Venice and Burano

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Venice

Venice is still one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. This romantic sanctuary on a lagoon is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to the fascinating character.

Venice is the world's only pedestrian city and the absence of cars makes it a particularly pleasant experience. If you want to get around a bit more quickly, there are numerous ACTV vaporetti (water buses). Travel cards are extremely useful since the basic fare for a single journey is EUR 6.50 whereas a 24h travel card costs EUR 18. Otherwise, take a walk. It is possible to walk from one end to the other in a couple of hours. Along the way you will discover marvellous art and superb architecture as well as hidden canals. There are yellow signs all over the city which indicate the direction to the main attractions: Rialto and San Marco, the Ferrovia train station and the bus terminal at Piazzale Roma. These signs make it easy to find your way back after deliberately getting lost in the maze of alleys.

A must-see is the Doge's Palace which is the former house of the government of the Venetian Republic. Also, take a look at the Museo Correr which offers great views of Piazza San Marco, the stunning Scuola Grande di San Rocco and, of course, St Mark's Basilica.


CNN Traveller, 5 January 2010

Burano

Burano is a small island 7 kilometres north of Venice. Burano has its own architectural style, more intimate than Venice, with tightly packed houses. There are no gardens, so the area is quite dense despite the low-rise, single-family houses. Numerous houses with bright colours and with wooden shutters are the distinctive details of the streets of Burano.

From Venice, the easiest way to get to there is to take the LN (Laguna Nord) ferry from the Fondamente Nuove stop. Ferries run every half hour or so and the journey time is approximately 45 minutes.

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Accommodation

• Ca dei Fuseri B&B is conveniently located between Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square, good value-for-money
  
• Hotel Bella Arti is a bit more upmarket but still reasonable priced
  

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