Venice - City of Water

Venice is totally unique - there is no other city in the world like it. Venice is built on more than a 100 small islands in a shallow lagoon on the Adriatic Sea, and has around 150 canals, and 400 bridges.

Venice was once a sea-faring republic in its own right, and a centre for the spice trade. It was also a major city for Renaissance art, and this is strongly reflected in the stunning architecture of the city, such as the Doge’s Palace, the Basilica of San Marco, St Mark’s clock, the Rialto Bridge, and the Bridge of Sighs. In Venice there is not a modern building in sight, and the shops are small and exclusive, selling masks, jewellery, and gorgeous objets d’art.

One of the things that makes Venice so totally different from other major cities is its total lack of cars, buses and other vehicles on the streets – in fact it is Europe’s largest urban area that is totally free of cars. In Venice you can either walk, or travel on the water. The canals are the roads, with gondolas, water buses, water taxis and private boats.

Venice has to be one of the most perfect locations for a romantic city break, and if you want to get an idea of what it is like before you go, then you could whet your appetite with Francesco da Mosto’s BBC2 series “Francesco’s Venice”. Francesco comes from an old Venetian family, and he gives a fascinating history and tour of the city, that will leave you wanting to see the City of Water first hand.


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