You don't exactly have to jump on the next plane in order to see Venice while it's still around, but scientists are warning that only a miracle -- or more advanced engineering than exists today -- can save one of the world's most fabled cities of art and architecture, especially in view of global warming and the possibilities of ocean levels rising 6 meters (20 ft.).



The most recent reports indicate that Venice is sinking faster than had been anticipated. The gloomiest forecast is that the encroaching waters of the Adriatic Sea could devastate Venice within this century, especially if global warming causes waters to rise even faster.

What a catastrophe that would be. Surely there is no more preposterous monument to the folly of humankind than La Serenissima, the Serene Republic of Venice, a fantasy city on the sea.

Once you arrive and are stunned by all the architectural wonders and riches of Venice, its vivid colors of sienna, Roman gold, and ruby peach, you may think that reports of tide damage are overblown. Once you experience your first flood and see for yourself how close the sea is to sweeping over Venice, you'll most likely change your mind.

Pollution, uncontrolled tides, and just plain old creaky age are eating away daily at the treasures of this cherished city of art. As the debate rages about how to save Venice, with no real solution in sight, the waters just keep rising.



Why did those "insane" Venetians build on such swampy islands and not on dry land, of which there was plenty centuries ago?

In an effort to flee the barbarians, Venetians left dry dock and drifted out to a flotilla of "uninhabitable" islands in the lagoon. For a long time, Venice did elude foreign armies intent on burning, looting, and plundering. Eventually, Napoleon and his forces arrived; however, the Corsican's intent was never to destroy Venice.



Foreign visitors have conquered Venice in ways most barbarian armies did not. Some 10 million people visit Venice every year -- and that's only counting the visitors who actually spend the night. Since Venice is known as an expensive city and has only a limited number of accommodations, there are countless day-trippers invading every day, all summer long. Few Venetians desire the presence of so many day-trippers, as they tend to spend little money. Some Venetian officials, to counter the presence of these nonspenders, have advocated that the city institute an admission charge.

What will you find in Venice? Unendurable crowds; dank, dark canals and even danker, claustrophobic alleys; outrageous prices; and a certain sinister quality in the decay. But you'll also find one of the most spectacular cities ever conceived.

Venice by the Numbers--Central Venice is divided by Venice's longest (4km/2 1/2 miles) and widest (30-70m/98-230 ft.) waterway, the Grand Canal. Its 118 islands are separated by approximately 170 rio (canals) and connected by some 430 footbridges, mostly stone with iron balustrades added in the 19th century.

Only three bridges cross the Grand Canal: the Ponte degli Scalzi, just outside the train station; the elegant white marble Ponte Rialto (by far the most recognizable bridge, and, for centuries, the only one), connecting the districts of San Marco and San Polo; and the wooden Ponte Accademia, connecting the Campo Santo Stefano area of the San Marco neighborhood with the Accademia museum across the way in Dorsoduro.



Venice Discounts

The newly created Museum Pass grants admission to all the city-run museums. That is, all the museums of St. Mark's Square: Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana -- as well as to the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo (Costume Museum), the recently restored Ca' Rezzonico, the Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) on Murano, and the Museo di Merletto (Lace Museum) on Burano. It's available at any of the participating museums for 16€ ($20) for adults, 10€ ($13) for children 6 to 14 and is valid for one entry into each attraction, over a period of 3 months.

Venice, so delicate it cannot handle the hordes of visitors it receives every year, has been toying with the idea of charging admission to get into the very city itself. Slightly calmer heads seem to have prevailed, though, and instead we have the Venice Card (tel. 899-909-090 in Italy or 041-271-4747 outside of Italy; http://www.venicecard.it). The blu version will get you free passage on buses and vaporetti, usage of public toilets, and a reduced daily rate of 6.70€ ($8.40), along with a reserved spot at the public ASM parking garage, and a price of 5€ ($6.25) rather than 8€ ($10) for the churches pass. The orange version adds to these services admission to all the sights covered under the expanded version of the Museum Pass see above) plus the Ca' Rezzonico; plus, the card lets you bypass the often long lines. There are versions that also include a ride into town from the airport, but that doesn't actually save you any money in the long run so skip it. (They're working on arranging reserved, timed entries -- the logic being that so many people will have this card, the main sights will be effectively booked up, thus discouraging visitors who arrive without the card.) They're also encouraging various merchants to jump on the bandwagon in some way.



For adults (and in student-friendly Venice, this means 30 and over), the blu card costs 14€ ($18) for 1 day, 29€ ($36) for 3 days, or 51€ ($64) for 7 days; for ages 4 to 29, the blu card costs 9€ ($11) for 1 day, 22€ ($28) for 3 days, or 49€ ($61) for 7 days. For adults, the orange card costs 28€ ($35) for 1 day, 47€ ($59) for 3 days, or 68€ ($85) for 7 days; for ages 4 to 29, the orange card costs 18€ ($23) for 1 day, 35€ ($44) for 3 days, or 61€ ($76) for 7 days. You can order it in advance by phone or online, and they'll tell you where to pick it up.

Anyone between 16 and 29 is eligible for the terrific Rolling Venice pass, which gives discounts in museums, restaurants, stores, language courses, hotels, and bars across the city (it comes with a thick booklet listing everywhere it entitles you to get discounts). It's valid for 1 year and costs 2.60€ ($3.25). Year-round, you can pick one up at the Informagiovani Assessorato alla Gioventù, Corte Contarina 1529, off the Frezzeria west of St. Mark's Square (tel. 041-274-7645 or 041-274-7650), which is open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1pm, plus Tuesday and Thursday 3 to 5pm. July to September you can stop by the special Rolling Venice office set up in the train station daily 8am to 8pm; in winter you can get the pass at the Transalpino travel agency just outside the station's front doors and to the right, at the top of the steps; it's open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 12:30pm and 3 to 7pm and Saturday 8:30am to 12:30pm.

Acqua Alta-- During the notorious tidal acqua alta (high water) floods, the lagoon backwashes into the city, leaving up to 5 or 6 feet of water in the lowest-lying streets (Piazza San Marco, as the lowest point in the city, goes first). These floods can start as early as late September or October, usually taking place November to March. As many as 50 a year have been recorded since they first started in the late 1700s. The waters usually recede after just a few hours and are often virtually gone by noon. Walkways are set up around town, but wet feet are a given. The complex system of hydraulic dams being constructed out in the lagoon to cut off these high tides (a controversial project whose progress ebbs and flows depending on who is in government) won't be operational until perhaps the end of this decade.



American Express-- American Express is at San Marco 1471, 30124 Venezia, on Salizzada San Moisè just west of Piazza San Marco (tel. 041-520-0844). In summer, the office is open for banking Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm (for all other services, 9am-5:30pm); in winter, hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm (for banking and other services).

Business Hours-- Standard hours for shops are 9am to 12:30pm and 3 to 7:30pm Monday to Saturday. In winter, shops are closed on Monday morning, while in summer it's usually Saturday afternoon. Most grocers are closed on Wednesday afternoon year-round. In Venice, just about everything is closed on Sunday, though tourist shops in the tourist spots such as the San Marco area are permitted to stay open during high season. Restaurants are required to close at least 1 day a week, called il giorno di riposo, though the particular day varies from one trattoria to another. Many are open for Sunday lunch but close for Sunday dinner. Restaurants that specialize in fish and seafood also typically close Monday, when the fish market is closed. Restaurants will close for holidays, translated as chiuso per ferie, sometime in July or August, frequently over Christmas, and sometime in January before the Carnevale rush.

Climate-- May, June, September, and early October are the best months with respect to weather to visit (and the most crowded). July and August are hot -- at times unbearably so. April and late October/early November are hit-or-miss; it can either be glorious or cool, rainy, and damp and only marginally less crowded. Also see "Acqua Alta," above.



Crime-- Be aware of petty crime like pickpocketing on the crowded vaporetti, particularly the tourist routes where passengers are more intent on the passing scenery than watching their bags. Venice's deserted back streets were once virtually crime-proof; occasional tales of theft are circulating only recently. Generally speaking, it's one of Italy's safest cities.

Dentists/Doctors-- For a short list, check with the consulate of the United Kingdom, the American Express office, or your hotel.

Drugstores-- Venice's pharmacies take turns staying open all night. To find out which one is on call in your area, ask at your hotel, check the rotational duty signs posted outside all drugstores, or dial [tell] 041-523-0573.

Emergencies-- In Venice and throughout Italy, dial tel. 113 to reach the police. Some Italians will recommend that you forgo the police and try the military-trained Carabinieri (tel. 112). For an ambulance, phone tel. 523-0000. To report a fire, dial tel. 115, 041-520-0222, or 041-520-0223. For any tourism-related complaint (rip-offs, exceedingly shoddy service, and so on), dial the special agency Venezia No Problem toll-free at tel. 800-355-920.

Fax-- From both the main post office and its Piazza San Marco branch (see "Mail," below) you can send faxes to almost any destination with the odd exception of the United States. For service to the United States, ask at your hotel; most will agree to do it for either a per-page or estimated-per-minute cost. Or look for SERVIZIO FAX signs in the windows of cartolerie (stationery stores).

Holidays-- Venice's patron saint, San Marco (St. Mark), is honored on April 25.



Internet Access-- For checking e-mail, go to Venetian Navigator, Castello 5300 on Calle Casselleria (tel. 041-522-6084; http://www.venetiannavigator.com; vaporetto: San Marco, Zaccaria, Rialto), daily 10am to 10pm (Nov-Apr 10am-1pm and 2:30-8:30pm), which charges 6€ ($7.50) per hour. There is another location at San Marco 5239 on Calle Stagneri. The Internet Café, 2967-2958 Campo Santo Stefano, San Marco (tel. 041-520-8128; http://www.nethousecafes.com; vaporetto: S. Samuele, Giglio), is a new spot open 24 hours daily that charges a steep 9€ ($11) per hour.

Laundry-- The self-service laundry most convenient to the train station is the Lavaget (tel. 041-715-976), Cannaregio 1269, to the left as you cross Ponte alle Guglie from Lista di Spagna; the rate is about 9€ ($11) for up to 4.5 kilos (10 lb.). The most convenient laundry to San Marco is Gabriella (tel. 041-522-1758), San Marco 985 on Rio Terrà Colonne (off Calle dei Fabbri), where they wash and dry your clothes for you within an hour or 2 for 14€ ($18) per load. They are open Monday to Friday 10am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 7pm.

Lost & Found-- The central Ufficio Oggetti Rinvenuti (tel. 041-788-225) is in the annex to the City Hall (Municipio), at San Marco 4134, on Calle Piscopia o Loredan, just off Riva del Carbon on the Grand Canal, near the Rialto Bridge (on the same side of the canal as the Rialto vaporetto station). Look for scala (stairway) C; the lost-and-found office is in the Economato section on the mezzanino level, one flight up. The office is ostensibly open only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm, but there's usually someone available weekdays from 9:30am until the building closes at 1:30pm.



There's also an Ufficio Oggetti Smarriti at the airport (tel. 041-260-6436) and an Ufficio Oggetti Rinvenuti at the train station (tel. 041-785-238), right at the head of Track 14; they're open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Luggage Storage-- The deposito bagagli in the train station (tel. 041-785-531) is open daily from 6am to midnight and charges for each bag 3€ ($3.75) for the first 12 hours, then 2€ ($2.50) for each additional 12-hour period.

Mail-- Venice's Posta Centrale is at San Marco 5554, 30124 Venezia, on the San Marco side of the Rialto Bridge at Rialto Fontego dei Tedeschi (tel. 041-271-7111 or 041-528-5813; vaporetto: Rialto). This office sells stamps at Window 12 Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 6:30pm (for parcels, 8:10am-1:30pm). If you're at Piazza San Marco and need postal services, walk through Sottoportego San Geminian, the center portal at the opposite end of the piazza from the basilica on Calle Larga dell'Ascensione. Its usual hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 2pm and Saturday 8:30am to 1pm. You can buy francobolli (stamps) at any tabacchi (tobacconists). The limited mailboxes seen around town are red.

Police-- In an emergency, dial tel. 112 or 113.

Tourist Offices -- There's a small office in the train station, but the new main office is located right when you get off the vaporetto at the San Marco stop, in a stone pavilion wedged between the small green park on the Grand Canal called the Giardinetti Reali and the famous Harry's Bar. It's called the Venice Pavilion/Palazzina dei Santi (tel. 041-529-8711 or 041-522-5150; http://www.turismovenezia.it; vaporetto: San Marco) and is, frankly, more interested in running its gift shop than in helping tourists. It's open daily from 10am to 6pm. They've kept open the old (but just as indifferent) office under the arcade at the west end of Piazza San Marco at no. 71F, on the left of the tunnel-like street leading to Calle dell'Ascensione (tel. 041-529-8740 or 041-529-8711; fax 041-523-0399; vaporetto: San Marco). It's open Monday to Friday 9am to 3:30pm. During peak season, a small info booth with erratic hours operates in the arrivals hall at the Marco Polo Airport.



The tourist office's LEO Bussola brochure is useful for museum hours and events, but their map only helps you find vaporetto lines and stops (it's well worth buying a street map at a news kiosk; see "Getting Around," below). More useful is the info-packed monthly Un Ospite di Venezia (http://www.unospitedivenezia.it); most hotels have a handful of copies. Also keep an eye out for the ubiquitous posters around town with exhibit and concert schedules. The classical concerts held mostly in churches are touristy but fun and are advertised by an army of costumed touts handing out leaflets on highly trafficked streets.

Websites -- The city's official tourist-board site is http://www.turismovenezia.it; the official site of the city government (also full of good resources) is http://www.comune.venezia.it. A couple of good privately maintained sites are Meeting Venice (http://www.meetingvenice.it) and Doge of Venice (http://www.doge.it).

Getting There

By Plane

You can fly into Venice from North America via Rome or Milan with Alitalia or a number of other airlines, or by connecting through a major European city with European carriers. No-frills carrier Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com) flies direct from London much more cheaply than the major airlines, as does easyJet (http://www.easyjet.com).

Flights land at the Aeroporto Marco Polo, 7km (4 1/3 miles) north of the city on the mainland (tel. 041-260-9260 or 041-260-9250; http://www.veniceairport.it). There are two bus alternatives: The special ATVO airport shuttle bus (tel. 041-541-5180 or 041-520-5530; http://www.atvo.it) connects with Piazzale Roma not far from Venice's Santa Lucia train station (and the closest point to Venice's attractions accessible by land). Buses leave for/from the airport about every hour, cost 3€ ($3.75), and make the trip in about 20 minutes. The slightly less expensive, twice-hourly local public ACTV bus no. 5 (tel. 041-541-5180) costs 1.50€ ($1.95) and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Buy tickets for either at the newsstand just inside the terminal from the signposted bus stop. With either bus, you'll have to walk to/from the final stop at Piazzale Roma to the nearby vaporetto (water buses) stop for the final connection to your hotel. It's rare to see porters around who'll help with luggage, so pack light.



A land taxi from the airport to the Piazzale Roma to pick up your vaporetto will run about 30€ ($38).

The most fashionable and traditional way to arrive in Piazza San Marco is by sea. For 10€ ($12), the Cooperative San Marco/Alilaguna (tel. 041-523-5775; http://www.alilaguna.it) operates a large motoscafo (shuttle boat) service from the airport with two stops at Murano and the Lido before arriving after about 1 hour in Piazza San Marco. Call for the daily schedule of a dozen or so trips from about 6am to midnight; the schedule changes with the season and is coordinated with the principal arrival/departure of the major airlines (most hotels have the schedule). If your hotel isn't in the Piazza San Marco area, you'll have to make a connection at the vaporetto launches (your hotel can help you with the specifics if you booked before you left home).



A private water taxi (20-30 min. to/from the airport) is convenient but costly -- a legal minimum of 55€ ($69), but usually closer to 75€ ($94), for two to four passengers with few bags. It's worth considering if you're pressed for time, have an early flight, are carrying a lot of luggage (a Venice no-no), or can split the cost with a friend or two. It may be able to drop you off at the front (or side) door of your hotel or as close as it can maneuver given your hotel's location (check with the hotel before arriving). Your taxi captain should be able to tell you before boarding just how close he can get you. Try the Corsorzio Motoscafi Venezia (tel. 041-522-2303; http://www.motoscafivenezia.it) water taxis.

By Train

Trains from Rome (4 1/2-7 hr.), Milan (2 1/2-3 1/2 hr.), Florence (3 hr.), and all over Europe arrive at the Stazione Venezia-Santa Lucia (tel. 848-888-088 or 147-888-088 toll-free from anywhere in Italy; http://trenitalia.com). To get there, all must pass through (though not necessarily stop at) a station marked Venezia-Mestre. Don't be confused: Mestre is a charmless industrial city that's the last stop on the mainland. Occasionally trains end in Mestre, in which case you have to catch one of the frequent 10-minute shuttles connecting with Venice; it's inconvenient, so when you book your ticket, confirm that the final destination is Venezia-Stazione Santa Lucia.

Between the station's large front doors is a small, understaffed tourist office (tel. 041-529-8727 or 041-529-8740), with lines that can be discouraging and a strict "one person allowed in at a time" policy. It's open daily 8am to 7pm (closed Sun in winter). The railway info office, marked with a lowercase i, is also in the station's main hall, staffed daily from 8am to 8pm.



On exiting, you'll find the Grand Canal immediately in front of you, a sight that makes for a heart-stopping first impression. You'll find the docks for a number of vaporetto lines (the city's public ferries or "water buses") to your left and right. Head to the booths to your left, near the bridge, to catch either of the two lines plying the Canal Grande: the no. 82 express, which stops only at the station, S. Marcuola, Rialto Bridge, S. Tomà, S. Samuele, and Accademia before hitting San Marco (26 min. total); and the misnamed no. 1 accellerato, which is actually the local, making 14 stops between the station and San Marco (a 31-min. trip). Both leave every 10 minutes or so, but every other no. 82 stops short at Rialto, meaning you'll have to disembark and hop on the next no. 1 or 82 that comes along to continue to San Marco.

Note: The no. 82 goes in two directions from the train station: left down the Canal Grande toward San Marco -- which is the (relatively) fast and scenic way -- and right, which also eventually gets you to San Marco (at the San Zaccaria stop) but takes more than twice as long because it goes the long way around Dorsoduro (and serves mainly commuters). Make sure the no. 82 you get on is headed to San Marco.

By Bus

Though rail travel is more convenient and commonplace, Venice is serviced by long-distance buses from all over mainland Italy and some international cities. The final destination is Piazzale Roma, where you'll need to pick up vaporetto no. 82 or no. 1 (as described under "By Train," above) to connect you with stops in the heart of Venice and along the Grand Canal.



By Car

The only wheels you'll see in Venice are those attached to luggage. Venice is a city of canals and narrow alleys. No cars are allowed -- even the police and ambulance services use boats. Arriving in Venice by car is problematic and expensive -- and downright exasperating if it's high season and the parking facilities are full (they often are). You can drive across the Ponte della Libertà from Mestre to Venice, but you can go no farther than Piazzale Roma at the Venice end, where many garages eagerly await your euro. Do some research before choosing a garage -- the rates vary widely, from 19€ ($24) per day for an average-size car at the communal ASM garage (tel. 041-272-7301; http://www.asmvenezia.it) to 26€ ($33) per day at private outfits like Garage San Marco (tel. 041-523-2213; http://www.garagesanmarco.it), in Piazzale Roma. If you have reservations at a hotel, check before arriving: Most of them offer discount coupons for some of the parking facilities; just ask the hotel in which garage you need to park, and pay for parking upon leaving the garage.

Vaporetto line nos. 1 and 82, described under "By Train," above, both stop at Piazzale Roma before continuing down the Canal Grande to the train station and, eventually, Piazza San Marco.

Getting Around




Aside from boats, the only way to explore Venice is by walking -- and getting lost repeatedly. You'll navigate many twisting streets whose names change constantly and don't appear on any map, and streets that may very well simply end in a blind alley or spill abruptly into a canal. You'll also cross dozens of footbridges. Treat getting bewilderingly lost in Venice as part of the fun, and budget more time than you'd ever think necessary to get wherever you're going.

Street Maps & Signage -- The free map offered by the tourist office and most hotels has good intentions, but it doesn't even show -- much less name or index -- all the calli (streets) and pathways of Venice. For that, pick up a more detailed map (ask for a pianta della città at news kiosks -- especially those at the train station and around San Marco) or most bookstores. The best (and most expensive) is the highly detailed Touring Club Italiano map, available in a variety of forms (folding or spiral-bound) and scales. Almost as good, and easier to carry, is the simple and cheap 1:6500 folding map put out by Storti Edizioni (its cover is white-edged with pink, which fades to blue at the bottom).

Still, Venice's confusing layout confounds even the best maps and navigators. You're often better off just stopping every couple of blocks and asking a local to point you in the right direction (always know the name of the campo/square or major sight closest to the address you're looking for, and ask about that).



As you wander, look for the ubiquitous yellow signs (well, usually yellow) whose destinations and arrows direct you toward five major landmarks: Ferrovia (the train station), Piazzale Roma, Rialto (the main bridge), San Marco, and the Accademia (also useful as the only other Grand Canal bridge below the train station).

Cruising the Canals

A leisurely cruise along the Grand Canal from Piazza San Marco to the Ferrovia -- or the reverse -- is one of Venice's must-dos. It's the world's most unusual Main Street, a watery boulevard whose palazzi have been converted into condos. Lower water-lapped floors are now deserted, but the higher floors are still coveted by the city's titled families, who have inhabited these glorious residences for centuries; others have become the summertime dream homes of privileged expats, drawn here as irresistibly as the romantic Venetians-by-adoption who preceded them -- Richard Wagner, Robert Browning, Lord Byron, and (more recently) Woody Allen.

As much a symbol of Venice as the winged lion, the gondola is one of Europe's great traditions, terribly expensive but truly as romantic as it looks (detractors who write it off as too touristy have most likely never tried it). Though it's often quoted in print at differing official rates, expect to pay 62€ ($78) for up to 50 minutes (77€/$96 between 8pm and 8am), with up to six passengers, and 31€ ($39) for another 25 minutes (39€/$49 at night). Note: At these ridiculously inflated prices, there is no need to tip the gondolier. Aim for late afternoon before sundown when the light does its magic on the canal reflections (and bring a bottle of prosecco [a champagnelike drink] and glasses). If the price is too high, ask visitors at your hotel or others lingering about at the gondola stations if they'd like to share it. Establish the cost, time, and route explanation (any of the back canals are preferable to the trafficked and often choppy Grand Canal) with the gondolier before setting off. They're regulated by the Ente Gondola (tel. 041-528-5075; http://www.gondolavenezia.it), so call if you have any questions or complaints.



And what of the serenading gondolier immortalized in film? Frankly, you're better off without. But if warbling is de rigueur for you, here's the scoop. An ensemble of accordion player and tenor is so expensive that it's shared among several gondolas traveling together. A number of travel agents around town book the evening serenades for around 30€ ($38) per person. The number of gondolieri willing to brave the winter cold and rain is minimal, though some come out of their wintertime hibernation for the Carnevale period.

There are 12 gondola stations around Venice, including Piazzale Roma, the train station, the Rialto Bridge, and Piazza San Marco. There are also a number of smaller stations, with gondoliers standing alongside their sleek 11m (36-ft.) black wonders looking for passengers. They all speak enough English to communicate the necessary details.

By Boat

The various sestieri are linked by a comprehensive vaporetto (water bus/ferry) system of about a dozen lines operated by the Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano (ACTV), Calle Fuseri 1810, off the Frezzeria in San Marco (tel. 041-528-7886 for both offices; http://www.actv.it). Transit maps are available at the tourist office and most ACTV stations. It's easier to get around on foot; the vaporetti principally serve the Grand Canal (and can be crowded in summer), the outskirts, and the outer islands. The crisscross network of small canals is the province of delivery vessels, gondolas, and private boats.



A one-way ticket is a steep 3.50€ ($4.40). A round-trip ticket is 6€ ($7.50), while the 24-hour ticket at 11€ ($13) is a good buy if you'll be making more than three trips in a day. Most lines run every 10 to 15 minutes from 7am to midnight, then hourly until morning; most vaporetto docks (the only place you can buy tickets) have timetables posted. Note that not all stations sell tickets after dark; if you haven't bought a pass or extra tickets beforehand, you'll have to settle up with the conductor onboard (you'll have to find him -- he won't come looking for you) for an extra .50€ (60¢) per ticket or gamble on a 21€ ($26) fine, no excuses accepted. Also available are 72-hour tickets (22€/$28) and 7-day tickets (32€/$40).

Just three bridges span the Grand Canal. To fill in the gaps, traghetti skiffs (oversize gondolas rowed by two standing gondolieri) cross the Grand Canal at eight intermediate points. You'll find a station at the end of any street named Calle del Traghetto on your map and indicated by a yellow sign with the black gondola symbol. The fare is (.50€/65¢), which you hand to the gondolier when boarding. Most Venetians cross standing up. For the experience, try the Santa Sofia crossing that connects the Ca' d'Oro and the Pescheria fish market, opposite each other on the Grand Canal just north of the Rialto Bridge -- the gondoliers expertly dodge water traffic at this point of the canal where it's the busiest and most heart-stopping.

By Water Taxi -- Taxi acquei (water taxis) charge high prices and aren't for visitors watching their euros. For (unlikely) journeys up to 7 minutes, the rate is 14€ ($18); .25€ (30¢) click off for each 15 seconds thereafter. Each bag over 50cm long (20 inches) costs 1.15€ ($1.45), plus there's a 4.40€ ($5.50) supplement for service from 10pm to 7am and a 4.65€ ($5.75) surcharge on Sunday and holidays (these last two charges, however, can't be applied simultaneously). If they have to come get you, tack on another 4.15€ ($5.20). Those rates cover up to four people; if any more squeeze in, it's another 1.60€ ($2) per extra passenger.

Six water-taxi stations serve key points in the city: the Ferrovia (tel. 041-716-286), Piazzale Roma (tel. 041-716-922), the Rialto Bridge (tel. 041-523-0575 or 041-723-112), Piazza San Marco (tel. 041-522-9750), the Lido (tel. 041-526-0059), and Marco Polo Airport (tel. 041-541-5084). Radio Taxi (tel. 041-522-2303 or 041-723-112) will come pick you up anyplace in the city.



By Gondola -- To come all the way to Venice and not indulge in a gondola ride could be one of your biggest regrets. Yes, it's touristy, and yes, it's expensive, but only those with a heart of stone will be unmoved by the quintessential Venetian experience. Do not initiate your trip, however, until you have agreed upon a price and synchronized watches. Oh, and don't ask them to sing.

Special Events




Venice's most special event is the yearly pre-Lenten Carnevale (tel. 041-241-0570; http://www.carnivalofvenice.com), a 2-week theatrical resuscitation of the 18th-century bacchanalia that drew tourists during the final heyday of the Serene Republic. Most of today's Carnevale-related events, masked balls, and costumes evoke that time. Many of the concerts around town are free, when baroque to samba to gospel to Dixieland jazz music fills the piazze and byways; check with the tourist office for a list of events.

The masked balls are often private; those where (exorbitantly priced) tickets are available are sumptuous, with candlelit banquets calling for extravagant costumes you can rent by the day from special shops. If you can score tickets, splurge 260€ ($325) per person on the Ballo del Doge, or Doge's Ball (tel. 041-523-3851; http://www.ballodeldoge.com). They throw a real jet-set party (accessible to all) in the 16th-century Palazzo Pisani-Moretta on the Grand Canal (between the Rialto and the Foscari), sumptuously outfitted with Tiepolo frescoes and all the other accouterments of 18th-century Venetian style. Different ballrooms feature minuets, waltzes, baroque chamber orchestras -- there's even a modern disco (acoustically self-contained) -- all catered by posh Do Forni restaurant. Those not invited to any ball will be just as happy having their face painted and watching the ongoing street theater from a ringside cafe. There's a daily market of Carnevale masks and costumes on Campo Santo Stefano (10am-10pm).



Carnevale builds for 10 days until the big blowout, Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday for Mardi Gras), when fireworks illuminate the Grand Canal, and Piazza San Marco is turned into a giant open-air ballroom for the masses. Book your hotel months ahead, especially for the 2 weekends prior to Shrove Tuesday.

The Voga Longa (literally "long row"), a 30km (19-mile) rowing "race" from San Marco to Burano and back again, has been enthusiastically embraced since its inception in 1975, following the city's effort to keep alive the centuries-old heritage of the regatta. It takes place on a Sunday in mid-May; for exact dates, consult the tourist office. It's a colorful event and a great excuse to party, plus every local seems to have a relative or next-door neighbor competing.



Stupendous fireworks light the night sky during the Festa del Redentore, on the third Saturday and Sunday in July. This celebration marking the July 1576 lifting of a plague that had gripped the city is centered around the Palladio-designed Chiesa del Redentore (Church of the Redeemer) on the island of Giudecca. A bridge of boats across the Giudecca Canal links the church with the banks of Le Zattere in Dorsoduro, and hundreds of boats of all shapes and sizes fill the Giudecca. It's one big, floating festa until night descends and an awesome half-hour spettacolo of fireworks fills the sky.

The Venice International Film Festival, in late August and early September, is the most respected celebration of celluloid in Europe after Cannes. Films from all over the world are shown in the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido as well as at various venues -- and occasionally in some of the campi. Ticket prices vary, but those for the less sought-after films are usually modest.



Venice hosts the latest in modern and contemporary painting and sculpture from dozens of countries during the prestigious Biennale d'Arte (tel. 041-521-8846 or 041-271-9005; http://www.labiennale.org), one of the world's top international modern-art shows. It fills the pavilions of the public gardens at the east end of Castello and in the Arsenale from late May to October every odd-numbered year. In the past, awards have gone to Jackson Pollock, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, and Federico Fellini, among others. Tickets (10€/$13) can be reserved online or by calling tel. 199-199-100 in Italy.

The Regata Storica that takes place on the Grand Canal on the first Sunday in September is an extravagant seagoing parade in historic costume as well as a genuine regatta. Just about every seaworthy gondola, richly decorated for the occasion and piloted by gondolieri in colorful livery, participates in the opening cavalcade. The aquatic parade is followed by three regattas along the Grand Canal. You can buy grandstand tickets through the tourist office or come early and find a piece of embankment near the Rialto Bridge for the best seats in town.



Other notable events include Festa della Salute on November 21, when a pontoon bridge is erected across the Grand Canal to connect the churches of La Salute and Santa Maria del Giglio, commemorating delivery from another plague in 1630. The Festa della Sensa, on the Sunday following Ascension Day in May, reenacts the ancient ceremony when the doge would wed Venice to the sea. April 25 is a local holiday, the feast day of Saint Mark, beloved patron saint of Venice and of the ancient republic. A special High Mass is celebrated in the Basilica of San Marco, and Venetians exchange roses with those they love.

Finally, the ultimate anomaly: Venice's annual October Maratona (Marathon), starting at Villa Pisani on the mainland and ending up along the Zattere for a finish at the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute on the tip of Dorsoduro. It's usually held the last Sunday of October.



Carnevale a Venezia

Venetians once more are taking to the open piazzas and streets for the pre-Lenten holiday of Carnevale. The festival traditionally was the celebration preceding Lent, the period of penitence and abstinence prior to Easter; its name is derived from the Latin carnem levare, meaning "to take meat away."

Today, Carnevale lasts no more than 5 to 10 days and culminates in the Friday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. In the 18th-century heyday of Carnevale in La Serenissima Republic, well-heeled revelers came from all over Europe to take part in festivities that began months prior to Lent and crescendoed until their raucous climax at midnight on Shrove Tuesday. As the Venetian economy declined, and its colonies and trading posts fell to other powers, the Republic of Venice in its swan song turned to fantasy and escapism. The faster its decline, the longer, and more licentious, became its anything-goes merrymaking. Masks became ubiquitous, affording anonymity and the pardoning of a thousand sins. Masks permitted the fishmonger to attend the ball and dance with the baroness, the properly married to carry on as if they were not. The doges condemned it and the popes denounced it, but nothing could dampen the Venetian Carnevale spirit until Napoléon arrived in 1797 and put an end to the festivities.

Resuscitated in 1980 by local tourism powers to fill the empty winter months when tourism comes to a screeching halt, Carnevale is calmer nowadays, though just barely. The born-again festival got off to a shaky start, met at first with indifference and skepticism, but in the years since has grown in popularity and been embraced by the locals. In the 1980s, Carnevale attracted an onslaught of what was seemingly the entire student population of Europe, backpacking young people who slept in the piazzas and train station. Politicians and city officials adopted a middle-of-the-road policy that helped establish Carnevale's image as neither a backpacker's free-for-all outdoor party nor a continuation of the exclusive private balls in the Grand Canal palazzi available to a very few.



Carnevale is now a harlequin patchwork of musical and cultural events, many of them free of charge, which appeals to all ages, tastes, nationalities, and budgets. At any given moment, musical events are staged in any of the city's dozens of piazzas -- from reggae and zydeco to jazz to baroque. Special art exhibits are mounted at museums and galleries. The recent involvement of international corporate commercial sponsors has met with a mixed reception, although it seems to be the direction of the future.

Carnevale is not for those who dislike crowds. Indeed, the crowds are what it's all about. All of Venice becomes a stage. Whether you spend months creating an extravagant costume, or grab one from the countless stands set up about the town, Carnevale is about giving in to the spontaneity of magic and surprise around every corner, the mystery behind every mask. Masks and costumes are everywhere, though you won't see anything along the lines of Teletubbies or Zorro. Emphasis is on the historical, for Venice's Carnevale is the chance to relive the glory days of the 1700s when Venetian life was at its most extravagant. Groups travel in coordinated getups that range from a contemporary passel of Felliniesque clowns to the court of the Sun King in all its wigged-out, over-the-top, drag-queen glory. There are the three musketeers riding the vaporetto; your waiter appears dressed as a nun; sitting alone on the church steps is a Romeo waiting for his Juliet; late at night, crossing a small, deserted campo, a young, laughing couple appears out of a gray mist in a cloud of crinoline and sparkles, and then disappears down a small alley. The places to be seen in costume (only appropriate costumes need apply) are the historical cafes lining the Piazza San Marco, the Florian being the unquestioned command post. Don't expect a window seat unless your costume is straight off the stage of the local opera house.



The city is the perfect venue; Hollywood could not create a more evocative location. This is a celebration of history, art, theater, and drama that one would expect to find in Italy, the land that gave us the Renaissance and Zeffirelli -- and Venice, an ancient and wealthy republic that gave us Casanova and Vivaldi. Venice and Carnevale were made for each other.


City Layout




Keep in mind as you wander seemingly hopelessly among the calli (streets) and campi (squares) that the city wasn't built to make sense to those on foot, but rather to those plying its canals. No matter how good your map and sense of direction, time after time you'll get lost. Just view it as an opportunity to stumble across Venice's most intriguing corners and vignettes.

Venice lies 4km (2 1/2 miles) from terra firma, connected to the mainland burg of Mestre by the Ponte della Libertè which leads to Piazzale Roma. Snaking through the city like an inverted S is the Canal Grande (Grand Canal), the wide main artery of aquatic Venice.

The Scope of Venice--Central Venice refers to the built-up block of islands in the lagoon's center, including St. Mark's, the train station, and everything else in the six main sestiere that make up the bulk of the tourist city. Greater Venice includes all the inhabited islands of the lagoon -- central Venice plus Murano, Burano, Torcello, and the Lido. The Lagoon comprises everything, from the city to the mud flats to the fish farms to the dozens of abandoned or uninhabited islets.

The city is divided into six sestieri ("sixths," or districts or wards). Cannaregio stretches north and east, from the train station to the Jewish Ghetto and on to the vicinity of the Ca' d'Oro north of the Rialto Bridge. To the east beyond Cannaregio (and skirting the area north and east of Piazza San Marco) is Castello, whose ritzy canal-side esplanade, Riva degli Schiavoni, is lined with deluxe accommodations. The central San Marco shares this side of the Grand Canal with Castello and Cannaregio, anchored by the magnificent Piazza San Marco and St. Mark's Basilica to the south and the Rialto Bridge to the north; it's the city's commercial, religious, and political heart. On the other side of the Grand Canal, San Polo is north of the Rialto Bridge, stretching west to just beyond Campo dei Frari and Campo San Rocco. The residential Santa Croce is next, moving north and west, stretching all the way to Piazzale Roma. Finally, the residential Dorsoduro is on the opposite side of the Accademia Bridge from San Marco. It's the largest sestiere and something of an artists' haven, though escalating rents make it hardly bohemian these days.



Venice shares its lagoon with several other islands. Opposite Piazza San Marco and Dorsoduro is La Giudecca, a tranquil working-class place with mostly residential neighborhoods. The Lido di Venezia is the city's sandy beach; it's a popular summer destination and holds a concentration of seasonal hotels.

Murano, Burano, and Torcello are popular destinations northeast of the city and easily accessible by public transport vaporetto. Since the 13th century, Murano has exported its glass products worldwide; it's an interesting day trip for those with the time, but you can do just as well in "downtown" Venice's myriad glass stores. Colorful fishing village-style Burano was and still is equally famous for its lace, an art now practiced by so few island women that its prices are generally unaffordable. Torcello is the most remote and least populated. The 40-minute boat ride is worthwhile for history and art buffs, who'll be awestruck by the Byzantine mosaics of the cathedral (some of Europe's finest outside Ravenna), whose foundation dates to the 7th century, making this the oldest Venetian monument in existence. San Michele is the cemetery island where such celebrities as Stravinsky and Diaghilev are buried.



Finally, the industrial city of Mestre, on the mainland, is the gateway to Venice and holds no reason for exploration. In a pinch, its host of inexpensive hotels is worth consideration when Venice's hotels are full, but that's about all.

A Note on Addresses--Within each sestiere is a most original system of numbering the palazzi, using one continuous string of 6,000 or so numbers. The format for addresses in this chapter is the official mailing address: the sestiere name followed by the building number in that district, followed by the name of the street or campo on which you'll find that address -- for example, San Marco 1471 (Salizzada San Moisè) means the mailing address is San Marco 1471, and you'll find it in the San Marco district on Salizzada San Moisè. Be aware that San Marco 1471 may not necessarily be found close to San Marco 1475 and that many buildings aren't numbered at all.

Venetian Dialect

If, after a few days in Rome and Florence, you were just getting the hang of correlating your map to the reality of your new surroundings, you can put aside any short-term success upon your arrival in Venezia. Even the Italians (non-Venetian ones) look befuddled when trying to decipher street names and signs (given that you can ever find any).



Venice's colorful thousand-year history as a once-powerful maritime republic has everything to do with its local dialect, which absorbed nuances and vocabulary from far-flung outposts in the East and from the flourishing communities of foreign merchants who, for centuries, lived and traded in Venice. A linguist could gleefully spend a lifetime trying to make some sense of it all. It's been a successful one, though. From Venetian dialect we've inherited such words as gondola (naturally), ciao, ghetto, lido, and arsenal.

But for the Venice-bound traveler just trying to make sense of Venetian addresses, the following should give you the basics. (And don't even try to follow a conversation between two gondolieri!)

ca' -- The abbreviated use of the word "casa" is used for the noble palazzi, once private residences and now museums, lining the Grand Canal: Ca' d'Oro, Ca' Pesaro, and Ca' Rezzonico. There is only one palazzo, and it is the Palazzo Ducale, the former doge's residence. However, as time went on, some great houses gradually began to be called "palazzi," so today you'll also encounter the Palazzo Grassi or the Palazzo Labia.



calle -- Taken from the Spanish (though pronounced as if Italian, i.e., ca-lay), this is the most commonplace word for street, known as via or strada elsewhere in Italy. There are numerous variations. Ruga, from the French word rue, once meant a calle flanked with stores, a designation no longer valid. A ramo (literally "branch") is the offshoot of a street, and is often used interchangeably with calle. Salizzada once meant a paved street, implying that all other, less important calles were once just dirt-packed alleyways. A stretto is a narrow passageway.

campo -- Elsewhere in Italy it's piazza. In Venice the only piazza is the Piazza San Marco (and its two bordering piazzette); all other squares are campi or the diminutive, campielli. Translated as "field" or "meadow," these were once small, unpaved grazing spots for the odd chicken or cow. Almost every one of Venice's campi carries the name of the church that dominates it (or once did) and most have wells, no longer used, in the center.



canale -- There are three wide, principal canals: the Canal Grande (affectionately called "il Canalazzo," the Canal), the Canale della Giudecca, and the Canale di Cannaregio. Each of the other 160-odd smaller canals is called a rio. A rio terrà is a filled-in canal -- wide and straight -- now used as a street. A piscina is a filled-in basin, now acting as a campo or piazza.

fondamenta -- Referring to the foundations of the houses lining a canal, this is a walkway along the side of a rio (small canal). Promenades along the Grand Canal near the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto are called riva as in the Riva del Vin or Riva del Carbon, where cargo such as wine and coal were once unloaded.

ramo -- Literally "branch," a small side street.

salizzada -- The word originally meant "paved," so any street you see prefaced with salizzada was one of the first streets in Venice to be paved.

sottoportego -- An alley that ducks under a building.


Attractions





Venice is notorious for changing and extending the opening hours of its museums and, to a lesser degree, its churches. Before you begin your exploration of Venice's sights, ask at the tourist office for the season's list of museum and church hours. During the peak months, you can enjoy extended museum hours -- some places stay open until 7 or even 10pm. Unfortunately, these hours are not released until approximately Easter of every year. Even then, little is done to publicize the information, so you'll have to do your own research.

Church Tours--Check with a tourist office for free tours being offered (erratically and usually during high season) in some of the churches, particularly the Basilica di San Marco and occasionally the Frari.

Especially for Kids

It goes without saying that a gondola ride will be the thrill of a lifetime for any child or adult. If that's too expensive, consider the convenient and far less expensive alternative: a ride on the no. 1 vaporetto. They offer two entirely different experiences: The gondola gives you the chance to see Venice through the back door (and ride past Marco Polo's house); the vaporetto provides a utilitarian -- but no less gorgeous -- journey down Venice's aquatic Main Street, the Grand Canal. Look for the ambulance boat, the garbage boat, the firefighters' boat, the funeral boat, even the Coca-Cola delivery boat. Best sightings are the special gondolas filled with flowers and rowed by gondolieri in livery delivering a happy bride and groom from the church.

Judging from the squeals of delight, feeding the pigeons in Piazza San Marco (purchase a bag of corn and you'll be draped in pigeons in a nanosecond) could be the epitome of your child's visit to Venice, and it's the ultimate photo op. Be sure your child won't be startled by all the fluttering and flapping. When I was 11, my parents had me do it; all I remember is the scrabbly little feet of the pigeons.

A jaunt to the neighboring island of Murano can be as educational as it is recreational -- follow the signs to any fornace, where a glassblowing performance of the island's thousand-year-old art is free entertainment. But be ready for the guaranteed sales pitch that follows.



Before you leave town, take the elevator to the top of the Campanile di San Marco (the highest structure in the city) for a pigeon's-eye view of Venice's rooftops and church cupolas, or get up close and personal to the four bronze horses on the facade of the Basilica San Marco. The view from its outdoor loggia is something you and your children won't forget.

Some children enjoy the Museo Navale & Arsenale, with its ship models and old vessels, and the many historic artifacts in the Museo Civico Correr (Correr Civic Museum), tangible vestiges of a time when Venice was a world unto itself.

The winged lion, said to have been a kind of good-luck mascot to St. Mark, patron saint of Venice, was the very symbol of the Serene Republic and to this day appears on everything from cafe napkins to T-shirts. Who can spot the most flying lions? They appear on facades, atop columns, over doorways, as pavement mosaics, government stamps, and on the local flag.

Nightlife




Visit one of the tourist information centers for current English-language schedules of the month's special events. The monthly Ospite di Venezia is distributed free or online at http://www.unospitedivenezia.it, and is extremely helpful but usually available only in the more expensive hotels. If you're looking for serious nocturnal action, you're in the wrong town. Your best bet is to sit in the moonlit Piazza San Marco and listen to the cafes' outdoor orchestras, with the illuminated basilica before you -- the perfect opera set.

The Performing Arts

Venice has a long and rich tradition of classical music, and there's always a concert going on somewhere. Several churches regularly host classical-music concerts (with an emphasis on the baroque) by local and international artists. This was, after all, the home of Vivaldi, and the Chiesa di Vivaldi (officially the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pietà) is the most popular venue for the music of Vivaldi and his contemporaries. A number of other churches and confraternities (such as San Stefano, San Stae, the Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista, and the Scuola di San Rocco) also host concerts, but the Vivaldi Church, where the red priest was the choral director, offers perhaps the highest quality ensembles. If you're lucky, they'll be performing Le Quattro Staggioni (The Four Seasons). Tickets are sold at the church's box office (tel. 041-917-257 or 041-522-6405; http://www.vivaldi.it) on Riva degli Schiavoni, at the front desk of the Metropole Hotel next door, or at many of the hotels around town; they're usually 25€ ($31) for adults and 15€ ($19) for students. Information and schedules are available from the tourist office; tickets for most concerts should be bought in advance, though they rarely sell out.

The city stood still in shock as the famous Teatro La Fenice (San Marco 1965, on Campo San Fantin; tel. 041-786-562; http://www.teatrolafenice.it), went up in flames in January 1996. For centuries it was Venice's principal stage for world-class opera, music, theater, and ballet. Carpenters and artisans were on standby to begin working around the clock to re-create the teatro (built in 1836) according to archival designs. Finally, on December 14, 2003, La Fenice (which means "the Phoenix") arose from the ashes as Ricardo Muti conducted the Orchestra and Chorus of La Fenice in an inaugural concert in a completely renovated hall. Then, after a few other performances, on December 21, it closed its doors again for further restoration, which lasted until 2004. Its performances now follow a regular schedule, hopefully for good.



Cafes

Venice is a quiet town in the evening and offers very little in the way of nightlife. For tourists and locals alike, Venetian nightlife mainly centers on the many cafe/bars in one of the world's most remarkable piazzas: Piazza San Marco. It is also the most expensive and touristed place to linger over a Campari or cappuccino, but a splurge that should not be dismissed too readily.

The nostalgic 18th-century Caffè Florian (San Marco 56A-59A; tel. 041-520-5641) on the south side of the piazza, is the most famous (closed Wed in winter) and most theatrical inside; have a Bellini (prosecco and fresh peach nectar) at the back bar for half what you'd pay at an indoor table; alfresco seating is even more expensive when the band plays on, but it's worth every cent for the million-dollar scenario. It's said that when Casanova escaped from the prisons in the Doge's Palace, he stopped here for a coffee before fleeing Venice.



On the opposite side of the square at San Marco 133-134 is the old-world Caffè Lavena (tel. 041-522-4070; closed Tues in winter) and at no. 120 is cafe Quadri (tel. 041-522-2105; http://www.quadrivenice.com; closed Mon in winter), the first to introduce coffee to Venice, with a restaurant upstairs that sports Piazza San Marco views. At all spots, a cappuccino, tea, or Coca-Cola at a table will set you back about 5€ ($6). But no one will rush you, and if the sun is warm and the orchestras are playing, there's no more beautiful public open-air salon in the world. Around the corner (no. 11) and in front of the pink-and-white marble Palazzo Ducale is the best deal, Caffè Chioggia (tel. 041-528-5011; closed Sun). Come here at midnight and watch the Moors strike the hour atop the Clock Tower from your outside table, while the quartet or pianist plays everything from quality jazz to pop until the wee hours.

If the weather is chilly or inclement, or for no other reason than to revel in the history and drama of Venice's grand-dame hotel, dress up and stroll into the landmark lobby of the Danieli hotel and Bar Dandolo (tel. 041-522-6480; Castello 4196 on Riva degli Schiavoni, east of Piazza San Marco). Tea or coffee will only set you back 5€ ($6) and you can sit forever, taking in the former residential palazzo of a 15th-century doge. A pianist plays from 7 to 9pm and from 10pm to 12:30am. Drinks are far more expensive; ask for the price list before ordering.

Clubs, Birrerie, Gelaterie

Although Venice boasts an old and prominent university, clubs and discos barely enjoy their 15 minutes of popularity before changing hands or closing down (some are only open in the summer months). Young Venetians tend to go to the Lido or mainland Mestre.

For just plain hanging out in the late afternoon and early evening, popular squares that serve as meeting points include Campo San Bartolomeo, at the foot of the Rialto Bridge, and nearby Campo San Luca; you'll see Venetians of all ages milling about engaged in animated conversation, particularly from 5pm till dinnertime. In late-night hours, for low prices and low pretension, I'm fond of the Campo Santa Margherita, a huge open campo about halfway between the train station and Ca' Rezzonico. Look for the popular Green Pub (no. 3053; closed Thurs), Bareto Rosso (no. 2963; closed Sun) and Bar Salus (no. 3112). Campo Santo Stefano is also worth a visit to sit and sample the goods at the Bar/Gelateria Paolin (no. 2962; closed Fri), one of the city's best ice-cream sources. Its runner-up, Gelateria Nico, is on the Zattere in Dorsoduro 922, south of the Gallerie dell'Accademia. For occasional evenings of live music, cabaret, or just a relaxed late-night hangout, consider the ever popular Le Bistrot de Venise.

Note: Most bars are open Monday to Saturday from 8pm to midnight.

The Devil's Forest Pub, San Marco 5185, on Calle Stagneri (tel. 041-520-0623; vaporetto: San Marco), offers the outsider an authentic chance to take in the convivial atmosphere and find out where Venetians do hang out. It's popular for lunch with the neighborhood merchants and shop owners and ideal for relaxed socializing over a beer and a host of games like backgammon, chess, and Trivial Pursuit. A variety of simple pasta dishes and fresh sandwiches run from 3€ to 6€ ($3.75-$7.50). It's open daily 10am to 1am.



Bácaro Jazz (tel. 041-285-249; vaporetto: Rialto) is a happening cocktail bar (the Bellinis are great) with restaurant seating in the back (tasty Venetian cuisine from 6.50€/$8.15) across from the Rialto post office at San Marco 5546, just north of Campo San Bartolomeo (the San Marco side of Rialto Bridge). It's a mix of jazzy music (a bit too loud), rough plank walls, industrial-steel tables, and a corrugated aluminum ceiling. It's open Thursday to Tuesday 11am to 2am (happy hour 2-7:30pm).

With a half-dozen beers on tap, El Moro Pub, at Castello 4531 (Calle delle Rasse; tel. 041-528-2573), is the biggest draw in town. The crowd can be a bit older here, where post-university types congregate at the bar. TVs sometimes transmit national soccer or tennis matches, and the management welcomes those who linger, but sensitive nonsmokers won't want to.

Good food at reasonable prices would be enough to regularly pack Paradiso Perduto, Cannaregio 2540, on Fondamenta della Misericordia (tel. 041-720-581; vaporetto: Ferrovie), but its biggest draw is the live jazz performed on a small stage several nights a week. Popular with Americans and other foreigners living in Venice, this bar was once largely devoid of tourists, primarily because of its hard-to-find location, but lately it looks as if the word is out. The good selection of well-prepared pizzas and pastas goes for under 8€ ($10); arrive early for a table. It's open Thursday to Tuesday 7pm to 1 and sometimes 2am.



The party spills well out from the plate-glass windows of Torino@Notte, San Marco 459 (Campo San Luca; tel. 041-522-3914), a bar that has brought this square to life after dark with live jazz many nights, unusual beer from Lapland, and good panini. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 10pm to 2am.

In 1932, famed restaurateur and hotelier Giuseppe Cipriani opened Harry's Bar right at the San Marco-Vallaresso Vaporetto stop, San Marco 1323 (Calle Vallaresso; tel. 041-528-5777). Named for his son Arrigo (Italian for Harry), it has been a preferred retreat for everyone from Hemingway -- when he didn't want a Bloody Mary, he mixed his own drink: 15 parts gin, 1 martini -- to Woody Allen. Regulars prefer the elegant front room to the upstairs dining room (decent cooking, and they invented carpaccio, a dish of thinly sliced raw beef now served throughout Italy). Harry's is most famous for inventing the Bellini, a mix of champagne and peach juice. Prices -- for both drinks and the fancy cuisine -- are rather extravagant.

Dance Clubs

Venice is a quiet town at night and offers little in the line of dance clubs. Evenings are best spent lingering over a late dinner, having a pint in a birrerie, or nursing a glass of prosecco in one of Piazza San Marco's tony outdoor cafes.



If you really need that disco fix, you're best off at Piccolo Mondo, Dorsoduro 1056, near the Accademia (tel. 041-520-0371; vaporetto: Accademia). Billed as a disco/pub, it serves sandwiches during lunch to the sounds of America's latest dance music and offers a happy hour in the late afternoon in winter, and often features live music. But the only reason you'd want to