The Grand Canal Reviews (Venice, Italy)

Exploring The Canals

Oxford, United Kingdom

August 11, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo Venice is a beautiful city that actually covers over 100 separate islands which is navigated by a network of canals and bridges. The graceful black gondolas are the traditional form of transport and these can be hired at various points around the ...Read more Venice is a beautiful city that actually covers over 100 separate islands which is navigated by a network of canals and bridges.

The graceful black gondolas are the traditional form of transport and these can be hired at various points around the city. Each gondola is hand-crafted and as our striped-jumper clad Gondolier steered us expertly through the labyrinth of waterways we had chance to notice that the metal decoration and rope work varied on each one. Gondoliers stand elegantly on the end of their crafts and using only one oar they nimbly guide their boats around. I couldn’t believe how easy these men made the whole process look (it seems it is very rare to find a woman Gondolier). The traditional striped mooring poles can be seen throughout the city and these are the original basis for barber poles. Considering the hustle and bustle of the main waterways it was amazingly quiet as we explored some of the smaller canals and it gave us time to wonder at how this city has managed to sustain itself when it looks like it should crumble into the water at any minute. After the Grand Canal one of the most congested waterways is the one that flows under the Bridge of Sighs as the Gondoliers started a story that if you kissed your loved one in a Gondola as you travelled under the bridge you would stay in love forever. Since I am not a great believer in superstition we decided to avoid the heavily trafficked area and stick to the quieter parts. Our Gondola could seat six people and the fare is for the craft so it makes sense to try and fill up the boat although somehow our children managed to get the comfortable double seat and the adults all ended up perching on boxes and chairs with cushions! Getting into the boat was rather hair-raising as they were bouncing about a lot and we had to grab hold of wooden post to help stabilise us. I think we paid about 70euro for our trip but I can’t remember exactly. Some Gondoliers like to sing and some also give information throughout your tour but ours had very little English so we just sat back and enjoyed the passing scene. It was fascinating to see how the homes have steps down into the water and most hotels have doors that open onto the waterways as well, even for the delivery of luggage.

The Gondolas are used now mainly by tourist to enjoy the sight-seeing, the mode of transport for the Venetians is the motorised Vaporetti (Vaporetta-singular) and the floating stopping places are easy to see around the city and the services are very frequent. Maps of the service are easy to find in the city and you can pay per journey or buy a travelcard that lasts varying amounts of time.

No-one can visit Venice without travelling along the canals as it is what makes the city so famous. Unusual sights greet you at every turning whether it is a historical building or a petrol station positioned on the edge of the water ready to refuel all of the boats. We thoroughly enjoyed our Gondola ride and although expensive it was worth every penny.
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From journals Italian Delights, Cruising The Eastern Med-Again!

Along the Grand Canal stretch the richest houses in Venice.

by Zhebiton

Moscow, Moskva, Russia

October 1, 2010

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Channel has the shape of inverted capital letter S and goes from the station across town to the famous Piazza San Marco. The length of the channel with all its windings - about 4 km. Width from 30 to 70 meters, is the wide channel of the city.Along ...Read more Channel has the shape of inverted capital letter S and goes from the station across town to the famous Piazza San Marco. The length of the channel with all its windings - about 4 km. Width from 30 to 70 meters, is the wide channel of the city.
Along the Grand Canal stretch the richest houses in Venice. Live on the banks of the Grand Canal was considered (and is) a very prestigious list of famous aristocrats, writers, artists, millionaires, who lived in these houses in the hundreds. These houses are resold from time to time, pass from hand to hand, many of them turned into luxury hotels and art galleries.
The church of San Jeremiah with his tower. Churches in the city are countless. Some of them have long since ceased to function. Some churches are inclined tower and risk of falling in one day. Houses stand on the grounds, built by hundreds of years ago, the foundation reinforced with vertical logs, for centuries the whole design has gradually led to the slope of the towers. In general, especially along the shallow side channels, sometimes there are such houses, it seems - just a finger poke, that all fell apart.
The closer to San Marco, the more prestigious are palaces along the Canal. Here we are still far enough away from the railway station. The city is divided into several neighborhoods. Beach to the left - Santa Croce quarter, the bank right - Kanaredzhio in depth which was the world's first Jewish ghetto. In fact, the word "ghetto" of Venetian origin, it meant something like "casting factory, which was there at the future site of the ghetto.
Ca d'Oro, once considered the most elegant palace along the Grand Canal with its gilded facade. In the mid-19 century, Prince Troubetzkoy made a gift to the lady of his heart, a famous ballerina Talion, in the form of this house. In the 20-century palace was purchased, brought up to decent condition and now there is an art gallery Franchetti.
Here, the channel makes one of its sharp turns. It is the economic center of Venice. At that time, as the right continues, one after another go palazzo various respectable citizens, left here were urban markets. More precisely, we are still.
That's Rialto Bridge. One of the symbols of Venice, depicted in paintings and sung in verse, is one of the few bridges across the canal chetyrehkilometrovy that exist today. By the time he was, of course, the first of them. Wooden bridge existed here since 12 century, later it was rebuilt. Today the bridge is somewhere fifth. Just a 4-kilometer canal are now only three bridges. The fourth is whether the construction, or already built near the parking lot at the beginning of the channel, so that it does not count.
Continue to move to San Marko. Promenade of San Polo, another city block. Building, "the German institute" in the 16 th century palazzo.
Dorsoduro quarter, here are building the Venetian university. In one of these buildings lived Wagner. However, if you name all the famous people who lived in Venice where, you get insanely long list.
From the balcony of one house, Napoleon watched thrown in his honor regatta. Napoleon just do not do too well the cost to Venice. The city he captured, the Doge (as they called the rulers of Venice for hundreds of years) dismissed, jewels taken out, the four bronze horses from the cathedral, too, somewhere stole, in general, a bad man. Then, as the owner of the palace, watching its construction, from cold drafts and died. That is so sad karma in this house.

Another symbol of Venice: the huge church of Santa Maria della Salute. The church was built in 17 century, in gratitude for ending the epidemic (as if she would so not over ... the iron logic, after all - not so in thanks for never started an epidemic to build). City on the water, the ships came from different countries and brought with them all sorts of diseases - Venice repeatedly been outbreaks of epidemics, the victim of one of them was the artist Titian. Close

From journal The Souls of Venice

A Gondola Ride in Venice

by Elina Lagios

Kineta, Attica, Greece

August 16, 2010

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IN Venice we never forget to get a gondola ride because it is goingto remain unforgetable for ever. By my arriving in the city by the taxi-ship after having admired the PIAZZA SAN MARCO and the churchof SAN MARCO, I decided to take a ride with a ...Read more

Gondola Ride

by Muted Prophet

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

July 14, 2007

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To truly taste the city of Venice, a gondola is unmatchable! Though a bit pricey, if you take a ride during the day, it is more affordable. Rates depend on the gondolier and on the time of year. I rode a gondola during July (height of ...Read more

From journal Mamma Mia! - It's Venice!

A Ride on the Grand Canal

by Liam Hetherington

Manchester, United Kingdom

February 24, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo A trip down the Grand Canal is the perfect introduction to Venice, whether you are being chauffered with your loved one by a gondolier, sailing a yacht up it (sadly illegal unless you are filming a Bond film), or just cramming onto the vaporetto ...Read more

From journal We Open In Venice...

Gondola Ride

by amber02

chicago, Illinois

September 13, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo So before you visit Venice, many people will tell you to avoid the Gondola rides. Many people believe them to be an expensive tourist trap. But I totally disagree!! This is one tourist trap that you absolutely cannot leave Venice without ...Read more

From journal Vacation in Venice

Gondola Ride

by leopardgrrrl88

Kent, Ohio

July 28, 2005

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Gondola rides are a blast. They are available on the Grand Canal in Venice. When the group I was with went on the ride, four people went in each gondola. The drivers were clothed in what is considered traditional wear for them: black pants; a ...Read more

From journal City on the Water

A Gondola Ride

by dina4

los angeles, California

May 9, 2005

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Best of IgoUgo A gondola ride in Venice... Sounds like an overpriced tourist trap, I know. We almost didn't do it after we asked the price, but luckily came back later thinking this might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and that we'd be filled with regret when ...Read more

From journal Magical Venice

Gondola Ride

by samer_k

plano, Texas

March 15, 2005

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We reserved a sunset group gondola ride, and we really didn't notice everyone else... It was great; how could you go to Venice and not have a gondola ride?

From journal Canals of Venice

Gondola Serenade

by ggcahill

Mont Albert North, undefined, Australia

August 3, 2004

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Best of IgoUgo Gondola rides are part of the romance and splendour of Venice. (Although the fact that they were once used for funerals...!) To have a gondola ride whilst being serenaded by an Italian tenor accompanied by a piano accordion was simply ...Read more

From journal Venice - very nice!

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Exploring The Canals

Along the Grand Canal stretch the richest houses in Venice.

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Gondola Ride

A Gondola Ride

Gondola Ride

Gondola Serenade