Venice City Breaks

One of the undisputed wonders of the world, Venice which is built on more than 100 beautiful islands, is utterly romantic. Ancient canals wend their way between palaces and basilicas and grand squares are filled with atmosphere and light. Views from the Grand Canal via water-taxi or gondola are unmissable, and by foot, you can easily discover St Mark's Basilica and the Bridge of Sighs, before whiling away a couple of hours over a cappuccino in St Mark's Square; a hectic spot bustling with visitors. With its interlinking districts there is plenty to explore on holidays to Venice and many hidden gems to discover.

The city of Venice is truly one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Comprised of a group of 118 islands connected by bridges the city is unlike any other. It comes as no surprise that the entire city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. For those on Venice holidays the Grand Canal is undoubtedly one of the top attractions offering sensation views. Equally, St Mark's Square and St Mark's Basilica are also worth a visit. Quite rightly Venice is also famed for its fantastic collection of art, with the Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, for those with a love for either classic or modern art there is plenty to see. This exceptionally mesmerising city ensures that those on holidays to Venice have a truly breath-taking experience.

Short breaks to Venice are a fantastic way to see this intriguing city and at Classic Collection Holidays we can also combine your trip as a twin centre holiday with another of our Italy destinations. Thanks to its many festivals and events, Venice is fantastic all year round. Visit our blog post for the best time to visit Venice

For those looking for a truly exceptional and unique rail journey to Venice, visit our Venice Simplon Orient Express page for further information.

Excursions
From Gondola tours to visiting the Golden Basilica, be sure to pre-book one of our memorable experiences in Venice.

Along the Grand Canal
The Grand Canal with its breath-taking views stretches 4km from Ferrovia Station to St Mark's Basin along which the inappropriately named 'accelerato' waterbus stops at each landing stage. The Canal's banks are lined with ornate palaces and grand houses including the Natural History Museum, Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi where composer Richard Wagner died, Ca' Pesaro housing modern and oriental art,and Ca' d'Oro with Tintoretto's in its Fanchetti Gallery. With the Grand Canal as one of the most famous sights to visit you won't be able to miss it on holidays to Venice.

Spanning the Canal and dividing the city is the famed Rialto Bridge with the handsome town hall towers close by. Palazzo Mocenigo was once home to the poet Byron, and the glorious 17th century Ca' Rezzonico houses the Museum of 18th century Venice boasting two Canaletto paintings. Palazzi Barbaro was favoured by Monet and Whistler whilst Palazzo Grassi is used for international art exhibitions.

Cuisine
Famous wines of the region include Valpolicella and Soave and for a refreshing aperitif try sparkling Prosecco.

Naturally fish and seafood is high on the menu in Venice, with dishes such as baccala mantecato, cream of dried cod and seppie in tegame (cuttlefish), zuppa di pesce, fish soup and grancevole, delicious red Adriatic crab.

Venice is also renowned for its rice dishes and risotto feature more frequently than pasta in the Veneto region with risi i bisi, rice and green peas one of the specialities as well as risotto al radicchio rosso (risotto with red chicory), or risotto served with mussels, scampi or cuttlefish. Fegato alla veneziana is a simple but wonderful traditional dish of thinly sliced calf's liver on a bed of onions.

A myriad of restaurants abound, from the more pricy alternatives in the tourist areas to small backstreet wine and snack bars serving chicetti, a selection of fresh and tasty bite-size food very similar to Spanish tapas. For fine dining the world famous Danieli and Cipriani hotels offer the perfect excuse to dress up and enjoy some of the very best gourmet cuisine in Venice.