Venice
Famed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice is represented in the mind's eye by the endless canals winding through it and the gorgeous gondolas drifting along on their placid waters. Venice is located on a lagoon and such is the romance of the place that at any given point of time, Venice boasts of more tourists than local residents!
The architecture of Venice is a unique fusion of its mercantile past, its Byzantine history and Gothic influences. One of the few cities in the world where cars are non-existent, the most popular way of getting around Venice is on foot or by the 150 or so canals that crisscross the length and breadth of this city.
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Top Attractions in Venice
The Grand Canal: Made famous in India by images of Bollywood stars serenading each other on gondolas on the Grand Canal, this canal winds around across the city of Venice forming a giant 'S' and is lined by hundreds of buildings built in the Venetian Gothic and Renaissance styles all along its length. It is the arterial canal connecting important parts of the city and has regular traffic on it in the form of water taxis, water buses or 'Vaporettos' , private boats and gondolas. Do not miss the Regata Storica – a traditional boat race that happens on the Grand Canal on the first Sunday of September each year with the oarsmen dressed up in colourful traditional costumes.
St. Mark's Square: The Piazza San Marco is the largest square in Venice and undoubtedly the grandest. The centerpiece of St. Mark's Square is St. Mark's Basilica, an opulent mixture of Byzantine and Gothic styles with a bell tower called the Campanile that is over 300 feet high.
The Doge's Palace is located in St. Mark's Square, and was the power center of Venice in a bygone era. The exterior of the Palace is heavy adorned with carvings and sculptures, while the inside stucco walls have ceilings covered in intricate paintings. The southern facade of the Doge's Palace overlooks the waterfront.
The Bridge of Sighs: This covered bridge connects the Old Prison in the Doge's Palace with the New Prison across the Grand Canal. It's still hailed as one of the finest examples of bridge architecture in the world and has inspired copies around the world, like the ones in Oxford and Cambridge in England. There are two different theories on the origin of its name. One says that prisoners that crossed over from one prison building to the other 'sighed' at a glimpse of the free world. Another theory harks back to the legend that lovers who kiss in a gondola under the bridge will enjoy eternal togetherness. The 'sighs' here refer to passionate sighs uttered by lovers under the bridge.
Galleria dell'Accademia: A huge wooden bridge called the Ponte dell'Accademia, built across the Grand Canal leads into the Galleria dell'Accademia, a museum that houses some of the best Renaissance and Venetian paintings in the world.
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Excursions to Murano, Burano & Torcello: Explore the beauty and heritage of the islands that dot the Venetian Lagoon on a scenic boat tour. Visit Murano, world renowned for the exquisite glasswork. Proceed to the island of Burano, which is famous for its lace industry. Visit the delightful island of Torcello, home to Santa Maria Assunta cathedral, a masterpiece with its mosaics and Byzantine architecture structure.
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