Spending the semester in Italy means a few things: pasta for nearly every meal, more wine than you know what to do with, soccer, churches, and most certainly the March celebration of Carnivale. Taking full advantage of studying in Italy, my friends and I decided to head to the epicenter of the celebrations, Venice. Arriving Thursday evening and staying until Saturday afternoon, we spent 2 nights and 2 days in this beautiful city on the eastern coast of Italy.

Thursday

Leaving Milan after our classes on Thursday, we traveled by train and arrived in Venezia late that evening (30 euro round-trip!). Already dark-out upon our arrival, we were unable to truly enjoy the wonder and beauty of this city until the next day. The most interesting thing about Vencice (other than the unique canal system and the combined lowering of the city and rising water levels that causing it to sink) is that this city is actually a combination of small islands. For instance, when we got off of the train, we found that we needed to travel by water to reach the island on which our apartment was located. So, we boarded a “waterbus” and headed for our place. Meeting the landlord to our apartment once we got off the “waterbus,” she lead us through a winding, twisting combination of maze-like streets until we arrived at the dark alley that was home to our apartment. Despite the suspicious looking exterior of our building, our apartment (4 rooms and 4 beds) was actually very nice.

Friday

Waking up around 9:30 am, we were dressed and out the door by 10:00. Not being able to actually appreciate the city the previous night, I was stunned when I opened the window in my room and noticed how beautiful and unique Venice is. Here is the view from our apartment:

When traveling to Venice, the starting point for the majority of any sight-seeing or city exploration is found at the Piazza San Marco (San Marco Square). So, we decided to start our day in true tourist fashion, making our way to this crowded, tourist-filled space. Stopping for lunch at a small cafe and perusing several stores selling masks, we eventually made it there around noon. Located within San Marco Square are the famous San Marco Basilica, the Ducal Palace, and the Campanile. We decided to explore the city by walking around on our own and visit these sights the following day. Spending the rest of the afternoon walking along the waterfront and throughout the winding, confusing streets of Venice, we really got a feel for the city culture and feel.

Since we chose this date to visit Venice specifically because it was during Carnivale, we also were able to celebrate this holiday in true Venetian fashion. With each of us purchasing authentic Carnivale masks, we spent a great deal of time admiring and looking at the various costumes of the Venetian natives, as well as the thousands of tourists who flock to this location during this time of the year. I have to say that I was truly impressed by the intricacy and the uniqueness of these costumes. With the entire city participating in and supporting this event, it was easy to see why this is such a popular destination for Carnivale.

At night, we took a signature Venetian gondola ride. While it is an entirely cliche thing to do, it was worth it (80 euro for a gondola of up to 6 people) as it truly lets you see the city in a way that can’t be captured by walking on the streets. We also managed to time it perfectly by reserving our gondola for 6 PM, allowing us to see the city at dusk with the perfect amount of light.

Saturday

On Saturday, three of us got up early and went out to see the city and the specific sights that we missed on the first day. Traveling yet again to San Marco Square, we started by visiting the San Marco Basilica. Although I have visited more churches during my stay in Europe than I can even remember, with countless others to come during my upcoming trip to Rome, I was impressed with the remarkable architecture and painting evident in this structure. If you travel to Venice, you need to visit this sight. We chose not to visit the Ducal Palace because of the high entrance fee, so we took an elevator to the top of the Campanile, a tower located in San Marco Square, instead. This was my absolute favorite place that I visited in Venice as it provided breathtaking 360 degree views of the entire city, including the other islands. After coming down from this tower, we ate lunch and headed back towards the train station. After walking around this area for about an hour, and also visiting the Venice Casino, we boarded our train and went back to Milan.

In summary, I thought Venice was one of the most beautiful and unique cities I’ve seen in Europe and one of my favorite places we have been so far. The interesting canal system unseen in the rest of the world, save for Amsterdam, make it a must see destination in Italy. I’m glad I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to see the city and I would recommend it to anyone visiting or staying in Europe/Italy. Hurry because the city is going under water!

Observations and Fun Facts

1.) Venice is hands down the most confusing city I have ever been to. The unpredictable winding roads, streets just wide enough for one person, and high concrete walls obstructing the views of other streets make you feel lost from the minute you arrive. It took two of us approximately 2 hours to get back from our apartment because we got lost. If you are trying to get to a certain location, make sure and ask directions because you will most likely get lost trying to find your own way. Hint: Try gondola drivers, they pretty much all speak English.

2.) There are no street names in addresses in Venice. Instead, buildings are identified by number and district. Venice is broken up into several districts, similar to the boroughs of New York City, and these are used to identify buildings. Again, be sure and ask directions or have a map handy.

3.) Gondolas cost anywhere from 25,000 to 40,000 euro and are owned by the individual gondola drivers. Our said that he does 5/day in the slow season (such as now) and 10-15 per day in the summer.

4.) Take the “waterbus” when moving between islands, NOT a water taxi. The waterbus is the Venetian version of the metro, only on water, and is reasonably inexpensive. The watertaxi is exactly what it sounds like and is a flat rate of 35 euro no matter where you go.

Location: Venice, Italy