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Venice - General Information

Unusually among much vaunted romantic destinations, Venice really is as stunning as advertised. The lagoon city, which rose to become Europe’s most powerful merchant empire and was known as La Serenissima – “The Most Serene” – captivates merely by its appearance.

Seen from a distance, it sits remarkably low in the water of the lagoon, looking as if it might be overwhelmed at any moment; indeed it’s this air of vulnerability that adds to its beauty. Not only that, but the smaller islands that surround it – especially San Giorgio Maggiore, San Servolo and Burano, with their lovely churches and monasteries – serve as a frame for its beauty, making it even more entrancing.
Arriving at San Marco, you’re immediately confronted with the heart of tourist Venice. The water’s edge bristles with mooring posts for gondolas. On the right is the Gothic bulk of the Doge’s Palace. Directly ahead lies Piazetta, leading on to the Piazza proper and forming a “L” shape with it. Both tend to be swarming with pigeons. Venture up from the Piazetta and on the left you’ll see the Campanile, which offers the finest panoramic views of Venice. On the right there’s St Mark’s Basilica, an unbelievably intricate and detailed Byzantine Palace.

Turning left into the Piazza proper, you’ll find yourself amid yet more tourists and pigeons (the only way to see it empty is to visit very early in the morning). It is bordered on two sides by dauntingly elegant 15th century buildings – Procuratie Vecchie and Procuratie Nouve, the historic residences of the Procurators, who were responsible for state administration. At the far end lies the Museo Correr, its building originally built by Napoleon, who called the Piazza “Europe’s drawing room.” Two particular draws for tourists are the lovely cafés on either side of the square: Caffé Florian and Caffé Quadri. Both have small orchestras that maintain a good-natured competition throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Both also offer plenty of seats in the sunshine and though they’re pricey there’s no better place to soak up the classic atmosphere of Venice.

Venice has been divided into six districts (sestieri) since the 12th century. The sestiere around the piazza is also called San Marco. It is the heart of Venice chic and swarms with activity as visitors and locals converge on it for business, pleasure and shopping. From St Mark’s Square the best thing to do is just to plunge into the labyrinth of narrow streets and explore the rest of the city.
West of the square, through the Museo Correr, lies Calle Larga XII Marzo, where you ’ll find the most exclusive clothes boutiques – as well as the inevitable street traders, crouched outside them selling imitation Louis Vuitton handbags. Turning north from here, the area stretching up to the Rialto Bridge is also a warren of shops, selling classic Venetian items such as Murano glass, Burano lace, marbled paper and Carnivalle masks.

The Rialto itself perhaps the most romantic bridge in the world. It dominates the most celebrated stretch of the Grand Canal and is almost always mobbed with tourists, but if you can jostle your way between your fellow sightseers you’ll be treated to the finest view of Venice’s acquatic “main street.” It’s particularly beautiful at sunset, when the dusky pink light bathes the façades of the waterfront buildings.

If, on the other hand, you’re searching for peace in Venice and the chance for a romantic stroll along quiet canals, it isn’t impossible to find. A good place to start is Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto Nuovo, where the buildings are taller and more enclosing and the pace of daily life more serene. Though the main tourist sights, seen so often in films and documentaries offer every visitor an authentic thrill, it is often these quiet nooks and crannies – with sunlight shining on water and crumbling stucco façades – that provide the memories of Venice you’ll keep with you for the rest of your life.