Venetian Celebration
We chose the Hotel Manin which is housed in a 19th century palace which was built on the site of a 17th century opera house and located right on the Grand Canal and close to the magnificent Rialto Bridge. The Sant Angelo waterbus stop is right outside and St Mark’s square a ten minute walk away. Some of the 55 rooms and suites have a view over the Grand Canal with most overlooking the gardens at the rear. Due to the excellent location it is a great base from which to explore and experience the city.
The city of Venice is situated within a lagoon and sheltered from the Adriatic Sea. The lagoon is 30 miles long, 5-9 miles wide and covers an area of 212 square miles. The city measures just 3 miles from north to south and 8 miles from East to West.
We preferred to use the waterbus system also known as the vaporetto for travelling around the city. We purchased a 3 day rover ticket which was fun and great value and enabled us to get on and off as many times as we wanted on any of the routes all over the city area. Like using the London underground we had to work out where to change to a different coloured route to reach the particular attraction we were heading for. We walked whenever possible but sometimes found this a challenge due to the labyrinth of 3,000 alleys and 170 canals and although there are said to be 400 bridges we struggled to find to some of them!
With so many fabulous historic buildings to see, it was difficult to know where to start. Being nearby we began by visiting the area around the Rialto Bridge. There are some superb shops offering high quality clothes and shoes. I persuaded my husband to buy me two pairs of gorgeous Italian shoes! There is also a range of eating places with the best and most expensive being close to the Bridge on waterfront.
We then travelled south down the Grand Canal to visit St Marks Square, where we viewed the 15th century clock and tower with winged stone lion and huge bronze bell. We also ascended inside the bell tower of St Mark which offers spectacular views of the city from the gallery in the belfry. We did the tourist thing and had a bellini cocktail in the nearby famous Harry’s Bar. St Marks square was fabulous to visit after dark to enjoy a drink under twinkling fairy lights listening to a live classical music concert. If you buy a bottle of wine you can stay all night. Expensive but worth it!
We also toured St Mark’s Basilica and the Doges Palace the former seat of Venetian Government which are both full of magnificent rooms, sculptures, and artwork decoration. Then we walked to the 14th century Ponte della Bridge and posed for photos with the Bridge of Sighs, the most photographed sight in Venice as a backdrop. We also walked along the Riva degli Schiavoni a wide paved waterfront lined with hotels and coffee shops and lots of stalls and artists on the pavement.
The following day, my birthday, we used the waterbus to see the other parts of the city away from the main central attractions. We also visited some of the nearby islands in particular Giudecca where we had Bellini champagne cocktails and an excellent lunch at Harry’s Dolci restaurant which has tables on a terrace on the waterfront with great views looking across to Venice.
Venice has to be the most unique city in the world and an amazing place to visit for a special weekend or slightly longer. A beautiful romantic and historic city with fabulous shoe shops, what more could a girl wish for! We can’t wait to visit again.