VENICE

Venezia or Venice, often cited as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, has been seducing visitors for its beautiful watery setting and fairy-tale appearance. This Italian ‘city of water’ will undoubtedly create a restless magic on visitors from around the world.

The city sits at the heart of a lagoon, its many islands, alleys and canals divided into six sestieri, or districts, three to the west (Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce ) of the Grand Canal and three to the east (San Marco, Castello and Cannaregio).

San Marco is the busiest sestiere and is the commercial centre of Venice. One of the main attractions in this region is Piazza San Marco, Venice’s main square. This area houses the tallest building of the city, Companile. Other points of interest in San Marco are Basilica di San Marco (one of the world’s greatest medieval buildings) and Palazzo Ducale (a beautiful gothic building).

Castello and Cannaregio are Venice’s quietest districts. It is good to be in this area when you are tired of crowd and want to sip cappuccino sitting in a quiet cafe.

Grand Canal, or Canal Grande, snakes for 4 km through the heart of Venice and it divides the city. This may well classify as the world’s most beautiful ‘street’ and trip along this fascinating canal is a pleasure in itself. Journey along the canal offers superb views of the city’s buildings, houses, shops and an insight into Venetian world.

Dorsoduro, the most distinctive sestieri, embraces the southern part of Grand Canal and is mostly residential. If one wants to wander at random, Dorsoduro is the place to be in.

San Polo and Santa Croce are the two remaining districts of Venice. The famous Rialto market is in this part of Venice. Early in the morning or late in the evening, whether you want to shop for souvenirs or clothes, buy fruits or fish, Rialto has it all. Beautifully crafted Maschere (traditional mask) is the one of the ‘must buy’ souvenir when you are shopping in Rialto.

When you are finished visiting all the districts and its attractions in Venice, it is worthwhile to take a trip to nearby islands like Lido, Murano and Burano. Lido has a beautiful beach while the lagoon island Murano has been the historic heart of Venetian glass production. Burano, mainly consisting of fishing community, is famous for brightly painted houses.

If Venice is beautiful beyond description by day, it defies description by night. It is an enchanting experience to take a trip along the Grand Canal under starlit sky. The combination of – Candle light, Italian Food & Wine in Venice (of course with your partner) – makes this the most romantic dinner to have on this earth.

Planning a visit to Venice in April or May would be ideal. Temperature will be around 20 C, not too cold or hot, sunny bright days of spring. Getting to Venice is easy – there are two international airports with direct flights from worldwide. The best way to explore in and around Venice is by foot and boats. Vaporetti (water buses) are the most common mode of public transportation while Traghetti (ferries) provide invaluable service in connecting few important places which are far away. Motoscafi (water taxis) are fast but very expensive.

And there are Gondola’s...Hiring a gondola is an expensive affair but it is worth to have a ride for an hour in this historic gondola. One can bargain for price with a gondolier before hiring, an average price for a forty minute ride in a gondola is €60.

Food and eating out....A ristorante offers good ambience and hence expensive, whereas the trattoria is less formal and less expensive place to eat. Pizzeria or Spaghetteria are take-away sort of places where one can enjoy a slice of pizza or bowl of pasta for a very cheap price. Cappuccino and a bruschetta are perfect for mid-morning or early evening snack.

"A realist, in Venice would become a romantic, by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him." - Arthur Symons