A plan for Venice

Orientation

Metropolitan Venice has nearly a million inhabitants, and includes coastal and inland towns such as Bibione, Chioggia and Eraclea.

The comune (municipality) of Venice lies at the coast of northern Italy. It is made up of many islands in the Venetian Lagoon and a stretch of terraferma (mainland). The comune is divided into six boroughs, the most famous of which (known as Venezia Insulare) comprises the historic city of Venice as well as the islands of Giudecca, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Mazzorbo and Sant'Erasmo. Lido and Mestre are other popular areas of the comune.

The historic city is divided into six sestieri (districts): Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and finally San Marco, where the main monuments and sights are. Each sestiere uses separate house numbers, however they are not allocated in a specific pattern.

History

The Most Serene Republic of Venice dates back to 827, when a Byzantine Duke moved its seat to what is now known as the Rialto, and for the following 970 years, it prospered on trade (especially from the Silk Road) and under the rule of a Roman-style Senate headed by the Doge. Eventually, the Republic of Venice grew into a powerful city-state, and the cradle of Italian Renaissance. In the late 15th century, the Ottoman Empire's expansion around the Mediterranean, new routes on the high seas shifted commerce to the Atlantic, demoting Venice's political status.

Venice is packed full of sights, with something interesting to see around each corner. The most spectacular sights, such as the Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Basilica, are in San Marco, the historic seat of power.

Doge's Palace in San Marco: don't miss the guided tour named Secret Itinerary, which will let you discover the part of the palace where the city's administration worked, as well as Casanova's jail and the wonderful 500-year-old roof structure. A MUVE museum.

Bell tower of St. Mark dates from 1912; an exact replica of the previous tower which collapsed in 1902. The top of the tower offers great views of Venice and the lagoon.

The Clock tower has a restored astronomical clock which is now visible. The fascinating tour of the clock mechanism (and rooftop bell) can only be visited on a guided tour. A MUVE museum.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco in San Polo is a masterpiece of Tintoretto. It is a guild house that is an exquisite example of Mannerist art at its best. Cycles of allegories, life and passion of Christ, scenes from the Old and New Testament.

Jewish Ghetto of Venice in Cannaregio still has very active Jewish life, and is home to five synagogues. On Saturdays or late Fridays, shops, restaurants, and other Jewish places will be closed.

Rialto Bridge, connecting sestieri San Polo and San Marco across Canal Grande, has become one of Venice's most recognizable icons.

Churches

A lot of churches charge an entry fee. There is a "Chorus Pass" for entry into some churches. If you plan to visit three churches or more, you are better off buying the churches pass. There is also a combined pass for museums, churches and transportation only available at the tourist information office, but it is relatively expensive.

Saint Mark's Basilica is one of the highlights of a visit to Venice. It was begun probably in 1063 to express Venice's growing civic consciousness and pride. Its model was the 6th-century Church of the Holy Apostles in ConstantinopleTo convey the republic's wealth and power, the original brick façades and interior walls were embellished over time with precious stones and rare marbles. Many of the columns, reliefs, and sculptures were spoils stripped from the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople.

Events

La Biennale di Venezia is one of the most well-known culture institutions. Two events organised by Biennale are the Art and Architecture International Exhibitions happening alternately (Art Biennale in even years, Architecture Biennale in odd) but other fields are also covered: contemporary theatre, dance, music, cinema. Exhibitions take place mostly in two locations in Castello: Arsenale and Giardini. They are both worth visiting even when no event is scheduled.

The Carnival of Venice (Carnevale di Venezia) is an annual festival that takes place for 2½ weeks in January and February (dates vary). It is famous throughout the world for its elaborate costumes and masks.

Regata Storica (Historic fleet event): , ☏ +39 041 2424, vela@velaspa.com. Celebrating a historic event from 1489, the regatta displays almost a hundred varieties of Venetian boats from the city's rich past. Large oarships, replicating ancient roman and medieval vessels, are rowed along the Canal Grande, followed by many smaller boats. There are several races, including a master championship for solo sculling in streamlined gondolini, painted in unusual white, pink, etc. colours. There are many excellent photo opportunities for this event. Early September. (date needs fixing)

Individual listings can be found in Venice's district articles

Venice is home to a rich and distinct regional cuisine and there are numerous wonderful restaurants, including a few Michelin starred ones. However, the city is also home to many more mediocre eateries that will not shy away from serving you undercooked pasta for overinflated prices. This has led to it becoming widely regarded that the restaurants in Venice serve food of a quality and in quantities much lower than anywhere else in Italy. However, with a bit of caution and planning ahead you'll have many excellent experiences eating in Venice. Rule of thumb is that if there's a waiter outside pimping for business, it's probably best avoided!

One of Venice's trademark foods is Sepe al nero, cuttlefish and its ink. This intense black ink serves as a sauce and ingredient for polenta (corn meal), risotto (rice), and pasta. These dishes are normally indicated by the Italian words "nella seppia" (in cuttlefish), "alla seppia" (in the style of cuttlefish), or "nero di seppia," (black of the cuttlefish). For example, Polenta Nella Seppia is fried corn meal with the black ink of a cuttlefish. Despite the intensity in color, the ink has a surprisingly mild taste. Other Veneitian dishes include Fegato alla veneziana, chopped liver, cooked with chopped onions and Sarde in saor: fried sardines, dipped in fried onion, raisins and pine nuts, spices and vinegar.

For snacks, Venice has its own version of tapas, the cicchetti. Often paired with wine you will find that most restaurants and bars serve some variant of it. There are also many 'bacaros in Venice, a wine bar that serves a wide selection of cicchetti to go along.

The typical local drink loved by all Venetians is Spritz, which is a mix of liquor and Prosecco with sparkling water to top it off. Aperol Spritz is by far the most common but there are variants with Campari or Select too. Almost all bars in the city serves it with prices range from €5 to €12, depending on how close you are to the main tourist arteries. Spritz are usually paired with cicheti, the Venetian version of tapas.

Another famous drink is the Bellini was invented in Harry's Bar in Venice. It is a mix of white peach juice and Prosecco (the ubiquitous Venetian Champagne-like sparkling wine). Fermented at a low temperature Prosecco develops amylic aromas (fruit drops), though these perhaps mix better with fruit juices than does the more austere Champagne. Classic Bellinis should never be made with Champagne. Although by normal standards expensive, a Bellini in Harry's Bar (€17 for a 1.5 oz drink is obscene) is still much cheaper than on the terraces of similar '5-star' establishments in the city.

A small Grappa is a common way to end meals, but be careful as it is brandy with 30 to 60 per cent alcohol.

Beer in a small pub is about €5 for a pint (birra media).

Coffee

Coffee is everywhere in Venice, and both Venetians and the tourists avail themselves of the opportunities, usually by downing a quick dose at the counter (see warning about sit-down prices above). Rule of thumb: the bigger (and shinier) the espresso machine, the better the result. Espresso, the real Italian, is about €1 at the bar, €2 at a table.

E Rosa Salva. One of the favorites is the mini-chain "E Rosa Salva", with three locations in the center - on C. Fiubera (from Piazza San Marco, take the underpass in the middle of the arcade, cross the bridge and take second right off C. Fabbri), Merceria S. Salvadore (off the campo of the same name), and right on Campo San Zanipolo (to the right of the church looking from the canal); the last one is a gelateria as well. For your €1 you'll get exactly 2 and a half sips at the bottom of a small cup, with rich crema and no bitterness. Assorted house-made sweets are €1.10.

Venice, the world's only pedestrian city, is easily walkable, and the absence of cars makes this a particularly pleasant experience. However, walking and standing all day can also be exhausting, so it is best to pace yourself. The Rialtine islands – the 'main' part of Venice – are small enough to walk from one end to the other in about an hour, provided you don't get lost (a common occurrence).

If you want to get around a bit more quickly, there are numerous vaporetti (water buses) and water taxis. The vaporetti are generally the best way to get around, even if the service route map changes frequently. If you are going to be in Venice for a few days visiting, it is a lot cheaper to use vaporetti than private water taxis. If you want to have a romantic ride along the canals, take a gondola ride, although they tend to exist for more scenic purposes, rather than getting people from point A to point B.

GPS navigation services such as Google Maps are notoriously unreliable in Venice. The density of stone buildings makes it fairly difficult to receive a proper GPS satellite signal. You can mitigate some of these navigation issues using the Live View function in Google Maps, which uses your camera to orient yourself relative to businesses and landmarks around you.

The one surprising way you can't get around in Venice is by bicycle. Bicycles are banned in the main city. You are allowed to carry your bike in your arms (not ride, not wheel/walk) from the pIazzale Roma to the Venezia Santa Lucia train station, and if you are traveling through Venice to reach Lido or Pellestrina, then you can carry a bicycle like any other large package on public transit. There is a €100 fine for riding a bicycle in Venice.

By public transport

ACTV runs the vaporetti and other public transport services in the lagoon and on land.

Venice is considered a safe city. You have to take the habitual travellers' precautions however. Keep your valuable items (like wallet and passport) close to you because there are pickpockets, especially in more crowded parts of the city.

In case of need, you can dial free of charge on any phone 112 (no area code needed) to contact Carabinieri or 113 (no area code needed) to contact the Police.

Sometimes, in the evening and night hours, Campo Bella Vienna and Campo Santa Margherita are places for violence, so be careful if you stay here.

Since 2024 there are a lot of pickpockets, so you should avoid highly crowded areas.

Much of Venice's famous architecture is extremely old and showing the effects of being mishandled by the flood of tourists, some small fraction of whom behave as if they were in a modern holiday resort complex instead of an ancient city. To preserve the wonder of this city for future generations, everyone needs to treat the city's infrastructure as if you were in a large, open-air art museum.

The city officials state that it is necessary to enforce rules that preserve the city's urban cleanliness and make sure visitors behave themselves. The following tips will come in handy:

Walk on the right side of the street; especially on narrower streets, you'll contribute to making your and other's walk faster, safer, and tidier. Do it always, even if the street is empty: you never know if there is someone behind corner and you will end to hit him. Do not block the flow of traffic, especially on bridges.

Do not bathe, dive into, or swim in the canals; it is dangerous and unhealthy (the canals are the city's ancient open-air sewage system, and you risk being hit by motorboat traffic). Violations are subject to fines up to €350 and being banned from the city for the next 48 hours, even if you have a prepaid hotel room and non-refundable tickets to events. More information is available on #EnjoyRespectVenezia website.

Do not walk around bare-chested or in swimwear; this is punishable by a fine of up to €250.

Do not sit down or lie down on the ground, on monuments, on steps, on bridges, on buildings (or even lean against them), or sit in public on anything else except chairs and benches made for this purpose, and especially do not sit on the ground to eat. Picnics are banned in all public areas. They are punishable by a fine of €100–200, and the police can immediately ban you from the area. If you need to rest or want to watch the people going by, look for one of Venice's bright red public benches to sit (but not lie down) on.

Do not camp or sleep in public areas; the fine is €200, and the police will immediately ban you from the area.