When I discussed my Italy travel plans with friends, most of
them said that Venice would be bore, there’s water everywhere and there’s
hardly anything to do except for visiting St. Mark’s square and the islands all
of which can be done in a single day. For once, I had even thought of reducing
my stay in Venice. Glad I didn’t do it. As I fell in love with Venice the
moment I reached Venice and enjoyed my every moment of stay in Venice.
There’s so much to do in Venice that I felt two and a half
days were not enough. Ankit and I – both of us would want to go to Venice
again.
Things you must do when you are in Venice
Visit St. Mark’s Square very early in the morning; chase
some pigeons and enjoy the beautifully glittering mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica.
We spent hours photo-shooting the church.
beautiful mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica
Take the “Secret Itineraries” tour of Dodge’s palace; that’s
the only way to know the inner secrets of Venetian Republic that ruled Venice for
about 900 years. Also, only by entering the palace you can walk on the “Bridge
of sighs”; the famous bridge that connects the palace with prisons.
behind me is the famous Bridge of Sighs
Hop off the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous
for glass; don’t forget to visit the lovely glass museum. Burano is the
prettiest island in the lagoon; all its houses are painted in bright colors.
Even the alleys are colourful.
a glass specimen at the island of Murano
colorful houses of Burano
Visit the Jewish Ghetto (Il Ghetto) where all the Jewish
were forced to live from the 16
th to 18
th century. A
small Jewish community still lives there.
the Jewish Ghetto
Take a gondola ride. We did not take a gondola ride as we
didn’t have enough time. Instead we took Vaporette 1 from Piazzale Roma to St
Mark’s square. If you get a good seat, it’s equivalent to taking gondola
tour
of the Grand Canal; though less romantic.
tour of the Grand Canal
Get lost. You might have your own itinerary of Venice, but
keeping your maps aside, forgetting the itinerary for sometime and
getting lost
is the best way to explore Venice. Well, it’s not possible to get lost, as you
will see signs for Rialto bridge & St. Mark’s square everywhere. So finding
is easy after getting lost. While you walk in Venice, you will see some lovely bridges,
cross them; you might come across some beautiful churches, visit them.
exploring Venice while getting lost
Venice can be creepy at night, but don’t let that worry you.
We walked the alleys at night and saw no signs of any violent crime. But that
does not mean Venice is crime free;
be aware of pickpockets.
Buy a Venetian mask. If you want to experience the local
life in Venice visit local markets and shops.
that's me with a Venetian mask
While you are in Venice, take a lot of pictures and bring back home lovely memories.
