We have flights to Venice From:
Aalesund, Baku, Bergen, Billund, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Kaliningrad, Kaunas, Kiev, Lappeenranta, Minsk, Moscow, Odessa, Oslo, Oulu, Palanga, Riga, St Petersburg, Stavanger, Stockholm, Tallinn, Tampere, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Turku, Umea, Vaasa, Vilnius, Warsaw
Geography
Who does not have a ready image in mind when the near fairy tale city of Venice is mentioned? Where gondoliers take awestruck passengers through the romantic sights along its many canals and where the streets are like hallways bringing travelers through the enormous palace of an ancient king, Venice is - well, Venice! The city unfolds over 118 islands in the Venetian Lagoon, created between the mouths of the Po River and the Piave River beside the Adriatic Sea and technically still part of northeastern Italy. Once called the "Queen of the Adriatic", Venice has always enjoyed great independence throughout its 1400 year history and was once a powerful trade and art center in medieval times. Since the city was built on wooden pylons and due to the many wells sunk into the lagoon Venice began to noticeably sink into its foundations during the twentieth century, causing floods at high tide. Get tickets through airBaltic for cheap flights to Marco Polo International Airport, and from there the city is quickly reached by water taxis or Alilaguna waterbuses.
Languages
Inhabitants of Venice speak a language known as Veneziano, which is its own language and not merely a dialect of Italian. Expect to hear both languages throughout the city and even find menus using both. English is widely spoken and understood, as Venice is commercially a tourist city. Do try to learn a little Italian before venturing out, however, as it will make your city-break more rewarding and everyone needs to shout out bellissimo (beautiful) at least once in Venice.
See and Do
As the world’s only fully pedestrian city, Venice is meant to be explored and enjoyed on foot. Its many labyrinthine streets take you from hotel lined piazza to café packed piazza and, though you may think so several times, it is pretty much impossible to become (permanently) lost. Right off, for those looking to capture the unspoiled side of Venice, Cannaregio, Dorsoduro and Castello districts are generally tourist free. Climb across the famous Rialto Bridge on San Polo to the extraordinary Palazzo Pisani with its gothic architecture and grand staircase within. Then head down to the Grand Canal, see the gorgeous Gothic palaces along its length and pay a visit to Collezione Peggy Guggenheim (Peggy Guggenheim Collection) which features an all-star lineup of painters and, outside in the garden, even a few sculptors.
While in the city, there are of course the must see items on the list topped by the Basilica di San Marco, completed in 1094, with its five domes overlooking the piazza of the same name and housing a collection of art brought in from around the world. Nearby, observe Torre dell’Orologio, or the clock tower, which tells not only the time but the phase of the moon and the dominant astrological sign.
Though the price may not be cheap, a gondola ride is worth the time, so climb aboard one of the many gondolas in the canals and see the city under the direction of your oarsman/tour guide (or oarswoman, as there is officially one now) with an Opera tune to accompany. To cross the Grand Canal for cheap, look out for a traghetto, one of the commuter gondolas that cross from seven different points. For upbeat atmosphere and trendy bars and restaurants, make way for Campo di Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro to enjoy your evening in Venice. |
