Travel Diaries - Venice

TRAVEL

DIARIES

Venice is the capital of the Veneto region of Italy.

Amongst other names, the city is also known as the 'City of Water', 'City of Bridges' and 'Floating City'.

Venice is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world.

It is situated across a group of 118 islands, separated by canals and has over 400 bridges.

It takes approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes to fly from Kuwait to Venice.

You will land at Venice Marco Polo Airport, Italy's fourth busiest airport.

Venice has warm summers and fairly mild winters. November is usually the wettest month and spring time is considered the best time to visit - from March to May.

If you visit at Easter, you'll witness the annual Carnival of Venice, famous for its elaborate face masks.

Don't forget to squeeze through 'Calletta' (also called Ramo Varisco), the narrowest street in Venice. It measures only 53cm wide! The public transport system in Venice is mainly water based with water buses and water taxis frequently used. However, the best way to discover Venice is on foot.

The Grand Canal is the main canal in Venice and forms a major water-traffic corridor in the city. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon and the other end leads into the basin. It is 3.8km long and, at its widest point, 90m wide. The average depth of the canal is 5m.

Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square) is the main square in Venice and is a good meeting point. Many caf's and restaurants are situated here but be warned - they charge a premium!

Distance Between Kuwait & Venice

2233 miles/3593 kilometers

POPULATION CURRENCY NATIVE LANGUAGE

261,900 Euro Italian

The Square is overlooked by Saint Mark's Basilica, nicknamed the Church of Gold for its gold mosaics and opulent design. It was completed in the year 1092 and has five domes. Doge's Palace is one of the main landmarks of the city. Originally the palace of the Doge of Venice, it is now a museum. It is considered a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.

Most tourists enjoy a gondola ride when in Venice but the gondolier's have a reputation for charging extortionate rates for even the shortest of trips! There are approximately 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice and each gondola is made of eight different woods. However you decide to get around, make sure you visit the Bridge of Sighs. Constructed between 1600 and 1603 the bridge crosses the Rio di Palazzo. It is made from white limestone and has windows with stone bars.

Of the 417 bridges in Venice, 72 are privately owned. Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge in the city. It is one of 4 bridges spanning the Grand Canal. San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the many islands of Venice. The island is best known for its church which has a ring of nine bells. The island also has an open air theatre.

The Lido is where the Venice Film Festival is held every September. It's an 11km long sandbar which is home to around 20,000 residents. Also known as the 'Golden Island' it consists of hotels, private villas and major beach facilities. Rumour has it that Venice is sinking! Apparently, the city is expected to sink between 20 and 50cm by the year 2050. Better hurry up and book that trip!

Experts predict that Venice will become a ghost city by the year 2030 as more and more people leave because they fear the city is sinking.

Venice has its own flag. It shows the arms of 'Regione del Veneto' on a red background with seven tails bearing the coat of arms of the seven province capitals of Veneto.

1. How many bridges are there in Venice? 2. What is the Carnival of Venice famous for? 3. How wide is the narrowest street in Venice? 4. How many domes does Saint Mark's Basilica have? 5. Where in Venice is the film festival held? 6. What is the Bridge of Sighs made from? 7. What is the average depth of the Grand Canal? 8. As well as a church, what else would you find on San Giorgio Maggiore? 9. Venice is apparently sinking – true or false? 10. As well as the City of Bridges, what else is Venice called?

True, Open air theatre, 9. Floating City and City of Water 10.

5m, 8. 7.White limestone, The Lido, 6. 5, 5. 53cm, 4. Elaborate face masks, 3. 417, 2. :1. ANSWERS