Grand Canal of Venice
Grand Canal (Canal Grande) is Venice’s main water street that divides it in half. As it did centuries ago, it flows through almost the entire city, keeping all its secrets and mysteries. Always filled with graceful gondolas, surrounded by unique examples of architecture, the Grand Canal of Venice is the most photographed place in the city. Making its way between islands, it makes two loops and thus resembles an inverted Latin S in shape. Its total length is 3,800 meters and its width varies from 3 to 70 meters, with a maximum depth of 5 meters. The main transportation artery of Venice starts in front of the train station and ends at the customs building, connecting to the La Giudecca and San Marco canals.
Video: View of the Grand Canal of Venice
«Канал-дворец»
Unlike ordinary rivers within the city limits, Venice’s Grand Canal has virtually no waterfront. It is closely flanked on both sides by buildings erected on stilts. Many of them have historical value, such as the 17th century Chiesa di Santa Maria di Nazareth, the 15th century Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, the 14th century Fondaco dei Turchi, and the Ca’ d’Oro or “Golden House”. In total, more than a hundred palaces are located on its banks, for which it received another name: Canalazzo or “Canal Palace”. Built at different times and in different styles, they create a harmonious ensemble, forming a unique image of Venice.
.To get from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, you can cross one of the four bridges or take a traghetto, a large gondola that seats up to twelve people. The price of such a service is 2 €.
.
Navigating the Grand Canal
As befits a main street, Venice’s Grand Canal is quite busy with traffic. Vaporettos or river streetcars are most often seen here. The price for 75 minutes of travel is 7.5 €, so for vacationers it is more profitable to buy tourist cards. The cheapest of them costs 20 €, but with its help you can ride around the city for a day without restrictions. A pass for 7 days costs 60 €. Also at any ticket office you can buy a Rolling Venice Card, with which the fare will be even cheaper, but the discounts are valid only for those under 30 years old.
.
A more refined mode of transportation, mostly chosen by tourists, are the gondolas. Gliding gracefully along the dark waters of the Grand Canal, obeying the precise movements of the gondoliers, they seem to transport passengers back several centuries. Of course, such a trip costs a lot, from 80 to 100 €, but it makes sense to treat yourself.
.The best time to go on a river trip is at sunset, when the setting sun casts a soft light on everything, making the city seem even more romantic.
.
