal with the sheer numbers of visitors to this site.

The best part however is going to the roof to look out over the square and see the massive horse statues above you. You can take photos on this part and can get great shots of the Renaissance era clock tower to the right looking out (not the Campanile tower).

Looking to the left you get views down the other leg of the square towards the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore overlooking the entrance/landing quay of St Mark’s Square. You get a full-length view of the side of the Doge’s Palace and the national Library façade opposite.

Doge’s Palace, Venice

Once outside the Basilica I was ready for another bucket list tick off – The Doge’s Palace. Again a 40 mins queue time roughly which can be tiring if you have limited time or like me, already queued for 30 mins to see the next-door Basilica. However, in my view, the wait is definitely worth it.

The Palace dates from the 10th century and what you see, especially in the big entrance courtyard can be anything from that date to the 18th century. It is a myriad of architectural styles all juxtaposing with each other for dominance.

Entry into the massive Palace itself is through a marbled ornate stairway. The rooms are full of heavily carved and ornate ceiling work the like of which I have not seen before.

It left me thinking how ever did they work out how to support such heavy artwork on ceilings.

The panels are an artwork in themselves. Intricately painted with figures, scenes and semi religious works. Walls are carved wooden panels, painted scenes and huge picture windows.

It is room after room of seriously over the top decoration but so fantastically done.

The many photos here show the extent of the ornamentation in every room.

After a while, yet another masterpiece of flamboyant style becomes normal.

The tour ends at the bridge of sighs but you get to walk over the bridge that everyone photographs from the outside. Why called is it called “sighs” – apparently because the sighs let out when walking over it by people inside, knowing they were heading to the prison on the other side! You even get to go inside a prison cell and experience the darkness for yourself.

Once outside head for the quayside. The views outside, across the waterway from the quayside moorings of the gondolier station towards the Island and Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy are beautiful. Here are also views of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, on the opposite side of the Grand Canal .

Bridge of Sighs, Venice

If you want a view of the bridge of Sighs from the outside by the Doge’s Palace, Venice, Italy you will have to fight with the crowds. I joined in what felt like a crowd from a football match in its size to slowly make our way to the viewing bridge on the canal opposite the bridge. You gradually move towards the front and then have a brief moment to capture a picture before the sheer weight of the crowd moves you on.

Not the best way to take a pic of anything and if I have a gripe about Venice it would be the stifling size of the enormous tourist crowds everywhere. But then I can’t complain as I am one of those tourists too!

Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

From here I took a detour to pass by the famous 5-star Gritti Palace hotel and over the canal to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This is a smallish but great Art Gallery of paintings and sculpture. It has works by Jackson Pollock, Miro, Kandinsky and Picasso and along with a relaxing garden has one of the best views down the Grand Canal from its ex Palace quay. No pics, as photography is not allowed here but it gets my recommendation.

Murano Glass on Murano Island.

The next day I spent it wandering Murano island where the hotel is located.

The island is a real alternative to the island of Venice, Italy. It has a Tuscany style piazza, a small commemorative statued garden with an old church from the 14th Century opposite its campanile and a bridge over the canal.

I loved the glass sculptures in public areas, the views across the lagoon to all sides and a feel of tranquillity after the hectic crowds of Venice.

I wandered the streets for hours walking from one end of the island to the others just to see the brightly coloured houses in canal setting – often seen on postcards. I then sat in a quayside café near the central area gazing out at passing boats, people watching, views of the canal bridge and taking in the peace and quiet of the idyllic island.

If you are considering Venice, Italy then I would recommend working out if this island works for you. Yes a water boat ride to Venice each day but if you want a quiet eve away from the crowds, noise and bustle of Venice itself, here is the most delightful of island venues.

Venice, Italy is now complete. It had delights and disappointments, as I have already mentioned but was worth the effort to finally get there and see for myself what everyone has marvelled at.

April 2017.