Welcome To Venice Italy!
It’s the world most magical floating city – Venice is an incredibly beautiful place to visit – Venice is the capital of the Veneto region of Italy, and is a collection of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked together by 400 bridges like these!
The Rialto Bridge!
The most famous bridge is this one: The Rialto Bridge, which crosses over the grand canal and attracts crowds all day and night.
Arriving Into Venice!
What makes Venice so unique is that you take a boat to get to the city…these taxi boats leave from near the airport, and are a wild way to start your adventure!
Here we are as we leave from the airport and start our journey to Venice:
Once underway, the water taxi really speeds up…here’s a quick clip of just how fast you go once out on the open Venice lagoon:
It’s a unique way to arrive in Venice – the trip takes about a half hour, and there are plenty of other boats all around you during the trip – and a nice sneak peek at just how much water will factor into your visit!
Our taxi driver decided to give us a tour of the grand canal on our way to the hotel – here is our view as we passed under the Rialto Bridge:
There is so much to see from the water: the incredible architecture, the Gondolas around you, and people everywhere! Here is a longer look at the “drive” on the Grand Canal as we headed to our hotel:
Gondolas, Gondolas, Gondolas!
As you saw from the video, there are indeed Gondolas everywhere you look, and they are a great way to see the city…there are more than 400 in the city, and they are always busy!
The Bridge Of Sighs!
It’s the other famous bridge in Venice, the legendary “bridge of sighs”…as wikipedia notes:
The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge’s name, given by Lord Byron as a translation from the Italian “Ponte dei sospiri” in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells.
Whether true or just myth, its a magical site, but just one of an endless number, literally everywhere you turn – with San Marco Square the heartbeat of the city!
A great way to get an overview is to have a drink on the terrace of The Hotel Danieli – and since we were staying at The Gritti Palace, we were able to get a “waterfront” view from their outdoor bar:
And after you arrive, settle in and have a walk around, the best way to end a day in Venice is by watching the sun set over this magical city:
I will be sharing more about this city, which is packed with tourists every day.
However, while more than 2.5 million people live in the Venice area, only 53,000 reside in the city itself: it has become essentially a “tourist only” zone, as there are few services for residents, who find it easier to live off the island and on the mainland…and yes, they arrive to work every day by boat as well, which can lead to traffic jams like this!
Venice is an incredible place with truly wonderful people. This was the beginning of our anniversary trip on the iconic “Orient Express” train:
You can read all about that adventure as well:
Let me know if you’ve been to Venice!
Categories: Art, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized
johnrieber 
What a beautiful city! I’d love to see it someday. But in the meantime I’ll enjoy your video tour!
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Thanks! It’s worth the trip…only two ways to get around Venice: on foot or by boat – no cars!
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I’d love to! Maybe on our next trip to Europe, whenever that may be! 🙂
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Great post – enjoyed. Loved the videos. Years since I have been to Venice and only for an afternoon (too short) but loved walking the bridges. It is magical.
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Even in a single afternoon you could see the beauty and uniqueness of the city, right? Thanks for the note!
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Amazing post with stunning pictures once again John……great to take this ride through Venice.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, much appreciated! Almost too much beauty to capture, but the boat rides were terrific and so much fun!
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I am more envious than ever now John! But so pleased that you both enjoyed that wonderful trip.
And you arrived in style, as well as staying at a top class hotel 🙂
Nicely done, my friend.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete!
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