A Month In Venice

Venice’s history is centered on maritime activities. The cities very survival depended upon having a well trained group of maritime sailors who could outwit and outrun all around them.  Such history spawned Venice’s Historical Regatta which is meant to showcase the mastery of the sea and the ships that ride upon her.

The first Sunday of September is when this event takes place. There are many other Regatta’s from the various islands in the Venetian lagoon that are held all throughout the year but the true Regata storica takes place at this time.

This race is very similar in tone and shape to the Palio of Sienna. You see in this race like the Palio the boats are from their respective neighborhoods and each neighborhood turns out to root on their team of rowers who are competing for the honor of winning the race.

What is probably of interest of the tourists that visit at this time is the various processions of boats that proceed down the Grand Canal. First you have the bisonni or the 8 oared gondolas then the balotine which are 6 oared gondolas then following this is the decorative boats from the various rowing clubs. Following this procession of boats is a regatta for the children which is then followed by a race just for the women then a race of two oared gondolas which represent each neighborhood. At the regattas conclusion the whole of Venice comes alive with a city wide celebration that fills each canal and street with merchants and street entertainers.

If you are fortunate to be in Venice during this time I am sure you will not be bored with what is going on at this time. I would say that this festival would even rival the Carnival of Venice, although I may get some heat for saying this but I am willing to take it.

Finding cheap accommodations in Venice Italy is not an easy task. Let’s face it the words budget and Venice Italy are not usually mixed in the same sentence together. It is certainly not what the town is best known for that is for sure.

However the following posts should help out the average reader in saving some money on their stay in Venice. It should certainly help out those students looking for budget accommodations as well.

Budget Hotels in Castello

Budget Hotels in San Croce

Budget Hotels in Cannaregio

Budget Hotels in San Marco

Budget Hotels in Dorsoduro

For those that want a longer stay be sure to visit my post on student apartments in Venice Italy. It is certainly worth a look in my opinion.

The San Marco neighborhood is the virtual heart of the city. Containing St. Mark’s square it contains some of the most visited destinations by tourists. This district or sesteri contains the Rialto Bridge which has many shops and expensive boutiques that not the average tourist can afford to shop. If you want a calmer part of this neighborhood then head towards the southern part of San Marco as that is visited by fewer tourists and is conveniently located near the Accademia bridge which leads to many other of Venice’s hot spots and must see destinations.

Below are five of the best budget hotels in San Marco although there may be many others if you are willing to look.

Al Gazzettino
San Marco 4971 - Calle de Mezo
A very small but cozy hotel that is run by a very friendly family. The décor is a mix of modern and antique with a not so surprising Italian flair.
Phone: +39 04 1528 6523
http://www.algazzettino.com/

Caneva
San Marco 5515 - Corte del Drio la Fava
A larger hotel with 23 rooms this is a must see! You see 17 rooms in this hotel face the canal and are available if you ask ahead of time. So how about that ? A budget hotel with canal views. Does it get any better then this?
Phone: +39 04 1522 8118
http://www.hotelcaneva.com

Hotel Riva
Ponte dell Angelo, 5310
On the corner of two canals this hotel is bound to suit anyone with a desire for a canal view room. Small but with air conditioning and quaint decorations this is a hotel that is ideal for those that want to explore the city and not watch television as there is none in any of the rooms.
Phone: +39 04 1522 7034
http://www.hotelriva.it/

Locanda Fiorita
San Marco 3457/A - Campiello Novo o dei Morti
This hotel is of course housed in a 15th century Palazzo. It is a charming hotel that is full of flowers during the height of tourist season hence the name.
Phone: +39 041 523 4754

Noemi
San Marco 909 - Calle dei Fabbri
An eclectic hotel by Venice standards you will find yourself surrounded with both Murano and Asian inspired decorations that surprisingly work together.
Phone: +39 041 523 8144

Staying in Venice is an expensive venture. However I hope my recent series on budget hotels in Venice have helped some of my readers. Alas this is really only helpful if you wish to stay for a couple of days or perhaps a week. What are you going to do if you wish to stay in Venice for an extended period of time? I have many friends who are artists and would love to stay in this city just to absorb the atmosphere and to hone their craft. What options do they have as students to stay in Venice? Well fortunately there are many good search engines and directories you can use to find ideal locations to stay and that will hopefully fit into a tight budget as well.

The very first place I would look is Venice Apartments.org as they seem to have the most comprehensive listing of available flats to rent. Not only will this site help you find a great apartment but they also have some “inside” information on how not to get cheated in this wonderful city. What I found to be particularly good is the tips and tricks section of the website as the information contained leads me to some new places to eat and see. That alone was worth the visit in my opinion.

The second place to look would be the great site of Venice By.com which is another hotel search engine. However they have a great listing of apartments that may overlap with the Venice Apartments.org. This site is different in its comprehensives listing of restaurants and local attractions that is sure to keep any person busy while staying in the area.

Lastly I would check out wenicevenice.it as a place to look for an apartment. This is not a comprehensive listing of apartments and the focus seems to be apartments in the Dorsoduro district. This district seems to be particularly popular with the student crowd so I would check it out if that is what you are looking for.

Hopefully this advice will help any student looking for an flat in Venice. Budget accommodations are not really easy to find in this city as there is a scarcity and a high demand from visitors. However do not give up there are many hidden gems out there if you are willing to search for them. Just keep looking.

Okay so now you are in Venice, Italy and are a night owl so now what? Is this place designed for the elderly tourists? Does this place have any kicking clubs that I can go to? I am sure that if you are young and still active these are just some of the questions you may have asked if you are planning a trip. The answer to this question is maybe. It really is a crap shoot to find a place that is hip and active in Venice.

I am not trying to dissuade you from going if you are young, rather I just want realistic expectations. The best advice is to find a friend in Venice that shares some of the same interests as you do and follow their advice. Perhaps there is a club where you both can go and have a good time. For each individual this can really vary as much as the bars and nightclubs in the city.

Here is just some of the places that I have discovered in my research on the subject and through exhaustive verification.

Iguana
Cannaregio 2515, Fondamenta della Misericordia
This is a Latin club that serves Mexican food and offers dancing. There is live music on Tuesdays. They are open from Tuesdays to Sunday from 6pm to 2am with a happy hour from 7pm to 9pm.

Bacaro Jazz
San Marco 5546, Salizzadda del Fondaco dei Tedeschi
This is a jazz club that is open from Thursdays to Tuesdays from 11am to 2am. Food and drink is served at this club and you can eat until late at night. Obviously Jazz music is played in this club so if you are not a fan of that type of music stay away.

Il Caffe
Dorsoduro 2963 Campo Santa Margherita
This is a café by day and turns into a open air nightclub. This is a very eclectic place but it is not open as late as others. The hours of operation is from 7am to 1:20am from Monday through Saturday.

Piccolo Mondo
Dorsoduro 1056 CAlle Contrarini Corfu
This is a very small place that will be an acquired taste to many. The hours of operation for
this club is from Tuesday to Sunday from 10pm to 4am. Since this club stays open later I am sure there will be more drunk people around in the area.
This is just a small sample of what is available as the city has a variety of places that caters
to each and every desire that either the locals or tourists could desire. I would be extremely careful when visiting these places to start. Always be cautious and use some common sense and you should be alright.