This is why I love living in Europe: We only decided to visit Venice two days before boarding the overnight train from Vienna. With a sleeper compartment you arrive relaxed at 8.00 am in the morning. We were greeted with warm sun-rays and immediately enjoyed our first Italian cappuccino. After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we started our “workout-weekend”.

“Workout-weekend” because unless you take the Vaporetto around the Canale Grande, (one-way 7 €, a day-ticket something like 25 €), you have to walk. We quickly noticed a lot of good looking, trim locals … no wonder; after speaking to an Italian shop owner we were told that the average Venetian walks 2.5 hours per day (!) through the city. Everything in Venice needs to be delivered through the canals and after that, one has to continue by foot with all the goods. So it seems, the Venetians are in pretty good shape.

Let’s start.

We started at Santa Lucia, where the train arrives, down to the easternmost point in Castello. Quite a walk. It’s all cobblestone down the way with lots of bridges over the channels that need to be crossed, so make sure to bring your best walking shoes. Walking is definitely the best choice to really discover Venice the right way; every turn holds a new discovery, may it be a little Plaza, an inviting looking Trattoria or another famous Pallazzo.

Don’t be put off by reports of tourist hordes; once you venture into the side alleys you’re almost on your own, even during peak times. Of course Piazza San Marco, Rialto Bridge, Guggenheim Museum and the sights around the Grand Canal are packed during high season. But it’s your choice whether or not to flow with the masses or venture into a small lane that you’ll have for yourself…

One place that we came across this time really caught our attention: The book store Libreria Acqua Alta. A bookshop that will impress you even if you’re not a book worm. It’s really unique and we’ve never seen anything like it before.

The Grand Canal in Venice forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses and private water taxis.

The bookstore “Libreria Acqua Alta” in Venice makes quite the impression.

Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture, and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.

The history of the Piazza San Marco can be conveniently covered in four periods, but the only pre-renaissance buildings and monuments still standing there are St Marks, the Doges Palace and the two great columns in the Piazzetta.

The Rialto Bridge in Venice is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.

Venice’s popularity as a major worldwide tourist destination has caused several problems, including the fact that the city can be very overcrowded at some points of the year. It is regarded by some as a tourist trap, and by others as a “living museum”.

For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. It’s driven by a gondolier. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as ferries over the Grand Canal.

Venezia, veniamo!

After arriving at the train station in Venice (we took the overnight train), we felt the action right away. The “Canale” in front of the station was full with boats. Water taxis, garbage freighters, post boats and “Vaporettos” – the public transport boats. It really gets pretty busy on the channels on certain times of the day.

We started the day well rested and therefore walked to our hotel. The hotel was quite nice and in a great area but we usually prefer renting apartments during our weekend trips.

So anyway, before heading out to explore the city, we stopped at a lovely “Cafeteria” for the first of many Cappuccinos … Italian coffee just tastes so good! Just shortly after we started walking further on, we realized that it was “Acqua Alta” time in Venice. During this, the city is almost completely flooded … So we bought ourselves rubber boots and continued exploring.

A little History before we head on.

Lesson 1: Venice was founded around 400 a.C. as a trading post by authorities in Padua. In the beginning, it was a collection of lagoon communities. Around 800 a.C., the first leader of Venice – the “Doge” named Ursus – was elected and between 900 a.C. and 1200 a.C. it developed into a city state. It soon later became a center of commerce and art, as well as an important trading point.

Lesson 2: The world-famous St. Mark’s Basilica was built around 800 a.C. but burnt down with a large part of the city around 950 a.C. It was rebuilt but only finished around 100 years later. It is the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture.

Lesson 3: Venice was also a magnet for lots of celebrities: Titian, Giacomo Casanova, Thomas Mann, Richard Wagner lived here; Antonio Vivaldi and Marco Polo were born here.

History really does follow you at every turn.

Some buildings are absolutely unique, like for example the snail staircase of “Scala Contarini del Bovolo” – the only round shaped stairway of the Renaissance era, which is hidden at the end of a small alley, not far from Rialto bridge. But it’s not only history for which Venice is known for: Cultural events are happening all the time; the most prominent ones are the Carnival of Venice and of course the Venice International Film Festival – the oldest international film festival in the world.

Almost at every corner you’ll find a gallery where you can admire paintings, sculptures and other creative art. If you have enough time, a visit to the “Peggy Guggenheim” Museum in a beautiful palace along Canale Grande is a must! And for the real romantic ones, hiring a “Gondola” and rowing down the Grande Canale is definitely a highlight.

Yes, Venice has a lot to offer and it’s one of these cities you can never get enough of …

The canals in Venice are simply breathtaking and one could get lost walking in-between them.

Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges.

A water taxi along the lagoon in Venice.

“Street Art” can also be found along the canals in Venice.

Water taxis along the Grand Canal in Venice.

Exploring Venice in a Gondola is a great way to get around the city – it’s one of those things tourist from all over the world love to do.

The view of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge in Venice.