Venice Overview

A truly unique city that has canals instead of streets, and water instead of traffic. Venice is the birthplace of romance and passion, the home of Casanova, folklore and fun, and a vibrant carnival. Art is everywhere in this city, as are the gondolas!!

Districts

Venice is divided into six zones, and the addresses have consecutive numbers, e.g. Cannaregio 1, 2 etc. As well as having “popolare addresses, each building has an official address, e.g. Calle delle Vele. The popular address and the official address are always written together e.g. Cannaregio 1234, Calle delle Vele. The tricky thing is that each zone has the same street name so postmen have a very difficult (and highly respected) job, because the official address (in this case Calle delle Vele) is never enough to make sure the post goes to the right place.

The six zones or “sestiere are as follows: San Marco, San Polo, Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, Castello and Santa Croce. Although there are six zones, it is possible to cross the city on foot in under an hour. The zones do not really have strict divisions, but they are characterized in different ways: Dursoduro contains students and the city’s university; Cannaregio is home to the historic ghetto; San Marco has the Basilica and the Piazza, which is probably one of the world’s most famous squares; San Polo is a down-to-earth area where the locals live and hang out; Castello has the beautiful Giardini and the Biennale d'Arte (the Venice Arts Festival); Santa Croce is next to the station, just after the Ponte degli Scalzi.

Entertainment

Venice is quite a sleepy city, especially when you compare it to other major cities of the world. There are several reasons for this. The first is the high average age of its citizens – probably the highest in Italy. The second is the relative difficulty there is to get around. This is not a place for cars and other private means of transport, and a boat ride is not really ideal for an evening out. Finally, there is a lack of space in Venice, so everything is very cramped. In short, you will search in vain for nocturnal activities. There simply isn’t anything to do. However, if you really can’t do without nightlife, you can drive to Piazzale Roma (a true Venetian would need a very good justification for doing so) and then on to Jesolo.

Campo Santa Margherita in the summer is an exception to this rule. The presence of hundreds of students on their summer holidays transforms the square into a pleasure pavilion, with restaurants, live music and extemporaneous art exhibitions. Another exception is during the Carnival. And finally, in September, Campo San Polo houses an open-air cinema, where you can sit under the stars and watch films which have only just been released.

Dining and Drinking

The restaurants in Venice offer a wide variety of cuisines, ranging from international fast food to five-star Italian dishes. Many of the specialities are fish based, and there are excellent vegetables in season from the gardens of St. Erasmo Island. For a light snack try ‘osteria’, or ‘cicheti’ which is usually meatballs, fried vegetables, anchovies and cured meats, or even a sandwich, whose delicious dough is made from the city water. There are many inns close to the Rialto Market, which serve fresh food - they are subject to a quality control, which is carried out daily by the local residents.

By nature Venetians do things differently. They enjoy entertaining friends in the privacy of their own homes. As a consequence, there are very few restaurants which stay open until late – to the point where going for something to eat after the cinema would be a major feat. It is only relatively recently that some restaurants with live music have reopened.

Venice loves to have a good drink, as does the whole of the Veneto region. There are many popular inn/wine bars that have become real institutions. Unnamed house wines of varying quality can be found everywhere; to be sure of a good bouquet try Do Mori. In autumn, look out for the ‘torbolino’: an immature Pinot Nero whose arrival announces that winter is on its way.

Where To Stay

Venice attracts many different kinds of people, who come here for many different reasons. In comparison with other Italian cities, 'hospitality' in Venice doesn't come cheap; this may be due to the romantic environment (Venice is known as one of the “Cities of Love), or the fact that because Venice has a very particular set up, transport and services are much more expensive, making the hotels more costly.

The hotels in this wonderful city have many different qualities: some have historical importance; some offer the best service and some have spawned Italian myths. Near these hotels is Venice’s Youth Hostel. If this is full there are also hundreds of rooms to rent (popular with students), economical boarding houses and establishments run by religious orders.

More and more people are choosing to stay in Mestre, just across the lagoon, which is served by many buses and trains. If you choose to stay here, the sense of romance may decrease but so will the prices you pay, and rest assured, you’ll find a wide choice of comfortable hotels. If you don't mind the distance and you have a car, you could stay in Riviera del Brenta. There are several villas here, which have been transformed into princely residences. This area is also less expensive than Venice.

Venice is crowded throughout the year with tourists so a word of advice: if you visit during the Carnevale or the Film Festival, you need to book well in advance. If that doesn’t ensure you a room try the hotels in Treviso.

Did You Know?

Venice is built on 117 islands and features 150 canals.

Orientation/Geography

Venice is situated in Italy's northeast corner known as the Veneto region, just off the coast in the Adriatic Sea. Trieste rests 97 miles to the east, Milan 165 to the west, and Rome 327 miles to the southwest.


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