Last Updated on January 21, 2021
Venice is one of the most alluring cities in the world.
It’s hard not to think of romance when you’re in Venice. The serene scenery,romantic canals, mysterious passageways, and spectacular architecture are more than enough to make you feel like love is in the air. You will likely even welcome getting lost in the maze of streets with less than adequate signage to add a little romance and fun.
Venice can be packed with tourists, so grab a map and set off to escape the crowds and experience some romance after you have hit up all the tourist attraction areas you wanted to see. We wandered around, found ourselves making wrong turn after wrong turn, leading us to the best little locations. Getting lost is inevitable in Venice, and even the map wasn’t much help. Don’t panic when you are lost, just enjoy being able to wander around, embracing the magic of the place.
We took a stroll through St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) and stopped to feed the pigeons; one of the main tourist attractions. Luckily, we didn’t walk away with any unwanted souvenirs, though Darcy was ‘lucky’ later in Florence, Italy . We have heard that such souvenirs are easier to remove from your clothing and hair if you first let it dry. I’m not sure if there is anyone who would really want to wait for bird poop to dry, but it may be worth a try if you’re one of the ‘lucky ones’.
We have also since read that feeding pigeons in St Mark’s Square is now illegal.
St. Marks Basilica is a fascinating place with stunning architecture that is absolutely spellbinding. Once you step inside, it is almost impossible not to look up immediately at the spectacular gilded mosaics. These mosaics proclaim the message of Christian salvation through images from the New Testament. You could really feel the serenity of the place; it was a very peaceful place to be. Even though it was crowded, we still had a great time walking around and seeing the beauty within the Basilica.
Taking a gondola ride in Venice is a must-do. It can be quite pricy, if you let it. It is best to ask around to different gondoliers to get a feel for what you can get for your money. Read about our gondola experience and advice HERE.
Have a gondolier take you through side canals for a little more privacy and romance.
If you are traveling to Venice alone,or even on a budget, there are campsites a short bus ride away from the center of Venice. We stayed at Serenissima as it is located along the main roads going into the center of town, with buses running every half hour.
We found plenty of fellow backpackers and travelers and spent a great couple of nights there buying bottles of wine and drinking them in the camp area with a deck of cards, while meeting some great new friends that we exchanged endless travel and life stories with.
What are some of your favorite memories from Venice?