Venice is actually a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. It's a very popular tourist destination, and has been ranked many times as the most beautiful city in the world (I have two - Paris, and Prague, but I'll cover that in different trip postings). The city hosts up to 60,000 tourists per day, and I can personally testify as to it being very crowded! The "must see" places there include St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace (the Doge was the supreme authority of the former Venetian Republic), the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco. We did get to visit three islands in the Venetian Lagoon: Murano (famous for its glass making), Burano (known for its lace work), and Torcello (to visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Church of Santa Fosca).
Another, lesser-known "must-see," is it's Jewish Ghetto, where Jews were force to live until Napoleon Bonaparte made the Venetian Government dissolve it in 1797, and the Ghetto was renamed, Contrada dell'unione. Today the Ghetto is still a center of Jewish life for the roughly 500 Jews who live in Venice, although very few actually live within the Ghetto itself. It's main use is as a place of worship and education. In fact, every year it plays host to an International Conference on Hebrew Studies, with other conferences, exhibitions and seminars held throughout the year. There are two active synagogues and three others that are used only for guided tours. Venetian cuisine varies depending on the where you are, but two main staples are Polenta (a thick cream made with corn flour, and eaten very hot, with salami, cured meat, and cheese) and a variety of seafood dishes you'll find around the coastal areas. We had a great time in Venice. Enjoy the pictures!
