At a glance
Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, city of canals and palaces...or tawdry sewer alive with crowds and charlatans? Venice's nature is dual: water and land, long history and doubtful future, airy delicacy and dim melancholy. If this precious place does sink, the world will be the poorer.
For a thousand years the city was one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers on the face of the earth. Today the brilliance and influence have long since faded, leaving a town of tarnished glories, out of time and out of place, so achingly beautiful it's hard not to look for the back of the set.
When To Go
It's almost always high season in Venice, although the city is busiest in spring (Easter-June) and Sept-Oct. Accommodation can be hard to find then, as well as around Christmas, New Year and Carnevale (February). Like Italy's other great tourist hubs, Venice is at its worst in high summer (June-August): it's crowded, oppressively hot and sticky. The most pleasant time of year to visit is late March into May, with clear spring days and comparatively fewer crowds. September is the next best in terms of weather, but October is quieter. Flooding occurs in November and December, and winter can be unpleasantly cold - although seeing Venice under snow can be the stuff of fairy tales.
Places to See
Take time to meander - losing yourself in the maze of canals and lanes is one of Venice's principal pleasures. The cluster of sights around the Piazza San Marco are heart-clutchingly beautiful, but the more secret pleasures of the hushed backstreets are just as entrancing.
Places to Eat
The kitchens of Venice have for centuries been filled with aromas of the sea; anyone who doesn't like seafood may stress a little in Venice as many restaurants offer nothing much else. The wider Veneto is a different story. The farther inland you go, the more meat dominates.
Night Time Venues
Venice may be no good for clubbing, but the bars are something else again. The liveliest areas for bars are in and around the bustling Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro and along Fondamenta degli Ormesini and Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio.
Places to Shop
There is no shortage of shops in which to make your plastic bleed. If classic Venetian items such as Murano glass, lace, marbled paper and Carnevale masks don't do it for you, a host of other options, from high Italian fashion to curious handicrafts, will.
Tipping
You are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges, but it is common to leave a small amount, say €1.00 per person. If there is no service charge, you might consider leaving a 10% tip, but this is by no means obligatory. In bars, Italians often leave any small change as a tip. Tipping taxi drivers is not common practice, but you should tip the porter at higher-class hotels. Bargaining is common in flea markets but not in shops, although you might find that the proprietor is disposed to give a discount if you are spending a reasonable amount of money. |
