After my Lido Di Jesolo post, I am now doing one on my other favourite place in Italy…Venice.
I have been going to Italy since I was 9 months old, and every time I have visited Venice. Now I am 33 (at time of posting) and I know Venice probably better than I know Glasgow.
For me Venice is a magical city, its like stepping back in time. I am not that in to history or architecture, but when I come here I know a little history and I love looking at all the different building designs.
Even after all these years there are still streets, and parts I have still to visit.
When you come to Venice you need to expect if your at a tourist spot, or near the front you will pay that little bit more and maybe a large service charge. If you travel to the back away from the main areas, you will find cheaper places to drink and eat.
If you do visit Venice, here are a few places I would recommend you visit. If you want any history about the places mentioned below, just do a Google search.
Harry’s Bar :
Harry’s bar is a very popular place to visit, its also the location of the famous Bellini cocktail.
I was told by many people I had to try here, it was amazing and the place was nice and even more so the food. On entering you will notice it’s a small place, and its just like an old fashioned bar.
I didn’t order a Bellini when I was here but I did order a small cocktail.
The service was good, the price was very costly but I did expect that before going in so I didn’t mind too much.
Overall it was just ok, I wasn’t as impressed as everyone said I should be as it was just so so for me….but I did tick it of my places to visit so I was happy.
Cafe Florians :
Café Florian is a very famous Café in Venice and Europe.
It is the oldest coffee house in Europe and has been visited by many royals and celebrities.
TIP : You will have a music charge per person as soon as you order, even if the music has just stopped or not started. This is to pay the live band that is playing.
This is a very nice Cafe, and has a very relaxing atmosphere when you are either sitting outside or sitting inside.
I have been in Cafe Florian’s a few times and enjoyed every visit, yes it’s a little costly but it’s a nice thing to do more so since it’s a once a year thing for me.
St Marks Square :
Well, what can I say? This is your main area in Venice.
Standing here gives you an amazing feeling, with the amazing architecture and the buzz of everyone from many different countries.
I have walked about here many times well over 40 times, and every time I notice some detail I have never seen before.
There is a lot of history here, too much for me to go in to so if your interested check Wikipedia.
If you want to do the sights here like go up the tower etc you will need to visit Venice very early in the morning, as if you wait too long you will have to wait for more than 2 hours or more then 5 hours.
The square looks a lot bigger from end to end than it actually is, as it’s an optical illusion if you take a look at some aerial photos at its shape you will see.
Bride of Sighs :
Everywhere you go in Venice, there is a lot of history attached and this bridge is one of them.
Years ago when prisoners were going to get executed they would walk over this bridge and stop at the two small windows. They would look over the magical view of the lagoon and sigh, as this was their last view before the execution.
This view here has a lot of people standing taking photos, here is a little tip if you get to the other side it’s a lot less crowed and you still get a really good photo.
Rialto Bridge :
The main bridge in Venice, and one that is very well known.
For me the shops along each side are nice to see, but the best part of this bridge is when you go to either side at the top you get a really nice view.
La Terrazza
I have already done a blog post on this restaurant, but I do recommend you check it out. The prices are good and the service is good.
Link : VIEW
Caffe del Doge
I had recently watched a few podcasts of Venice, and this was a place to visit if you liked Coffee.
Caffe del Doge is a small cafe situated over the Rialto Bridge and a short walk.
For me it was ok, it felt like a bar but one that does coffee instead of beer. If I was having a coffee I would go to La Terrazza as thats more my style.
Gondola Ride
I have only done this once, it’s not something I would do ever year mostly due to the cost. What you will find is there are a lot of places you can get a Gondola Ride, but everyone charges different prices so if you want to take a ride on one you may need to bargain with the owner or move on to the next.
This was a very nice experience, and one that was very relaxing. My ride was for 40mins, and it cost 80 euros each. Was this a good price? I really don’t know as I didn’t ask about.
I think you need to do this twice, first time take a lot of photos and second time sit and enjoy it. I feel I didn’t enjoy it as much as possible as I was too busy taking photos, so maybe one day I will have my second Gondola Ride.
Overall :
There are many places in Venice to visit, the above is just some of the main things I would recommend. If you do visit any of these places or have done, feel free to let me know as it’s aways good to hear what people think about here.
Ciao
