Venice is an amazing city made up of little islands(118 to be precise). The canals run through the city with bridges connecting the islands. One of the most famous being Rialto bridge (pictured below). Rialto bridge is the oldest bridge on the Grand canal being completed in 1591. Up until 1854 Rialto bridge was the only way to cross the Grand canal by foot, being 3800 meters long it would have been a very long walk!
When we arrived in Venice we were blessed with lovely sunshine which lasted all weekend. This was a bonus as you do a lot of walking. As you will see from the photo below the beautiful blue skies added to the amazing views. We visited Venice in March and although it was still a bit chilly it was not too busy.
As we walked over numerous bridges and down small alleyways making our way towards the hotel... I think it was safe to say that we were lost! Venice is like a maze, we totally lost sense of direction and if it wasn't for google maps we would sill be looking for the hotel now. The hotel we stayed at was called "Eurostars Hotel Reidenza Cannaregio" it's located in a very quiet area near the Jewish ghetto (its not actually ghetto). We didn't mind being out of the centre as it meant we found nice restaurants and local bars at more reasonable prices. Our room was spacious with a mezzanine design. The lounge area and bathroom was downstairs and the bedroom upstairs. Once we dropped our luggage off and freshened up we headed out to explore.
All I can say is that Venice is a gorgeous city to explore with its cobbled, winding alleyways and stunning canals filled with boats. Around every corner there is a beautiful picture to be taken. We walked around for hours taking it all in whilst getting lost with not a care in the world. Make sure you take comfortable shoes because you'll need them. You can also get around the city on the water bus, I believe a 24hour ticket costs around 15 euros per person. This is also a great way to explore the city.
This is one of the views from the Campnile bell tower on St Marks Square, if you are looking for picturesque views of Venice then for 8 euros this is the place to go. The queue was quite long to get in but it moves pretty quickly and its worth it for the views once you get to the top.
On our last day we treated ourselves and went on a gondola. This is a nice relaxing way to explore Venice but it comes at a cost of 80 euros for 30 minutes. The gondola's can seat up to 6 people so the price isn't that bad if there is six of you. My tip would be to grab a bottle of champagne and a few disposable cups to enjoy whilst cruising around the canals. Just remember to keep hold of the cork when you open your bottle and not let it slip through your fingers flying into the air and landing in the canal (the gondola driver found it funny)!
Venice has to be one of the most amazing city's we have visited. The food is great and many of the restaurants have outdoor seating next to the canals or in the quaint squares. It has a relaxed atmosphere and we felt safe at all times. I can't wait for the day we go back. I hope you've enjoyed reading this please upvote and follow. I'll leave you with a few more pictures from our trip.
CHEERS!
