A short history of Venice
The four bronze horses on the balcony of St Mark's Basilica are copies. The originals stand in the museum inside, and they're the real loot, carried off from Constantinople, today's Istanbul, in the Fourth Crusade of 1204. The city itself began when people fleeing invasions on the mainland settled on the lagoon islands, and tradition dates its founding to 421. In 828 the relics of St Mark were brought from Alexandria, and the basilica was built to hold them.
The Republic, led by elected doges, lasted about a thousand years and grew rich on trade in the eastern Mediterranean. The gate of the Arsenale, where its ships were built, still stands in Castello. The Ghetto, set up in Cannaregio in 1516, gave the word to the world.
Napoleon ended the Republic in 1797, and Venice joined Italy in 1866. The railway bridge that opened in 1846 linked the city to the mainland for the first time. After decades of debate following the 1966 flood, the MOSE barriers were raised for the first time in 2020.
Venice neighbourhoods
Don't rush straight to the hotel from Piazzale Roma. In the Santa Croce district just behind it, the tree-lined Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio shows everyday neighbourhood life, with kids playing football and older residents on the benches.
Giudecca is a quiet island looking back at the city's skyline across the canal. A short vaporetto hop is all it takes to walk its waterfront and get away from the crowds for an hour.
Set aside half a day for the northern islands. Vaporettos leave from the Fondamente Nove stop. Murano is known for its glass workshops, and some let you watch the glassblowers at work. Burano's painted houses are even brighter than in photos. Torcello has only a few houses and an old cathedral left, the calmest corner of the lagoon.
Where to stay
- San Marco: St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace on your doorstep, in the busiest and priciest area.
- Cannaregio: Canal-side local life and eateries, close to the station.
- Dorsoduro: A calm, artsy district near the Accademia and the Guggenheim.
- Castello: Local lanes running out to the Biennale gardens, away from the crowds.
- San Polo / Rialto: Home to the Rialto market and bridge, central and lively.
- Lido: A calm island with beaches and wide streets, about 15 minutes from the centre by vaporetto.
When to visit Venice
Acqua alta, the high water, mostly arrives between October and January. Since the MOSE barriers came into use St Mark's floods less often, but it hasn't stopped completely, and rubber boots come in handy on those days. December to February is 2-9 °C, foggy mornings are common and the city is at its quietest.
From April to June and again in September and October, days reach 16-25 °C, the best time for walking. July and August mean 28-31 °C with humidity, smelly canals, mosquitoes and bridges jammed with day-trippers. On certain days day visitors are charged an entry fee (the Access Fee), so check the calendar before you go.
Carnival dates follow Easter, so it can fall anywhere between late January and early March, and hotels are at their most expensive. The Biennale is open every year from May to November, alternating between art and architecture. The Redentore fireworks are on the third weekend of July and the Regata Storica on the first Sunday of September.
Food culture in Venice
In Venice the early-evening snack is eaten standing up. The counters of the bacari, the local wine bars, are lined with cicchetti, small bites served on bread, and they go with an ombra, a small glass of wine, or a spritz. Lunch is usually 12:30-14:30, dinner after 19:30.
Local dishes include sarde in saor (sardines with onions and vinegar), creamy baccalà mantecato, squid-ink risotto al nero di seppia and fegato alla veneziana, liver with onions. Bars sell tramezzini, triangular sandwiches, from morning till evening.
The bill shows a coperto, and some restaurants add a 10-12% servizio. If service is already included, you don't need to leave anything more. At the historic cafés on St Mark's Square, sitting down while the orchestra plays carries its own charge, so don't be surprised by the bill.
Venice trip budget
Venice isn't a cheap city, least of all around St Mark's. The easiest way to ease the budget is to stay in Mestre, ten minutes away by train. In 2026 daily spending per person, accommodation included, runs anywhere from 90-130 € to 400 € and up, with a mid-range trip landing at 180-300 €.
A single vaporetto ticket is 9.50 € for 75 minutes. If you'll ride three times in a day, the daily pass (about 25 €) pays for itself, and a three-day pass is about 45 €. A full ticket to the Doge's Palace is around 30 €, a bit less online. The official gondola rate is about 90 € for 30 minutes, per boat rather than per person.
The Rialto market, a walk along the Zattere and an afternoon in the Giardini are free. The traghetto, a gondola that crosses the Grand Canal where there's no bridge, costs a few euros and is the cheapest gondola ride you'll find.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Venice map
More guides for Italy
Florence travel guide · Milan travel guide · Naples travel guide · Rome travel guide