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Is Venice one ot the most beautiful and culturally
rich cities in the world or, do you merely see it as a city for
romantic fools and people with more money than sense... ?
We leave you to decide all we can do here
is give you a taster of what to expect when you come to visit
this city which is steeped in history. Venice the city which has
been floating for over 1500 years and was home to Marco Polo,
Titian, Tintoretto probably some of the most famous people to
emerge from it's long and illustrious history. Venice the city
which was one of the most dominating mercantile sea powers in
history.
Today Venice's influence on world trading
is all washed up but not her appeal as 12 million vistors in 2003
bare testament to. Nevertheless, the Venice of today is a town
of melancholic nostalgia, a throw back to bygone era in history
to a time before the automobile... Sinking, shrinking and some
might say stinking there's no denying that the proud city of the
St Marks is slowly expiring, attacked by rising tides which flood
St Mark's Square most afternoons... coupled with neglect (the
Fenice theatre which burnt down several years ago and is still
undergoing rennovation) not to mention the pollution - the Adriatic
sea was a dumping ground for many industrial companies operating
in the Veneto region.
Theoretically speaking Venice shouldn't
exist at all but, she does. The preservation and renovation of
her crumbling monuments and churches is almost a perpetual activity;
the debate on how to stem the Adriatic floods is never ending;
and the tide against the battle to clean the lagoon of toxic petrochemical
waste is slowly turning in Venice's favour...
Nobody is complacent though and there is
no doubt that it will be surely be considered the 8th miracle
of the world should Venice surive for another 200 years, but love
her or loathe her, the world without her is totally unthinkable.
Venice Facts and Figures
- Hotel Danieli Venice Italy
- Population - 306,439
- Area- 457.5 sq km (178 sq miles)
- Telephone Area Code - +39 for
Italy and 041 for Venice (the Area Code is an essential part
of the number and must be used at all times)
- Time - GMT/UTC +1
- Figures: 117 islands, 409 Bridges
and 150 canals
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| Venice
is comprised of hundreds of islands and bridges of which only
3 cross the Grand Canal - The Rialto, The Accademia and the
Ponte degli Scalzi. The historical centre of Venice is divided
into six sestieri (quarters): San Marco , Dorsoduro , San
Polo, Santa Croce , Cannaregio and Castello. Cannaregio is
where the celebrated painters Tiziano and Tintoretto come
from and the famous explorer Marco Polo. It covers a deceptively
small area (7.6 sq km/3 sq miles) - if you don't get lost
(which you will!), walking from Cannaregio in the northwest
to Dorsoduro in the south should take only 30 minutes. The
city's 'main street' is the Grand Canal, which passes each
of the districts as it snakes its way along the length of
Venice from the railway station Santa Lucia to San Marco and
the Hotel Danieli. Venice goes well
beyond the six historical sestieri or neighbourhoods which
comprise Venice island. The shallow waters of the Laguna
Veneta are host to a crumbling myriad of islands, including
Murano (famous for glass making) , Burano and Torcello being
a few of the more famous islands. The Lido di Venezia to
the East acts as a kind of buffer to Venice Island and contains
its own stretch of beach which during the Summer months
is very popular with Venetians and Tourists alike. South
of Venice Lido there is Pellestrina which stretches down
to the provincial town of Chioggia, which is the most southern
point of Venice Lagoon. Spreading inland from the Laguna
Veneta is the modern day Venice the industrial town of Mestre,
where the day-to-day 'life' of the city increasingly takes
place. Mestre's southern half is occupied by Porto Marghera
and a huge docks.
Marco Polo airport lies to the east of Venice
Mestre. Venice Island's main railway station the Stazione
di Santa Lucia, is in the northwest of town, at the end
of the Ponte della Libertà. The bus station is on
the opposite (southern) side of the Grand Canal in Piazzale
Roma. Apart from the restaurant at the Danieli which offers
some of the best Venetian cuisine available there are great
Venetian restaurants and trattorias in the sestieri or neighbourhoods
of of Cannaregio, Santa Croce, San Polo and Castello instead.
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Do's and Dont's in
Venice
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Do's
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Dont's |
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Take a Gondola trip but do it properly and not with any
of the amateurs. It is an unforgettable experience and
unfortunately it will cost about 50 euro for about 20
minutes...
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Drink the water from the drinking taps contrary to popular
belief the tap water in Venice is fine and completely
ok to drink.
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Tip the waiters approximately 10% of the bill as service
is generally not included - only if you have enjoyed your
meal and usually you do. Order the "Baccala mantecato"
which is a famous Venetian dish comprised of salt cod
made creamy with olive oil and...
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Take a trip to the island of Murano to watch a traditional
glass blowing demonstration
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In February time the Venice Carnival takes place which
is a 3 week long party - masked balls , banquets and all
night parties ensure that Venice is the place to be during
carnival
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Go to a football match or soccer match to see Venezia
founded in 1907 try to make it back into Italy's Serie
A or first division. See why Italians call it the Beautiful
Game
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Visit as many cultural attractions as possible - the Guggenheim
Art Gallery, Bridge of Sighs, Fenice Palace, Bridge of
Sighs, St Marks, Doge's Palace or Palazza Ducale and Marco
Polo's house which remains largely unchanged from when
he lived there.
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Wear long trousers when visiting St Mark's or any place
of religious significance
- Stamp
your vaporetto or bus ticket - checks are very infrequent
however if caught without a valid ticket you will be fined
50 Euro on the spot - if you don't have the cash they
will take you to the nearest police station
- Try
some of the local traditionally produced Venetian Wines
and culinary specialities
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Wear shorts or a t -shirt if you want to go inside St
Mark's or any other place of worship
- Ask
why they built Venice so close to the sea
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If you get lost do not blame it on the absence of an American
style grid like street system
- Order
cappuccino after your evening meal - remember cappuccino
is for morning and Espresso after lunch and dinner
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Tell people off for smoking, in Italy a very high percentage
of the population smokes therefore people are very tolerant
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Eat spaghetti with a spoon - if you think you will make
a mess just wear a bib by tucking your napkin into your
shirt as strangely enough wearing a bib is ok in the city
where they have the longest fancy dress party on the planet
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Tip water taxi drivers although not as bad as they once
were Venetian watertaxi drivers have still be known to
rip tourists off - be careful and only pay what is on
the meter.
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Fill your wine glass to the top as this is a sign of poverty
- apparently by filling your glass to the brim means that
you don't know where the next glass is coming from.
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Don't talk about the Mafia - Don Corleone and his buddies
were glorified in the Godfather but most Italians hate
the Mafia
- Don't
openly support the North's claim to seperatism and devolution.
This is a very sensitive issue as many people in Venezia
still want to remain part of the republic
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For more information on any of the above attractions
and how to reach them please do not hesitate to contact the Hotel
Danieli Concierge.
Use the Danieli Hotel Venice Official
Oline Booking system to secure the best available rate:
Book
the Hotel Danieli Venice
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To view information see below - please
click on the link below
Above: A Map detailing the location of the
Hotel Danieli Venice which can be found on the Riva degli Schiavoni
in the Shadow of St Marks and next to the Doge's Palace
Above - Gondola's as the Sun Sets over
Venice Harbour
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