Venice and Verona, Italy for Carnival

Vanessa Kroepsch
Mar 13, 2017
3 min read

As the carnival season was arriving I had to use the opportunity to see multiple carnival styles in Europe. Plus why not kill two birds in one stone and visit a new country I hadn't been to. Lets just say, as always, the trip did not disappoint and I had a blast. More pictures are on my Gallery.

Itinerary and some fun facts are below.

Venice, Italy

Started the day in Venice with a walking tour and saw just about everything.

As you can see on the map our walking tour began in Santa Croce, following San Polo, Dorsodouro, San Marco, Castello, and lastly Cannaregio. Thanks to our wonderful tour guide we learned to navigate Venice along with how the post office navigates. Due to a complicated numbering system, the post office uses colors of each Neighborhoods or “Sestieri" and that is how we navigated. The best part of this tour was that we discovered parts of Venice that were not known for tourist and we discovered the best local un-touisty food.

Next we learned about the history of Venice and the wonderful courtyards both private and public. We also discovered streets that were once waterways and how Venice used wells for fresh water. A very interesting and informational tour that I would recommend. But remember to book a tour soon, since Venice may not exist much longer. Due to increasing water levels, Venice is sinking slowly.

One of my favorite fun facts I learned was about the doors in Venice. Most doors have a hidden lock where you must know where the key must be interested before entering.

As for those who wonder if I rode in a gondola, the answer is no. Why? Because 45 minutes costs 80 euros. Seems a lot but a price that is set by the city and cannot be negotiated. A close up picture was enough for me. For those who want a ride on the canals, take a water taxi which the locals use. More affordable, interesting (since you stand up in it), and you see the same views as with a gondola.

With that being said, what exactly did I see in Venice?

- Canal Grande

- Doges' Palace

- Basilica di San Marco

- St. Mark's Square

- The house of Peggy Guggenheim where her collection is

- Cannaregio

- Ponte dei Sospiri

- Basilica dei Santi Giovanni

- Ponte dell'Accademia

- Ponte di Rialto

- Gallerie dell'Accademia

Along with many more wonderful sights.

As mentioned before we discovered Carnival in Venice and it was no disappointment. We were able to see the Grand Opening parade (check out the video below) and many people disguised in their costumes.