Canal Grande, Venice

Fri, 5th August 2005

Seen here from the Rialto bridge, one only three bridges to cross it, the Canal Grande (Grand Canal - just in case you couldn't work it out) is the main waterway of Venice. Running from the train station at the lagoon it snakes its way through the centre of the city, ending at St Marks square.

As there are no roads in Venice the Grand Canal is main artuary for getting around the city, with numerous forms of boat based transport available including waterbuses ("vaporetti"), private hire 'taxis' and godolas. If you plan to spend more than a couple of hours in the city, it is well worth gettig a day pass for unlimited travel on the numerous waterbuses that there are.

The buildings facing out onto the Grand Canal are some of the most ostentatious in the city, historically providing there owners a way of flaunting their wealth for all to see. However, the backs of these building that are less open to public scrutiny are sometimes unrecognisible as being the same building.