Venice

Whether from a distance or in the midst of the magnificent buildings, whether on bridges, canals or campi, you can't help but rave about it. No matter which district you stroll through, no matter how many times - the architectural beauty of this work of art, its harmony and the subtle marriage of stone and water are always stunning. Even the crowds of tourists don't change that. There are around 16 million visitors a year, a large proportion of them day visitors from cruise ships. Because their stay is limited - roughly from half past ten to 4 p.m. - if you time it right, you can enjoy the most famous sights such as the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica without having to queue for long, even in the high season.

The Serenissima, the "most Serene", as it has been called since the 16th century, literally offers new facets of its multi-faceted 1,500-year existence around every bend in the road. Once you've ticked off the must-sees, it's worth taking a stroll through the districts that are virtually untouched by mass tourism. Between you and me: most of them are. For example, in the Castello district. While the waterfront promenade is populated by an incessant stream of visitors, in the interior of the island you can stroll through a quiet labyrinth of charming alleyways and canals, across atmospheric church squares and past old-fashioned delicatessens. Students, old people and locals sit in cafés. And if you look up, you will discover washing lines between the gables.

Venice's old docks stretch out beyond the lonely harbor basins. For centuries, the "Arsenale" was one of the largest and most efficient industrial complexes in Europe. As early as the 4th Crusade at the beginning of the 13th century, 100 galleys and 30 cargo ships were built here in just a few months. During the Biennale, the huge workshops serve as an exciting contrast to the modern art, which is then installed or hung between rust-red shades of decay.

Art and campi in Dorsoduro
A stroll through Dorsoduro on the other side of the Grand Canal is no less attractive. The waterway lined with palazzi meanders through Venice like a mirror-inverted S, cutting it in half. Dorsoduro is home to the three most important art collections: Galleria dell' Academia with the most important works of Venetian painting, the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim with classical-modern art and the Dogana, the former main customs office redesigned inside by Tadao Ando with contemporary art. Right next to it is the magnificent baroque building of Santa Maria della Salute, one of Venice's two votive churches. The background is accompanied by a strolling atmosphere along narrow canals and on the Zattere promenade with a view of the island of Giudecca.

The largest and perhaps most popular square is the Campo di Santa Margherita with traditional stores, terrace bars and a few market stalls. One of the fish stalls belongs to Giampaolo. According to Luigi Frascella, he sells the best fish and the freshest seafood: the chef of the Palazzina can be found here almost every morning. The fish market halls near the Rialto Bridge are even more picturesque. They are stocked by the 150 or so main commercial fishermen of the Laguna di Venezia, among others. You need to know this: Venice's cuisine is fish cuisine.

"Acqua Alta" without Brunetti
The prophecies of doom inevitably ring in our ears on walks: Venice is doomed. Although the prophecy, even if it sounds like a sword of Damocles, has nothing to do with divine behavior, but with tides and climate change. In the winter months, the chance of experiencing the proverbial doom is greater than in summer: "Acqua Alta" is the name of the phenomenon. From just 80 centimetres above mean sea level, St. Mark's Square mutates into a reflective surface. Straight wooden walkways, assembled at night, help to prevent wet feet. From 1.20 meters, a third of the city is flooded. Although well known - after all, Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti trudged through the masses of water years ago - this comes as a surprise to most visitors. And so some Venetian traders rub their hands in delight. The sale of rubber boots is booming. It is quite possible that nowhere else is the range on offer larger, more colorful and more fashionable. Venice is not only the most illustrious art metropolis on earth, it also has some very mundane superlatives to offer.

Text: Kiki Baron
Photo: Photo: © Stuelpner / pixelio.de

The world-famous lagoon city has not only turned Donna Leon's head: almost every visitor here is looking for that special Venice kick. And there are plenty of them. Not far from the main attractions, little-discovered treasures are hidden behind often inconspicuous walls. Whether art, culinary delights or hostels. You just have to know where.

Highlights

Fish trains
Married to the sea, so to speak, it is no wonder that Venice's cuisine is based on fish and seafood. The Berlin special interest agency Sapio is dedicating a six-day trip to this tradition. Whether out on the lagoon with fisherman Damiano, with fish expert Lollo Manna through the fish market, with TV chef Maria Grazia Calo at the stove in Commissario Brunetti's palazzo or a visit to Venetian taverns with "Slow Food Venezia" director Rebecca Roveda - the experience is intense and very personal.

www.sapio.de

DIPLOMATISCHE VERTRETUNGEN

in Germany
Italian Embassy in Berlin
Hiroshimastr. 1,aße10785 Berlin
Tel +49 30 254400
Fax +49 30 25440116
E-mail: segreteria.berlino@esteri.it
www.ambberlino.esteri.it

in Austria
Italian Embassy in Vienna
Rennweg 27, 1030 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 7125121
Fax: +43 1 7139719
E-mail: ambasciata.vienna@esteri.it
www.ambvienna.esteri.it

in Switzerland
Italian Embassy
Elfenstrasse 14, 3006 Bern
Phone: +41 31 3500777
Fax: +41 31 3500711
E-mail: ambasciata@ambitalia.ch
www.ambitalia.ch

Lage

Italien

Fläche

414,6 km²

Bevölkerung

260.060

Sprache

Italienisch

Religion

Predominantly Roman Catholic

Weather

Venedig liegt in der gemäßigten Klimazone. Am wärmsten ist es in den Monaten Juli und August. Die tiefsten Temperaturen bietet der Jänner mit durchschnittlich 3 °C. Am niederschlagsreichsten ist der Monat November.

Beste Reisezeit

Frühjahr

Klima

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max. Temperaturen	6	3	12	16	21	25	27	27	23	18	11	7
Min. Temperaturen	-1	1	4	8	12	15	18	17	14	9	4	0
Regentage	7	6	6	8	8	9	5	6	5	6	7	6

Zeitverschiebung

MEZ

Währung

Euro