Alice Beer travelled to Venice to discover if the city lives up to its romantic reputation.

Founded some 1500 years ago, Venice is built on a series of mud flats off the North East coast of Italy. It became established as Europe's main trading post, and over the years, has been home to famous writers such as Ruskin and Lord Byron.
Go with the flow

Now, this unique city attracts the attention of between 10 and 12 million tourists each year, outnumbering residents by 3 to 1. It is certainly a city of fabulous facades, and famous films shot here include Death in Venice, Don't Look Now and Moonraker.

If you want to tour the city's canals then the most romantic way is by gondola. It costs around £40 per person for 50 minutes for up to 5 people sharing. Although now a cliché, it's still a romantic way to get around Venice, and you get a different perspective of the city as the gondolas cut gracefully through the water.

A less romantic but cheaper and quicker way to get around is by water-bus. There are two basic types of boat - the vaporetti on the heavily used routes, and the smaller motoscafi on the less used circular routes. It costs around £2 for the 20-minute ride from the hotel to St Mark's Square. In the Square, which was featured in the film The Talented Mr Ripley, you can sit, relax and spend some time watching the world go by.

Language tips


What time does the next vaporetto leave?
A che ora parte il prossimo vaporetto?

I wouldn't like to swim in that
Non nuoterei mai là dentro

I think I'm getting a bit seasick
Penso di avere il mal di mare

Or you can head just around the corner to Harry's Bar, Ernest Hemingway's favourite watering hole. This bar is famous for its cocktails, in particular, the Bellini, made with fresh peach juice and Prosecco.

To follow the classic line-up of all things Venetian - after gondolas and Bellinis - you can't miss out on Vivaldi. Born in Venice in 1678 he helped design the church of 'La Pieta', on Castello, south of St. Marks Square. He did this to ensure it had the best accoustics. It now puts on two concerts a week, with tickets from around £13.

A good time to explore the city is early in the morning when the streets are deserted. However, if you want to avoid the crowds during the day the quietest month to visit is in January. But make sure you wrap up as the winds off the Adriatic Sea can be icy cold. Although there are many bridges that join up the 118 islands that make up the city, only three bridges cross over the Grand Canal, which curves in an S-shape through the city's centre. One is called the Rialto, and is big enough to house the shops that sell fake Gucci, Nike and so on.

Soaring above the watery streets is the Campanile in St Mark's Square. Re-built after it collapsed in 1902, the new bell-tower stands at just under 100m, making it the city's tallest building. The views are fantastic, and the bells are impressive.

Venice is certainly touristy but it is an enchanting city - the hotel has stunning views of the Grand Canal and as a romantic place to visit, you can understand why it is at the top of the list.