Destination Overview
Elegant Venetian buildings and palaces peer over the ancient
maze of narrow streets and labyrinth of canals that contrive to
make this a unique city. Tourists naturally flock to Venice to
experience its inimitable charm. The downside of this can be felt
in the narrow streets and cramped piazzas of its sought-after
areas. A good way to get to know a more personal side of Venice is
to saunter through its romantic back streets and residential
quarters.Venice rests on one of a series of 117 islands distributed
throughout the Venetian lagoon at the northern end of the Adriatic
Sea. This strategic position conferred on Venice economic and
defensive advantages over its trading rivals. As the wealth of the
city increased and its population grew, the composition of the city
grew ever more dense and today only a handful of the islets that
constitute the historic centre are not entirely developed.The historic centre is divided into six quarters (sestieri).
These are: San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio
and Castello. The city's main thoroughfare is the Grand Canal that
intersects each district as it meanders through the length of
Venice from the railway station to San Marco. An alternative to
walking the bewildering streets of Venice is to cruise the
waterways onboard the motorboat buses known as vaporetti. These are
the less romantic but also less expensive substitutes for the
famous gondolas.Venice extends beyond its six sestieri to the islands of Murano,
Burano and Torcello. These are known for glass and lace-making
respectively and Torcello is noted for the magnificent Byzantine
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta that rests on its soil. Trips by
boat to the islands provide a pleasant diversion from the busier
historic quarters.
