Book a hotel in Venice

"La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals; there are many names to describe the stunning North Italian city of Venice. Built over 117 islands, the city is one of Europe's most romantic cities. Observe wonderful monuments, statues and fountains as you walk through this unique city. Take a boat ride on the Gran Canal on a Vaporetto boat tour or stroll over a few of the 450 bridges. This is it, the authentic and the beautiful canal city that everyone refers to.

The Republic of Venice was an important maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance but also a very important center of commerce and art. The city had 3 000 trade ships and 300 navy vessels, during it most significant time. Today, Venice is well-known both for tourism and for its industry .

Tourists have plenty of things to discover this city packed with museums, monuments, churches and theatres, where it seems like every corner of the city contains a piece of history. Music, bohemian-chic fashion, Venetian-red (more...) paintings, opera and wines are other elements to enjoy in this enchanting city.

Visit St Mark’s Square and check out the basilica of St Mark’s and the clock tower. You will get the best views over the city from St. Mark's Campanile, originally built as a lighthouse. Whether you are into opera or not, it’s well worth a visit to the beautiful opera house Teatro La Fenice. A audio-guided tour through the history of the building is popular among tourists. Or why not let your emotions flow in one of the operas while you are here?

The Ducal Palace is a Renaissance building and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The National Gallery of the Marche, situated within the palace, holds one of the most important collections of Renaissance art in the world.

The Archaeological Museum of Venice keeps an important collection of Greek and Roman sculpture. Located in an old palazzo you will find Ca’ Pesaro, the modern art museum. Peggy Guggenheim museum houses a permanent collection of works of Cubism, Futurism, Metaphysical painting, European abstraction, avant-garde sculpture, Surrealism, and American Abstract Expressionism by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

Purchase a mask of Ca’ Macana and put on your happy festival mood as you enter the highest point in Venice’s social calendar, Carnevale Venezia . The carnival is based on a 18th century tradition where masks were used to hide any form of identity between social classes. This is what made the masks an important element in the Venice Carnival . Another festival, running annually since 1932, is the prestigious Venice Film Festival, the oldest film festival in the world.

Whether you are looking for high fashion, antiques, furniture or home accessories, be sure to find it in Venice. Fine silk and velvet can be picked up on the Calle dei Fabbri, the historical main shopping street in Venice. Designer shopping is possible with international brands like Armani, Laura Biagiotti, Gucci or Prada. Or why not take home with you some Venice Jewellery or traditional Venetian glassware?

Finish the evening with a meal in a classy restaurant or cook the food yourself with fresh fish and vegetables, from the Rialto Food markets.

The humid weather provides average summer temperatures between 30C - 33C (86F to 91F ) and winter temperatures between 0C - 3C (32F and 37F ). Venice is a popular all-year- round destination, even if most people prefer to visit the city between April and October. Most traditional festivities are also held during the summer months.

Popular hotels in Venice