You are enjoying yourselves in one of our beautiful
villas in Istria, you explored the surroundings, tried the local cuisine, soaked up the lovely sun, and now it is time for a boat trip!
For
romantic souls, and history and art lovers, we
recommend a boat trip to “the floating city”, “the Queen of the Adriatic”,
Venice.
Venice is a
city in northeastern Italy, located in the Venetian Lagoon. The city is situated
across a group of 118 small islands that are
separated by 177 canals and linked by 409 bridges. The Lagoon, together with a part of the city, is listed as a
Unesco World Heritage Site. Founded in the 5th century and rising to prominence as a maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Venice harbors a large number of
architectural masterpieces and major works by some of the greatest artists.
Venice is an iconic city: it is a
work of creative geniuses, a beautiful city built literally on mud and sand. The biggest attraction in Venice is the architecture, enhanced by the canals. As well as Piazza San Marco and St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice is the
home of Gothic masterpiece Doge’s Palace.
If you are more interested in
modern art, then in renaissance, you will find the
Peggy Guggenheim Collection very interesting. As already mentioned, there are more than 400 bridges in Venice (only 2 bridges without a parapet).
The Rialto Bridge is most famous (and most beautiful). First constructed in the 12th century, therefore the oldest bridge across the Grand canal, it was build to provide access to Rialto, a financial and commercial center of Venice. The second most famous Venetian bridge is
The Bridge of Sighs.
Many people think that the Bridge of Sighs, gets its name from the sighs of love-struck couples when they see the pretty little Venetian bridge. It was the romantic poet Lord Byron who translated the Italian name into English, lending it a dreamy allure. The small bridge
connects the Doge’s Palace, home to the city’s ruler and also the courts of justice,
with the prison across the canal. Criminals and traitors were sentenced in the Doge’s Palace before crossing to the prison. The sighs were more sighs of despair, then romantic.
We also recommend to visit
Murano, a
series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, famous for its
glass making. In the 13th century, all the glassmakers in Venice were forced to move to Murano due to risk of fires. Soon, the
island became famous for glass beads, mirrors and chandeliers. Even today, glassmaking is still the island’s main industry. Once in Venice, try a Bellini, a drink created in the famous Harry’s bar, in which even Ernest Hemingway enjoyed. Can you imagine Hemingway drinking a pinkish drink with peaches? :)
The ideal trip for nature lovers is a trip to the
national park Brijuni, an
archipelago consisting of 14 islands and one of Croatia’s 8 national parks. You can reach the Brijuni islands easily
from Fazana. The Brijuni islands are famous for their scenic beauty, the Safari park, 600 indigenous plant species and several archaeological and cultural sites (dinosaur footprints and a church built by the Knights Templar). You can read more about
“heaven on Earth” Brijuni in one of our articles.
Our guests have shown interest for various
versions of boat trips, like fishing safaris/f ish-picnics or dolphin watching. Take part in a relaxing boat ride alongside the Istrian coast and discover beautiful bays and untouched nature. The trip usually starts from Umag or Porec and gives you a chance to
see the picturesque istrian towns and the beautiful Lim Bay, a part of the Lim Valley. Dolphin watching is a unique experience and especially suitable for families with children. They typically last about 2 hours, are fun and informative and give you the opportunity to see dolphins in their natural environment.
Have a nice time in Istria, stay in our lovely villas and discover the beauty of Venice.
Sanja Varovic
27.03.2019
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
