Recreation

Sightseeing

Venice is filled with romance and nostalgia of an era bygone. Its architecture, its palaces, its canals are all reminiscent of historic times. It stands testimony to a historical seafaring power situated in the heart of the Adriatic. Going to Venice and not soaking in the history would be a cardinal sin. Most of the hotels are built by renovating old buildings and reflect the primeval culture.

A whirlwind sightseeing tour is not recommended since there is a lot to see. Do not try to wind up all the sightseeing in a day. Take your time to explore the medieval architecture, narrow thoroughfares and waterways. Recommended sights are:

- St Mark's Square and St Mark's Basilica An artistic and architectural delight

- Gallerie dell'Accademia The most exquisite art collection in Venice

- Palazzo Ducale A gothic style parliament building of medieval Venice

- Ca' d'Oro (Golden House) The most fabulous palazzo along the Grand Canal

- Rialto Bridge

One of the most picturesque marble bridges in the world

Riding the Canals:

Well, its Venice and what else did you expect to do! Most of Venice is exactly as the postcards depict. The canals are the heart and soul of the city and have been functional for centuries. Venice is essentially a collection of nearly 118 islands in a lagoon. There are no cars inside Venice, no trams, no subway, no means of transport at all except the canals. The biggest of these is the Grand Canal that literally cuts through the historic city. Most locals use motorized public boats called ‘Vaporettoes' to navigate through waterways. However, tourists cannot afford to miss out a romantic cruise in the ‘Gondola' - a traditional Venetian boat.

Get on to a slow moving tour along the Grand Canal to explore the sights and sounds along the waterway. A ride in a gondola costs up to &100 for twenty minutes, but despite the cost, it is an experience of one of a kind. Gondoliers do not accept credit cards and do not yield to bargaining.

Park Visits:

Contrary to what most believe, Venice does have places to walk and parks and gardens are just some of them. Most of these parks were originally part of the palatial complexes, commissioned by the nobility. They are open to the public as of now. Tourists can go for an early morning jog or just walk around in the dainty little gardens listed below.

- Parco delle Rimembranze (Gardens of Remembrance)

Location: Castello

Made in memorial of the soldiers who died in the second world war

- Giardinetti Reali (Royal Gardens)

Location: San Marco

Designed and constructed in early 1800's by Napoleon to afford him a bird's eye view from his stations close by

- Campo Santa Margherita

Location: Dorsoduro

Built around a small church, with both the garden and the church having pleasing art and monuments.

Museum Tours:

An ancient city like Venice has a lot to show for its past and most of these treasures are located in the museums of Venice. There are many museums in Venice and each visit brings about a different experience in art and beauty. Some of the best places that are reminiscent of the times gone by are:

Marciano Museum

Location: San Marco Square, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 522 5697

A section of the St Mark Basilica has been converted in to the Marciano Museum. It houses the last, original copy of the large bronze horses that used to be on display outside. Also exhibits old manuscripts, bit and pieces of very ancient mosaics and some antiques and tapestries.

Museum Timings: 10:00 to 17:00 (daily)

Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace)

Location: 1, San Marco Square, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 522 4951

Works of artists such as Tintoretto, Tiziano and Veronese are up on display here. A special feature is the tour of the ancient prisons and the room where the one and only Cassanova was held captive for years before he escaped.

Museum Timings: 09:00 to 17:30 (daily)

Correr Museum

Location: 52, Piazza San Marco, Ala Napoleonica, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 522 5625

This is one place that represents Venice - its history, art and architecture including sculptures by Casanova. Exclusive Venetian works of art from the 13th to 16th centuries are on exhibition in about 11 rooms. Other highlights include 500-year-old ladies' shoes with soles so high that it makes you wonder as to how they walked in them.

Museum Timings: April to October - 09:00 to 19:00 (daily)

November to March - 09:00 to 17:00 (daily)

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Location: Entrance on Calle San Cristoforo, Dorsoduro 701, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 520 6288

An old heiress dies and leaves her wonderful collection of art from all over the world for all to see. Such is the story of this small yet enchanting museum.

Museum Timings: November to March - 10:00 to 18:00 (Monday, Wednesday to Sunday)

April to October - 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 22:00 (Monday, Wednesday to Sunday)

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum)

Location: 1730, Santa Croce, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 522 5978

One of the most important collections of Roman and Greek sculptures in the world.

Museum Timing: - 09:00 to 14:00 (daily)

Ca' Pesaro

Location: 2076, Santa Croce, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 523 8790

Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian art collected by owner Enrico di Borbone with great care and interest.

Museum Timing: 09:00 to 17:00 (Tuesday- Sunday)

Scuola Di San Giorgio Degli Schiavoni

Location: Castello 325/a, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 522 8828

One room but perhaps the most splendid space displaying art and architecture between four walls in Venice.

Museum Timing: April to October - 09:30 to 12:30 and 15:30 to 18:30 (Tuesday to Saturday), 09:30 to 12:30 (Sunday)

November to March - 10:00 to 12:30 and 15:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday to Saturday), 10:00 to 12:30 (Sunday)

Scuola Grande Di San Rocco (the School of San Rocco)

Location: Campo San Rocco, San Polo 3052, Venice

Phone: +39 (0)41 523 4864

Over 50 paintings by Tintoretto make this museum a must-see for art lovers Museum Timing: November 3rd to March 27th - 10:00 to 16:00 (daily)

March 28th to November 2nd - 09:00 to 17:30 (daily)

All museums charge an entry fee, although some museums may not charge entry fee for children and senior citizens. Some of the more popular museums have been clubbed together under the 'I Musei di Piazza San Marco' group, which provides a ticket that can be used to gain entry to any one of the following museums. These tickets can be obtained at Museo Correr and Palazzo Ducale.

Biblioteca Marciana

Museo Archeologico

Museo Correr

Museo del Merletto (Burano)

Museo del Vetro (Murano)

Palazzo Ducale

Music

Venice is one of the major patrons of classical and baroque music with concertos and performances being held regularly all over the city all year round. Even if you are not a fan of classical music, the concerts are well worth a visit just to experience the way music moves the Venetians and how deeply the two are connected. The performances are formal affairs and only serious listeners are welcome to such events.

For Classical Music Concert Tickets contact

Agenzia Kele & Teo

Location: Ponte del Baratteri, San Marco

Phone: 041 520 87 22

Ticket Costs: $27- $37 (€20.65 to €31) a head

Venice also has a jazz and blues environment, but these are generally live performances at clubs and restaurants.

Opera / Ballet / Theatre:

These are again a big part of the cultured civilization of Venice. They reflect the culture, lifestyle of the people and the ethos of the city. Tickets (Price range: $27- $37 (€20.65 to €31)) are available with agents throughout the city. Some hotels also offer to arrange these for you. You can also purchase last minute tickets at the venue itself. The best place to obtain tickets however is:

Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia bank

Location: 61, Campo San Luca

Phone: +39 (0)41 521 01

Timings: 8.30am to 1.30pm, Monday to Friday

Some theaters where these performances can be enjoyed are:

Teatro Malibran

Location: San Marco 587

Phone: +39 (0)41 78 65 20

The PalaFenice

Location: 01, Isola del Tronchetto

Phone: +39 (0)41 78 65

Teatro Goldoni

Location: 83, Calle Teatro Goldoni 4650/b

Phone: +39 (0)41 520 75

Education:

Venice has been a center for education and higher learning to complement its status as a Naval power since the earliest of times. It is still an excellent destination to study and many tourists visit Venice to exclusively gain higher education in art, sculpture, Italian history and music.