Venice

Venice is a city of romance and waterways, known for its gondolas and the Rialto Bridge. It was built on small islands in a shallow lagoon, and the city and its lagoon have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

The Grand Canal runs through its heart, lined with old palaces as far as St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace. There are no cars: you move by water taxi, water bus or on foot across the bridges. Murano, with its glass furnaces, and Burano, with its coloured houses, are a short boat ride away.

On set days in spring and summer, day visitors pay an access fee; hotel guests are exempt but are registered by their hotel. We suggest at least two nights, to see the city early in the morning and in the evening, when it is quiet.