The Discoverer – Venice
Venice is the playground of Europe’s elite and globetrotters alike. The city is dotted with five-star hotels, a plethora of restaurants serving up exquisite meals and velvet-padded gondolas bobbing in the canals ready to take you wherever your heart desires.
There is a special charm about the city of Venice that has been attracting tourists for years; the canals, the architecture, the history… but is it that we are also attracted to seeing this beauty before it is gone forever? Maybe so, because Venice is searched online by millions of people every day, and the answer is: yes, Venice is sinking at an incredibly rapid rate.
So, with that being said, consider this as a hurry up – get yourself over to this fine city to get lost in the streets and culture before it is too late. Getting ‘lost’ in a city is becoming a more frequently used term, as there is something to be said about wandering the streets, and getting immersed in everything going on around you. The local street stores, the conversations you hear, the people you see rushing by and the smells wafting past. All of your senses are captivated and you have nowhere specific to be, except in the moment. So to help you get truly immersed in the best that Venice has to offer, we have put together our top recommendations.
STAY: Finding somewhere to stay in Venice can be tricky. You want to stay on the main part of the island close to all of the buzz. Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, when you book with Booking.com you can instantly find and reserve the place that is perfect for you, and you won’t be charged any booking fees. A must-stay location is the MyPlace Campo Santa Margherita Apartments, the interiors are decked out with everything that you need, and you’ll have a bathtub right there in your bedroom.
PLAY: A great fun way to spend some of your time is to learn the voga alla veneta, the Venetian style of rowing: standing up, facing forward, native to Venice and made famous by the gondoliers. Many places along the canals will offer a service to teach you the ways, and they vary from one to three-hour long lessons.
SEE: A must-see in Venice it the Basilica Di San Marco, it is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. Venice’s Byzantine Basilica is the apotheosis of the city’s self-invention. It took 800 years to build and wrap the bones of St Mark the Evangelist in a golden carapace of mosaics.
Visit the cathedral for free, or skip the queue by pre-booking (€2).
Travel smart by booking through Booking.com, to benefit from their best-price guarantee, 24/7 customer service and instant confirmation.