Venice: A Lover’s Paradise!

 Venice is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With its exotic gondolas, numerous canals and beautiful architectures, Venice is a true attraction for tourists all over the globe. The deserted squares, beautiful bridges, backstreets and rich presence of the history make it an ideal destination for honeymoon. This amazing city comprises of 117 small islands and 150 canals flow through them. If you are quite bored with the hustle and bustle of the fast life of modern metropolis, Venice would be a pleasurable relief.

Venice is one of the most romantic city in Europe. Its mode of transportation is largely dependant on the canal routes. The gondolas are the classic means of transportation that characterize this wonderful city. Apart from that there are the vaporetto and water taxis to roam around the city. It has always been a fantastic destination for any and every romantic souls. Read on as I tell you more about my sojourn!

Traditionally, the date of birth for Venice is believed to be 25th March, 421. However, there are little evidences to prove that. In fact, it is believed that in 5th or 6th century, during the barbarian invasion the inhabitants of the Veneto moved to the marshy area to seek refuge. They built the houses on the rafts of the wooden posts and this led to the birth of modern day city of Venice.

Venice abounds in majestic palaces and different ancient artworks. So, when you are in Venice, you will come across amazing bronze works, paintings, and tapestries all made during the 5^th and 6^th century. In fact, at each and every corner of the city you will find something that bears the artistic richness that is always associated with Venice. However, there are some special spots that you must visit once you are in Venice.

Bridge of Sighs: This is the bridge that has found its place in the famous poem of Lord Byron. Meant for the criminals, you can now cross it as a tourist.

Campanile di San Marco: This is the 325 feet high bell tower. The view of the city from the top of the tower is simply surreal.

Dogana di Mare: This is the maritime customs house of Venice. Built in 17^th century, the building offers a beautiful view on the St. Mark’s Basin and the Grand Canal.

Rialto Bridge: If you are looking for history and utility at the same time, you can’t get a better example that this. Standing high for more than 500 years, this bridge is still the major traffic route over the Grand Canal.

Murano: The Glass Island: Murano is the replica of Venice for kids. There are plenty of the glass products available there including beads, hard candy, fishbowl, Christmas tree ornaments and many more. They are inexpensive and the children will enjoy that.

Piazza San Marco: Your children can feed the pigeons here after buying the food at a very reasonable price.

Basilica di San Marco: Basically this is a church. But you may confuse its glitter with the casinos of Las Vegas. Four Horses of St. Mark, all made of bronze, had been stolen from the church during the time of Crusade. In spite of that, the church has enough glamour to fascinate the visitors. The 12 thousands square feet gilded mosaics made during the 11^th and 12^th century can stun you with its glitter. The balcony on the façade of the cathedral offers brilliant view of the roof and Piazza.

Clock tower: The clock tower is located at the northern part of the St. Mark’s Square. This 500 years old machine still lead the sledgehammers to hit the bell at the right times.

Naval Museum: If you move east from the St. Mark’s Square, you will find the naval museum of Venice. There are uniforms, model ship, weapons, dioramas and plenty of other things from the historical times.

Apart from these, there are St. Mark’s Square, the Jewish Ghetto, several churches, palaces and galleries. Venice has a rich heritage of art and music and there are plenty of theatres and galleries that still carry the proof of that.

One of the exclusive features of Venice is that you walk around the city here. Apart from that, there are other affordable options like the water buses. However, if you want to take the flavor of this beautiful city, you have to take a ride on the gondola.

The city is well connected to other cities of Italy and Europe through the railways. The city also has an international airport, MarcoPoloInternationalAirport, around 8 miles away from the centre of the city. There are bus, taxis, boats, cars, rails etc. available to reach the airport.

There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and eateries in Venice where you can taste the traditional Italian dishes. Apart from pizza and pasta, the food includes cheeses, paninis, and salads. Also, there are fast food shops and bars for the tourists. San Marco area is famous for the Al fresco dining. You can also visit the Campo di Santa Margarita of San Polo to find out Irish pubs.  

As is with romance, spring is the best time to visit Venice. However, Venice remains very busy during the time of the Easter. Naturally, accommodation can be a problem during this time as well as during the New Year, Christmas and Carnevale in February. However, if you are not quite fond of the crowd, you should visit the place within March and May. September seems to be the second best season in terms of weather. However, October is quieter. If you want to watch Venice wearing a veil of snow, winter is the time to fix your tour.