The Romantic Waterways of Venice

The Grand Canal, Venice

They called her Serenissima, “the most serene Republic of Venice.”  Once her navy was the mistress of the seas, and for centuries she has been the romantic inspiration of artists, poets and lovers.  Venice casts a spell on you. She has an allure that stays with you long after you have departed.

One of Venice's many little bridges

Boats are part of the life here. An endless armada of small crafts ply the canals of this watery city, which is composed of 118 small islands in a lagoon. As you wander the labyrinth of narrow streets, and cross the little bridges, imagine Venice in its glory days when doges in gilded barges cruised the waterways and lovers held secret trysts inside the latticed “felzes” (cabins) of sleek black gondolas.

Burano canal

Venice (map) is small, merely a cluster of tiny islands connected by a network of canals. Sail to the nearby islands of Murano (map), Burano (map) and Torcello (map) on a vaporetto. A wonderful variety of boats have been developed by the Venetians to make the best of their unusual highways.

Naval Museum, Venice.

Visit the Arsenal (map)where Venice’s naval ships were built and stop in at the Naval Museum (map) where there is an impressive collection of sailing vessels, from the ornate ceremonial barges of the doges to the simple craft used by fishermen.

Cruising the canals by gondola

End your visit with a gondola ride. It’s hard to describe the serene feeling you get as you cruise soundlessly along the canals and slide silently under the Bridge of Sighs (map). A perfect ending to a perfect holiday.

Photos by W. Ruth Kozak