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Eternally represented in art, cinema and literature, Venice is one of those cities that are familiar even before you visit. But no film, book or painting will ever prepare visitors for the spectacle that awaits when they first behold St Mark’s Square or the bridges and palaces of the Grand Canal. Thanks to this city’s unique setting and long backstory, the singular beauty of Venice will always dazzle visitors.
The Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana is a 4-star hotel for business and leisure trips, convenient for visiting Venice, just 7 km away. Located near the ring road and reachable by car or public transport (bus and tram), it has a private parking and is 2 km from Venice Mestre Station and 10 km from Venice Marco Polo Airport. Its location allows you to quickly reach the center of Mestre and Piazza Ferretto.
The Hotel Mercure Venezia Marghera is ideal for visiting the most famous city on water. Near the A4-A57 motorway and close to the Marghera industrial area, our hotel is perfect for both a holiday and a business trip in nearby Padua, Vicenza and Verona. After a tasty dinner in our restaurant, the spacious and soundproofed rooms, with unbeatable WiFi connection, ensure you can relax in peace.
The Papadopoli Venezia MGallery hotel is in the heart of the city, nestled in the park with the same name, and a short distance from the Grand Canal and the Constitution Bridge. Its proximity to Venice main waterway will allow you to easily visit all the iconic sites of the lagoon and stay in an elegant, refined and ageless environment.
Between the grand monuments and intriguing neighbourhoods, La Serenissima is a cultural and romantic destination of the highest order. Want to see beyond the postcard? Here at all.accor.com, you'll find all the information you need before booking the best hotels in Venice.
Majestic or intimate, grand or quirky, the monuments of Venice open their doors to visitors on every street corner and every bend of the canals. There's so much to see and do on the Venetian archipelago that you'll have to organise yourself carefully to visit all the major attractions. A few words of practical help: the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) runs several museums and monuments across Venice, notably the Doge's Palace and the Glass Museum at Murano. Its website provides useful information for visitors and offers ticket sales on line, both for individual attractions and combined tickets. And of course, the welcoming teams in our Venice hotels can help you too!
The most famous landmark in Venice is immediately recognisable thanks to its impressive proportions and legendary sights. On arrival in St Mark's Square, take time to let its sheer beauty sink in; admire the richly ornate facade of the basilica and palace, take in every detail of the soaring red-brick bell tower and have a wander through the stately arcades that line the vast piazza. Two imposing columns are topped by statues: one represents St Theodore, patron saint of Venice until the ninth century; the other takes the form of a winged lion symbolising St Mark, the present patron saint of the city.
The home of the governors of Venice while the city was an independent republic, the Doge's Palace was for centuries the centre of political power. The mélange of styles represented in its architecture and richly ornamented interiors reflects the diversity of influences that shaped this ancient powerhouse across the years.
The covered Bridge of Sighs connected interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace with the former city jail. It is suspended above the waters of the Rio di Palazzo canal, and prisoners often had their last glimpse of Venice Lagoon from its windows. You can see the architectural details of this white-marble bridge clearly from the Ponte della Paglia nearby.
Adjacent to the Doge's Palace, St Mark's Basilica showcases a heady mix of Byzantine and Venetian architecture. The domes, the facades in a riot of colours and the interiors swathed in gilding and mosaics all evoke the Golden Age of Constantinople. Entry to the basilica is free, but you can buy jump-the-line tickets from the MUVE website so you don't have to queue for long. You'll also need to buy tickets for the basilica museum, which houses the famous bronze Horses of St Mark, and the Treasury.
Originally a lighthouse serving boats entering Venice Lagoon, St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) was reconstructed in 1912 and remains the highest landmark in Venice to this day. Climb up to the top for amazing views over the domes of St Mark's, city rooftops, the lagoon islands and the Veneto countryside.
A beguiling blend of Gothic and Renaissance styling, the Ca' d'Oro is another masterpiece of Venetian architecture – its intricately ornate facade makes it one of the most beautiful palaces in the city. Standing on the banks of the Grand Canal, over which it has an incomparable view, the palace now houses the Franchetti Gallery, featuring a collection of bronze sculptures, Flemish and Venetian paintings and a year-round schedule of temporary exhibitions.
The oldest bridge across the Grand Canal is also its most famous. Admire the arcading and reliefs on the magnificent stone Rialto Bridge from the banks of the canal as gondolas glide up and down below its arches, before searching out souvenirs of leather goods and wooden toys in the boutiques around the bridge.
To the north of Venice Lagoon, the islands of Murano and Burano are famous for the brightly coloured facades of their artisan dwellings as well as their respective specialities of glass and lace. A mecca for Italian craftsmanship that's highly prized across Europe, the tiny island of Murano is famous for glassware produced utilising age-old skills. Continuing this local tradition governed by extremely tight regulations, the glassblowers of today create exquisite contemporary pieces ranging from jewellery to chandeliers. The lacemakers of Burano also had their moment of fame among European collectors, who admired the quality, precision and beauty of their creations. Today, this intricate lace is still produced by a few local couturiers and the former school where they once learnt their craft is now the Lace Museum. Another curiosity on the island is its bell tower, which has a distinct lean – just like its counterpart in Pisa.
Venice stages world-class cultural events like the Biennale art extravaganza, the annual International Film Festival – one of the most prestigious on the planet – and the fabulously decadent masked Carnival in early spring. During the rest of the year, you can book shows in the city's theatres or at the celebrated Teatro La Fenice opera house, one of the most famous in Italy, offering a diverse programme of events as well as guided tours of its gilded interior.
As well as classic Italian dishes enjoyed across the whole country, Venice is the ideal spot to taste the cuisine of the Veneto. Be sure to visit a bakery to taste local pastries such as raisin- and almond-studded pane del doge and buttery buranelli biscuits, and don't forget the renowned, coffee-flavoured tiramisu, which was created in the region. Around the foot of the famous bridge, the Rialto Market sells fresh regional produce, including some varieties not found elsewhere. Taste regional specialities in the restaurants, like fegato alla Veneziana (calf's liver served with onions and white wine), sarde in saor (sardine fried in onions, raisins and pine nuts) or risotto prepared with local rice. The Veneto is also known for its wines and cheeses, often enjoyed during the evening aperitivo hour – from 7pm onwards – when many bars in the city offer drinks accompanied by free buffet nibbles.
To make the most of a stay in a hotel on Venice island, Italy, treat yourself to a luxurious getaway or organise a work event in our central Venice boutique hotel, on a canal and with a terrace restaurant. Staying here puts you close to all Venice's attractions, from the Rialto Bridge to the Doge's Palace. We also offer a couple of 4-star Venice hotels in Mestre, near the medieval city, or you can stay in contemporary surroundings with modern facilities and services including secure car parking, meeting rooms, a fitness centre and a pool.
Venice Marco Polo Airport is the closest to the historic city centre, which is directly accessed by bus or boat-taxi. Treviso Airport is around an hour from the old city by bus. A tramline takes visitors into Venice from the main railway and bus stations in Piazzale Roma. Regular trains from Mestre to Santa Lucia stations run between the modern and medieval city in around 10 minutes, so you can choose to stay in a hotel in central Venice or in Mestre. The labyrinthine alleyways and pedestrian bridges of Venice must be explored on foot, or you can take a gondola or a vaporetto water bus up and down the Grand Canal and between the lagoon islands. Public transport in Venice and Mestre is run by ACTV, including the bus services from Venice Marco Polo Airport.