Poreč – Venice Day Trip

Although COVID has had a major impact on our day-to-day habits, when it comes to visiting Venice, COVID is actually doing us a big favour. Do you remember images of huge crowds every time you read about Venice or watch scenes on TV? In light of the COVID crisis, this is no longer the case, which makes visiting the city much more pleasant and relaxed. When organising and planning this unique experience, you can rely on our Valamar Experience Concierge Team.

WHY VENICE?

It is a place where you will experience a magical feeling full of romance, beauty, intrigue, and mystery.

Its awe-inspiring architecture, 118 islands, and more than 170 canals, not to mention the tumultuous history and ubiquitous romance, all make Venice one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But everything wasn’t always as beautiful as it seemed. The city’s tumultuous history is stained with blood and surrounded by an air of mystery, making the whole experience even more intriguing.

So let’s get started, shall we?

Your adventure in Venice will begin with a cruise departing from Poreč in the early morning hours. The time spent travelling to Venice will not be wasted thanks to a wealth of very useful information shared by the expert guides on board. Make sure to stay awake for the stunning scenes you will experience during the final part of the voyage. Sailing into the Venetian lagoon takes about an hour, which provides ample opportunity to take in some truly spectacular views. You will have the city in the palm of your hand.

You can find more details about the itinerary on the Valamar Experience Concierge website.

GONDOLAS, BRIDGES, AND CANALS

The unique, narrow, flat-bottomed gondola is easily one of the most recognisable symbols of Venice, as are the characteristic gondoliers, with their striped shirts, black trousers, and charming hats to complete the look.

The gondola is composed of 280 individual parts. Its asymmetrical construction makes it easier to steer, increasing stability as the gondolier stands at the back, expertly propelling it using a long oar. Enjoying a gondola ride with your loved one is the ultimate experience synonymous with romance.

If you get a chance to share a passionate kiss in the gondola as you pass under the Bridge of Sighs, you will know that you have written a special page in the story of your life. You may also be interested to know that, at least according to tradition, if a couple shares a kiss under every bridge, they will stay in love forever.

The Bridge of Sighs is one of around 400 bridges found throughout Venice. Although the bridge is associated with love and romance, it is actually one of the city’s most infamous bridges because it provided prisoners with their final opportunity to catch a glimpse of the city before being dragged off in chains. Very few prisoners ever managed to escape the prison, and the famous ladies’ man Casanova was one of them.

ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL

Countless architectural wonders await around every corner.

Standing in the middle of Piazza San Marco, 175 m long, is certain to leave you breathless. And did you know that the clock on St Mark’s Clocktower is one of the first astronomical clocks in Europe? The clock’s history is said to be varied and controversial, with numerous restorations over the years.

Let’s not forget other remarkable landmarks such as:

• the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (English: Saint Mary of Health) located at the point where the Grand Canal meets the Giudecca Canal,
• the Gallerie dell’Accademia on the south bank of the Grand Canal,
• the Renaissance building of the Marciana Library or Library of Saint Mark, located in Saint Mark’s Square facing the Doge’s Palace,
• the Ca’ d’Oro or Palazzo Santa Sofia on the Grand Canal,
• the Ca’ Rezzonico palazzo on the Grand Canal, housing a public museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice,
• the Fondaco dei Turchi or the Turks’ Inn, a Byzantine palace on the Grand Canal, and many others.

AWAKEN ALL YOUR SENSES WITH A TOUCH OF TRADITION

The numerous little streets and squares are filled with cafés, pizzerias, and all types of souvenir shops.

The unparalleled craftsmanship of ornaments and jewellery made of Murano glass is certain to catch your eye, another notable symbol of Venice and its rich tradition. In the 13th century, glassmakers were forced to move to the island of Murano. As early as the 14th century, they acquired a privileged status similar to that of the nobility. Still, at the same time, they were not allowed to leave Murano at any cost. It allowed the Venetian Republic to protect the secret of its glass production craft.

Various decorative items and glass jewellery are still produced on the island of Murano using the same traditional methods.

Conclude your day in Venice with a delicious pizza or pasta, and relax with the all-important cup of espresso/cappuccino to make your experience truly authentic.

One could spend hours just talking about Venice, but getting a chance to experience the city with your own senses is a different matter altogether. It should come as no surprise, then, that Goethe lauded Venice as a city incomparable to any other, and Charles Dickens, in one of his daydreams, quipped that the “gorgeous and wonderful reality of Venice is beyond the fancy of the wildest dreamer”.