The gorgeous ‘bride of the sea’—Venice, a city of northeast Italy is built on 118 islets within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice, an arm of the Adriatic Sea.

The 'Queen of the Adriatic'—Venice is locally dubbed as ‘The Most Serene One’ for its tranquil and placid beauty.

Venice is one of the major ports besides commercial & industrial center of Italy. It is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice.

The ‘city of canals,’ Venice has a great network of canals instead of streets. The Grand Canal serves as its main canal. The people use gondolas and other boats to move around the city. Shakespeare has beautifully portrayed the beautiful city of gondolas in ‘the merchant of Venice’ and ‘Othello’.

Unfortunately the city started sinking an average of 1/5th of an inch yearly until the middle 1970s, whereby the government restricted the use of water from the city's underground wells. Yet there is enough romantic charm in the city. It is one of the most coveted tourist destinations in the world.

The main attractions of the city of Venice include Saint Mark's Square, on which sits the Basilica of Saint Mark, the Bell Tower, Piazza San Marco, Campo San Polo, the Palace of the Doges (the former rulers of the city), Palazzo Grassi, Ca' d'Oro, Ca' Rezzonico, Peggy Guggenheim Collection museum, Palazzo Labia and the Academy of Fine Arts. The city is also home to the famous paintings of such Venetian masters as Titian, Tintoretto, and Paolo Veronese. Venice is famous for its nightlife, museums and hotels.

Climate—

Summer is the worst time to visit Venice because it becomes very hot, canals stink, and there are infestations of flies. Spring and fall are probably is the best time to tour the city.

Tourists need to be careful of rising water level, which happens several times a year, usually in the colder months, and usually lasts a couple hours. The lagoon water level occasionally rises above the level of the plazas and streets, flooding them.

Traveling To Venice—

As Venice is on a lagoon, the most popular way to travel to Venice is by boat or train. The trains from the mainland run through Mestre, an industrial city without much charm.

The airport at Mestre on the mainland is the closest airport to the city of Venice. Another airport in Treviso is 40 km (25 mi) from Venice. These airports have bus connections with Venice.