Al Palazzo Lion Morosini
http://www.alpalazzolionmorosini.com/
30131 Venezia (Italy)
Tel. +39 041 2411848
Fax +39 041 2414864
www.alpalazzolionmorosini.com info@alpalazzolionmorosini.com
Venice (Venetian: Venezsia, Italian: Venezia, Latin: Venetia) is the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). The city is included with Padua (Padova) in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000). Venice's nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light." It is also the seat of Education in Europe.
The city stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers. The population estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the population of the whole Comune of Venezia; around 62,000 in the historic city of Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (literally firm land, the areas outside the lagoon), mostly in the large frazione of Mestre and Marghera; and 31,000 live on other islands in the lagoon. The Venetian Republic was a major sea power and a staging area for the Crusades, as well as a very important centre of commerce (especially the spice trade) and art in the Renaissance.
By train
Trains from the mainland run through Mestre and to the Santa Lucia train station on the west side of Venice (make sure you don't get confused with Venezia Mestre which is the last stop on the mainland!). From here, water buses (vaporetti) or water taxis can take you to hotels or other locations on the islands. Direct trains to Venice are available from many international destinations, including Budapest, Zagreb & Ljubljana.
Get around
Venice is a very walkable city, and the absence of cars makes it - mostly - a pleasant experience. The Rialtine islands - the 'main' part of Venice - are small enough to walk from one end to the other in about an hour.
If you want to get around a bit more quickly, there are numerous vaporetti (water buses) and water taxis. The vaporetti are generally the best way to get around, even if the service route map changes frequently. If you are going to be in Venice for a few days visiting, it is a lot cheaper to get the vaporetti than to get private water taxis. If you want to have a romantic ride along the canals, take a gondola ride.
ACTV runs the vaporetti and other public trans
port services both in the lagoon and on the terra firma. 1 day, 3 day and 7 day Venice Cards are available, in two variations (Blue and Orange). The basic Blue cards provide unlimited travel on the ACTV travel services (vaporetti, motoscafi and buses), free use of the AMAV staffed toilets and discounted tickets for some museums. The Orange card also provides free entrance to some of the museums (those covered by the Museum Card). Note that neither card includes the Alilaguna water-bus which serves Marco Polo airport unless you pay a surcharge. A 'Junior' version of both cards are also available at a slightly reduced rate for those between 5 an
d 29 years of age. Travel cards are extremely useful since the basic fare for one vaporetto journey is typically €5.00 whereas 1 day Blue cards cost €17, 3 day costs €34 and 7 day €52 (prices correct April 2007). There are cheaper 1 and 3 day ACTV travel tickets available (€12 and €25) but these are pure travel cards and offer no discounts or other goodies (like a free map and case) which come with the Venice Cards. Discounts on many of these cards are available for the under €30 or by buying online, it pays to look around.
Otherwise, take a walk! The city is not that big, and you can walk from one end to the other in a few hours. Along the way you will discover lots of marvelous art and architecture.
See
Churches
- Saint Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco), Piazza San Marco (Water lines # 1, 52, and 82 will take you from Santa Lucia (the train station) or Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Lucia. Walking is another option but will require a lot of walking and getting lost.), ☎ +39 041 5225205 (procuratorial phone number), [3]. October 1st to March 31st: 9:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.; April 1st to September 30th: 9.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.. Saint Mark's Basilica is located on Piazza San Marcoand is one of the highlights of a visit to Venice. As with most churches in Italy, you must be dressed appropriately to be allowed in; this means no short skirts or bare shoulders. Filming and photography is forbidden so be prepared in advance. The visit within the basilica last ten minutes. Waiting for entry into the basilica can last upto five or so hours and it may be wise to use alata.it [4] to reserve your visit. Reserving is free of charge. Admission to the basilica is free, however, the museum and other parts of the museum cost a few Euro.
- San Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo in Venetian dialect): a fine, huge Dominican church with the tombs of many Doges. It shares its piazza with the fine Renaissance facade of the Scuola San Marco and an equestrian statue of the mercenary (condottiere) captain Colleone. Look out for the testicles (coglioni in Italian - it's a lousy pun) on his coat of arms!
- Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - the big friary church, with fine monuments and paintings.
- Santa Maria dei Miracoli - a perfect jewel box church, simple in form but ornamented with fine exterior marble facings.
Museums
- Ca' Pesaro
- Ca' Rezzonico
- Clock tower (Torre dell'Orologio)
- Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
- Galleria dell'Accademia di Venezia
- Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro
- Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro)
- Goldoni's House (Casa Goldoni)
- Jewish Ghetto of Venice, [5]. While racially and ethnic neighborhoods had existed prior to the Venetian Ghetto Venice's ghetto was the first "ghetto" and the title ghetto eventually spread to indicate any neighborhood that was made up of a single ethnic/racial group. Today, Jewish life is still very active in the ghetto and is home to five synagogues. Visiting on Saturdays (the Jewish Sabbath) will prove very fruitless because all shops, restaurants, and other Jewish places will be closed.
- The Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico), Cannaregio 2902/b, ☎ +39 041 715 359 (museoebraico@codesscultura.it, fax: +39 041 72 3007), [6]. Hours: June 1 - September 30: 10.00 a.m. - 07.00 p.m. October 1 - May 31: 10.00 a.m. - 06.00 p.m. The Museum is closed on Saturday (Shabbat), during Jewish festivities, on December 25th , on January 1st and on May 1. Entrance to the Museum: Full price: € 3.00, Reduced price: € 2.00. Entrance to the Museum and Guided Tours to Synagogues: Full price: € 8.50, Reduced price: € 7.00.
- Lace Museum (Museo del Merletto)
- The Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni (Located on the Dorsoduro region of Venice, to the east of the Accademia bridge, on the southern side of the Grand Canal), ☎ +39.041.2405.411 (info@guggenheim-venice.it, fax: +39.041.5206.885), [7]. Hours: Wednesday - Monday: 10AM - 6PM. Closed on Tuesdays and on 25 December. Open on national holidays (including Tuesdays). The Peggy Guggenheim Museum offers a personal collection of modern art collected by Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy was an American married to modern artist Max Ernst, and funded a number of his contemporaries. The gallery includes a sculpture garden and works by Kandinsky, Tanguy, Duchamp, Pollock, Dali, and Mondrian. Admission: Adults: €10, Seniors (over 65 years): €8, Students (18 years and under or holders of valid student ID): €5.
- Museo d'Arte Orientale
- Museo Fortuny
- Museum Correr
- Museum of Greek Icons
- Natural History Museum
- Naval History Museum (Museo Storico Navale)
- Palazzo Grassi
- Palazzo Mocenigo
- Scala Contarini del Bovaro
- Scuola Grande di S. Rocco
Outdoor sights, piazzas, bridges, canals
- Don't miss the Rialto market and the Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) on San Polo, the smallest sestiere. The bridge has become one of Venice's most recognizable icons and has a history that spans over 800 years. Today's Rialto Bridge was completed in 1591 and was used to replace a wooden bridge that collapsed in 1524.
Do
Ride a Vaporetto (Water Bus) down the Grand Canal right before sunset. The Vaporettos are inexpensive, but the sites are priceless: amazing architecture, soft seaside sunlight, and a fascinating parade of Venetian watercraft.
Take a Gondola if you can afford it: it's expensive, but the Gondoliere maybe can decrease the price if you ask (but they can also decrease the time...). Make sure you reach an agreement on price and time before you start! A good tip with the Gondolieres is to bargain the price down as low as you can, then say that it's still too much and walk away. Two or three of them will chase after you, one after the other, each offering a lower price than the last. It's possible to knock 20-30 euros off the price.
If a gondola seems a little pricey the alternative is to cross the Grand Canal by traghetto. These only cost €0.50 to use and are largely gondolas that have seen better days, They are stripped down and used as municipal ferries. In the 1950's there were as many as thirty, but now there are seven points to find them. However some only operate when people are going to and from work.
If you are looking for something to do, you can always shop. Venice is full of little stores in every corner and crevice. The commonest local specialities are Carnival masks, glass, and marbled paper. Price can vary wildly, so it's a good idea to hold off buying until you have a fair idea about the relative value of things. On Murano you can go see glass-making demonstrations! While going through Venice you need to take in the beauty of it all. Walk through the alley ways, and take the water taxi to different parts of the island, sometimes at night you can just go sit in a main area and watch people and tourists. It is wonderful. There are many museums and churches that are around the city that allow tourists to go in a visit. They are a good thing to keep you busy throughout your visit.
The “Secret itineraries in Doge's Palace” worth a visit, take the visitor into the most secret and fascinating rooms in the Palace. It’s better to book in advance. www.museiciviciveneziani.it.
If you would like to have a guide to show up the highlights of Venice, you can choose between many offers. There are walking or boat tours, focused on shopping or history or for art lovers, and many itineraries. One tours site is www.aguideinvenice.com.
Buy
The city is well known for its artisans and artwork. Visitors are drawn to its glasswork and its decorative Carnival masks that are a signature Venetian product. Masks are available at every single shop in Venice, and choosing the best one can be difficult, as many are fairly low quality. One shop with a good quality stock and decent prices (the other great pitfall) is Traditional Mask.
Watch out also for the hand-made paper and the exquisite miniature buildings made by Moro (Watch out for fakes!! Moro "signs" his on the back).
Eat
Venice is packed with wonderful restaurants, featuring cuisine of the Veneto. Specialties include polenta, made of corn meal; risotto with cuttlefish ink sauce. Diners should however be aware that for every genuinely wonderful restaurant or trattoria, there are many more places serving rubbish food at inflated prices, especially in the streets around San Marco. Rule of thumb: if there's a waiter outside pimping for business, it's probably best avoided.
One of Venice's trademark foods is cuttlefish and its ink. This intense black ink serves as a sauce and ingredient for polenta (corn meal), risotto (rice), and pasta. These dishes are normally indicated by the Italian words "nella seppia" (in cuttlefish), "alla seppia" (in the style of cuttlefish), or "nero di seppia," (black of the cuttlefish). For example Polenta Nella Seppia is fried corn meal with the black ink of a cuttle fish. Despite the intensity in color, the ink has a surprisingly mild taste.
Be careful when the prices are in a weight basis (typically 100 g). One dish can easily contain 400 g of fish, meat,... 4 times the indicated price !
For fresh fruit (including chilled coconut!) watch out for the street market stalls.
To save money at lunch, eat standing up. Prices usually double as soon as you sit at a table.
If self-catering, the Rialto food markets are an absolute must for fruit, vegetables and cheese, but most of all for the huge range of seafood, much of it fresh out of the lagoon and still moving!
Drink
Although there are many fantastic bars in Venice, if you're planning a nighttime "pub crawl" you should plan a few places to visit in advance - otherwise it's very easy to waste an hour wandering aimlessly in search of a watering hole that's actually open (especially midweek).
Give a try on Spritz al Aperol, "La botte" close to Rialto is a good choice.
If you try the famous Grappa, be careful... it's almost pure alcohol!
The Bellini was invented in Harry's bar in Venice. It is a mix of white peach juice and Prosecco (the ubiquitous Venetian Champagne-like sparkling wine). Fermented at too low a temperature Prosecco develops amylic aromas (fruit drops), though these perhaps mix better with fruit juices than does the more austere Champagne. Classic Bellinis should never be made with Champagne. Although by normal standards expensive, a Bellini in Harry's bar is still much cheaper than on the terraces of similar '5-star' establishments in the city.
- Pub Taverna L'Olandese Volante Campo San Lio, Castello 5856 , Venezia, Ph. +39 041.5289349. This pub is far and away the best in Venice. It is located between The Rialto Bridge and Saint Mark Square. During the summertime there are some tables outside when you can easily sit and rest after a day of wandering around this marvellous city. What is more, during the day pasta and other typical dishes are served at a budget price.
Stay safe
Venice is considered a safe city. One can walk down the darkest alley in the middle of the night and feel completely safe. You have to take the habitual travellers precautions, however. Keep your valuable items (like wallet and passport) close to you because there are pickpockets, especially in more crowded parts of the city. In addition, make sure you get receipts for all of your purchases (in order to fight tax evasion). Italian law requires customers to retain receipts and you could (in theory) be stopped by the Financial Police and asked to show receipts for your purchases.
Cope
The unfortunate side-effect of the quaint back-alleys which make Venice such a delight to visit is that it is remarkably easy to get lost. Even maps provided by hotels are frequently inaccurate, and the maze-like structure of the city can become very confusing indeed.
One piece of assistance is to look for directional signs. These will be marked "Per" and then with the name of a prominent location or bridge in the city, complete with an arrow pointing in the relevant direction. Hence, to get to the Rialto bridge, the signs to follow are marked "Per Rialto". Those to St Mark's Square read "Per S Marco", and those to the train station "Per Ferrovia" (there are some others as well). Having oriented yourself to the nearest landmark, direction-finding can thus become (slightly) easier.
Remember, though, that the signs to read are the official ones. Graffiti will occasionally give other directions, frequently incorrect ones.
That said, there is a school of thought which argues that getting lost in Venice is part of the experience of the city. The number of photogenic canals, hidden restaurants and shops where glass blowing is done almost guarantees that there is no such thing as a "dull neighbourhood". Additionally, the relatively cheap public transport means that it is relatively easy to arrive at the intended destination even after one has emerged from the web of alleys in a totally unexpected place.
Contact
Phone
The area code is 041. As anywhere in Italy, it is compulsory to dial the area code and the number also if you call from the city itself. If you call from abroad, dial +39041 before the number. If you call abroad from Venice, dial 00 first.
Internet
Venice has several Internet cafes, but they are much more expensive than the rest of Europe with prices for an hour of access around €6. Wait until you leave Venice to use the Internet.
Foreign words of Venetian origin
- arsenal, ciao, ghetto, gondola, lazaret, lagoon, lido, quarantine, Montenegro.
- "Venezuela" means "little Venice".
No comments:
Post a Comment