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Venice
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Perhaps no other city in the world has inspired the superlatives heaped upon Venice (Venezia) through the centuries. It was, and remains, a phenomenon - La Serenissima (the Most Serene Republic). The secret to discovering its romance and beauty is to walk. Parts of Dorsoduro and Castello see few tourists even in the high season (July to September), and it's easy to lose yourself for hours in the narrow winding streets between the Accademia and the train station.
The islands of the lagoon were first settled during the barbarian invasions of the 5th and 6th centuries AD, when the people of the Veneto sought refuge in the marshy region, gradually building the unique city on a raft of wooden posts driven into the subsoil. The waters that today threaten the city's existence once protected it from its enemies. Following years of Byzantine rule, Venice evolved into a republic ruled by a succession of doges (chief magistrates). This period of independence lasted 1000 years, the city eventually growing in power to dominate half the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and the trade routes to the Levant. It was from here that Marco Polo set out on his voyage to China.
Today Venice is increasingly being left to the tourists, as regular floods (caused by high tides) and soaring property values make it impractical as a place of residence. Most of the 'locals' live in industrial Mestre, which is linked to the city by a 4km-long bridge.
Orientation
Venice is built on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 400 bridges. Only three bridges cross the Grand Canal: the Rialto, the Accademia and, at the train station, the Scalzi.
The city is divided into six sestieri (sections): Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce. Streets are called calle, ruga or salizzada; side streets can be called caletta or ramo. A street beside a canal is a fondamenta, a canal is a rid and a quay a riva. The only square in Venice called a piazza is San Marco - all the others are called campo.
There are no cars in the city and all public transport is via the canals on vaporetti (passenger boats). To cross the Grand Canal between the bridges, use the cheaper traghetto (public gondolas).
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
For an overview, catch the No 1 vaporetto along the Grand Canal and then go for a long walk. Start at San Marco and either delve into the tiny lanes of tranquil Castello or head for the Accademia Bridge to reach the narrow streets and squares of Dorsoduro and San Polo.
Remember that most museums are closed on Monday.
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