photo : Mauro Cateb
Venice, situated in northeast Italy, is approximately 3.5 hours drive from Stadl an der Mur – or around 200 miles/330 km. It would be an interesting Italian start to a holiday in Austria.
Venice
Described as possibly the most romantic city in Europe, the whole of Venice – and the Venetian Lagoon by which it stands – are listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Its position and role as a port on the trade route from Europe to the rest of the world, meant that it was a city of great wealth in ancient times. With that wealth came the building of many beautiful palaces and the world famous St Mark’s Basilica.
From being the centre of maritime activity and commerce in the 13th century, Venice became one of the first adopters of modern technology – the print press – in the 14th century, ushering in the modernity of a new world. But by the 15th century, modernity brought a downturn in the fortunes of this fantastic place. New trade routes opened up by sea and colonisation of countries like India occurred. Venice lost its monopoly.
It was then ravaged by Black Death in the 16th century and plague in the 17th century. During the 18th century it actually belonged to Austria, until in 1866 it became part of the new Kingdom of Italy.
Sights Worth Seeing
Whilst Venice is a holiday destination in its own right, there is still much that can be seen and done during a day visit at the beginning or end of your Austrian holiday. Significant sights include:
- Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) with the beautiful St Mark’s Basilica
- Palazza dei Dogi – the palace of the Doge
- Rialto Bridge
- Bridge of Sighs
And the ‘must do’ thing for Venetian visitors, is a gondola ride on the canal system. In the evening, this is particularly romantic and affords opportunity to people-watch, as the well-dressed Venetians take their ‘passegiata’ or leisurely evening stroll, around the city.