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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Venice Vacations

View of Rialto Bridge from Venice Waterbus.

Image via Wikipedia

Venice is possibly the most romantic city you'll ever visit. It is almost redundant to describe the charms of this fabulous floating city, surrounded by hundreds of tiny canals. While wandering throughthe maze of footpaths or sitting back in a gondola and exploring the city by water, be sure to stop and visit San Marco Square, the famous Rialto Bridge, the elegant Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. Venice is truly a place like no other, with its quaint alleyways, waterways and way of life.

Venice is famous for its palaces, although most have been converted to hotels, and if you can, try to get a room in one of these. The architecture is breathtaking and most of the rooms are huge, although many have been reduced in size to accommodate more guests. Another thing you must do when in Venice is to visit the surrounding area of Veneto - Venice is the capital city of this Italian region. You might not have time to visit Verona, ofRomeo and Juliet fame, but you should visit Vicenza.

No Venice vacations should miss Vicenza, the birthplace of Palladio, arguably the most influential architect of all time. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and The Rotunda in the town is typically Palladio. The Teatro Olimpico is Europe's oldest indoor theatre, and there are many more Palladio buildings in this picturesque town. If you do have time to visit Verona, apart from the Shakespeare connection (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, as well as Romeo and Juliet) you will a find a well preserved Roman amphitheatre here - the Arena. This is currently used for outdoor concerts. If you like Roman remains, Padua is another old Roman city close by. I suppose Roman cities in Italy should not be surprising!

Most people on Venice vacations like to try some of the great Italian wines grown in the region, such as Soave, Bardolino and Valpolicella. In fact, it is best to leave Venice once you have visited what you want to see, and change base to visit other parts of northern Italy. The vineyards and wineries around here welcome visitors to come in and have a taste.

Fortunately, Venice is also a city that you can see on foot. If you have the time to spend and really want to soak in the city during your Venice vacations, this is the option we recommend.

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