Venice

City Information

Explore city history, fast facts, climate and practical visitor information for Venice.

Showing 1–8 of 8 articles

City Information

Exchange Rates

City Information

Fast Facts

Location:: Northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto Local City Name: Venezia Area: 412 km2 (159.1 sq mi) Population: : 271,252 Density: 658/km² (1,704/sq mi) Dialing code: 041 Postal code 30100 Currency: Euro (€); Ethnic mix:: Mostly Roman Catholics; Languages:: Italian, French, German, Slovenian, Albanian

Read full article

City Information

Public Holidays

1 Jan New Year's Day. 6 Jan Epiphany. 5 Apr Easter Monday. 25 Apr Liberation Day. 1 May Labour Day. 2 Jun Anniversary of the Republic. 15 Aug Assumption. 1 Nov All Saints' Day. 8 Dec Immaculate Conception. 25 Dec Christmas Day. 26 Dec St Stephen's Day.

Read full article

City Information

When to go

Venice gets very good weather in May, June, September, and early October. The weather is hot in July and August and at times unbearably so. April and late October/early November can be unpredictable because it could rain, be sunny, cool, or damp. The number of visitors is a little less than usual during this period.

Read full article

City Information

Venice Residents

The people of Venice are continually affected by the water that surrounds them. The water influences their food and housing as well as their mode of transport. For example seafood is the main course of a typical Venetian meal. Houses and other buildings do not stand on solid ground but on wooden piles (posts) driven into the mud. Almost all Venetians are Roman Catholics. Since about 1950 thousands of Venetians have left the islands to live in the mainland communities of Marghera and Mestre. They have moved chiefly because the mainland offers greater job opportunities and a lower cost of living. The modern apartment buildings in these communities also attract many Venetians. Most of the buildings on the islands were erected hundreds of years ago and there is no room to build new housing.

Read full article

City Information

Visa Information

When entering Italy, all foreigners must carry documentation to validate the reasons and duration of their stay. For residents of most countries a visa is required, it can be applied for at the Italian Diplomatic and Consular Representations of the country of residence.

Read full article

City Information

Venice History

The first settlers of Venice arrived on the islands during the A.D. 400s to escape barbarians who were invading Italy from northern Europe. Fishing and trading was the basis of early Venetian economy and they traveled along the Adriatic coasts in search of new markets. By the 800s, Venice was trading with Constantinople now Istanbul and cities on the Italian mainland and northern coast of Africa. Gradually Venice transformed into an independent city-state ruled by nobles.

Read full article

City Information

Venice today

Venice is a celebrated city and very rightly so. It is very romantic because of its breathtaking canals and palaces. A cruise down the Grand Canal will very likely be one of life's most unforgettable experiences. On a practical note, the city forms a governmental unit of Italy called a commune. The islands of Venice form the historic centre of the city. Marghera and Mestre are the modern industrial centers on the mainland and they are also part of the commune of Venice. A lagoon separates the islands of Venice from the mainland. A roadway over the lagoon carries traffic between the mainland and two of the islands. Automobiles, buses and trains use terminals on those islands. More than 150 canals take the place of streets on all the islands of Venice and fundamentally boats provide transportation. Black flat bottomed boats called gondolas once served as the chief means of transportation on the islands. Today, motorboats have replaced most of the gondolas. More than 400 bridges cross the canals and link the main islands of Venice. A network of narrow alleyways called calli run between the buildings on the islands.

Read full article