About Venice

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Venice is a magical city par excellence, one of the most scenic and extraordinary where history and art reflect in the peaceful water of the Lagoon.

Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world. It has justifiably been named by UNESCO as being a site of important human heritage not only for its artistic wealth, but also for its extraordinary co-existence between mankind and the natural beauty of the Lagoon.
The colour of the water has the ability to reflect the sky and the façade of frescoed palaces painted by the best artists of the period, Tiziano, Bellini, Giorgione.
The architecture also takes the sea as its theme. Today the stones of Venice are like an open book that tells a great story.
To understand the city in greater depth, it is essential to leave the traditional tourist routes and to lose onself in the labyrinth of land and water that continually meet and deepen. In the evenings, in that mysterious silence that is only possible in Venice, the city becomes even more extraordinary and dreamlike.

Orientation

Venice is built on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 409 bridges. Only three of the bridges cross the Grand Canal whilst a fourth, designed by Calatrava, is under construction.
The historic centre is divided into six sestieri (quarters): San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio and Castello. It covers a deceptively small area - 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 most of the districts as it twists along the length of Venice from the railway station to San Marco.
Venice goes well beyond the six sestieri. The shallow waters of the Laguna Veneta are dotted by a crumbling mosaic of islands, including Murano, Burano and Torcello. Acting as a breakwater to the east is the long and slender Lido di Venezia, it is the quiet, peaceful and green thin island that stretches between open sea and lagoon. Lido di Venezia is the least crowded and therefore most enjoyable seaside resort of the whole upper Adriatic. It has a beach spreading all along its 12-km length.
From San Servolo it takes 10 minutes by boat n°20 to reach Lido.

Museums, Exhibitions and Events

In Venice there are many museums, some of them are managed by Musei Civici Veneziani that brings together museums and collections of immense artistic and historical importance.
Other museums in Venice are:
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa
Gallerie dell’Accademia
Ca’ d’Oro
Museo d’Arte Orientale
Jewish Museum of Venice
Palazzo Grassi
Scuola Grande di San Rocco

For information about cultural events please visit:
Cultura & spettacolo Venezia
In Venice today
City of Venice

La Biennale di Venezia

The 53rd International Art Exhibition will run from June 7th to November 22nd, 2009. See the official Web site

Trasportation in Venice

ACTV Public Transportation Department of Venice
The main office of the local public transportation department is located in Piazzale Roma and they can answer any questions regarding transportation in Venice. “Vaporetto” means water bus.
Most vaporetto stops sell daily tickets and passes and they also provide maps. Passes are good for water and land transportation and are the cheapest way of travelling in Venice. Tickets can also be purchased on board, but at an extra cost. In order to validate your ticket, it must be stamped at the boat departure point prior to making your journey.
Ordinary fares Ticket € 6,50
Allows travel on all services (except for those of route 3, Alilaguna, Clodia and Fusina) for 60 minutes from stamping, travelling only in the same direction. It does not include the return journey.
Tourist travel cards
They allow unlimited travel and can be used on all the services - both waterborne and on land.
Validity can be 12, 24, 36 48 or 72 hours from stamping, depending on the chosen tariff (prices are from € 14,00 to € 31,00). Included in the price is one item of luggage of up to the total of its three dimensions not exceeding 150 cm.
Tickets can be purchased from the Hellovenezia ticket desks and the authorized resellers.
For further information see Hellovenezia

TAXIS
Water taxi can cost anything from €40-70. They are the quickest and most expensive form of transportation in Venice. You can either bock in advance or get one directly at a taxi stand. The stands can be found at the airport, the train station, Piazzale Roma, San Marco and Lido (S. M. Elisabetta).
Veneziana Motoscafi operates 24 hours a day, see the Web site

Tourist information

See
Official site of the tourist board of Venice
City of Venice
Hellovenezia