Instant Cities: Venice

Venice › Places and landmarks

Vaporetto

The water bus of Venice, chugging up and down the Grand Canal from stop to stop.

Play Venice Watch the tour

Photo: Abxbay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With no cars in the city, the vaporetto is its public transport: a broad, low water bus run by the ACTV, stopping at floating platforms along the Grand Canal and out to the islands of the lagoon.

Line 1 runs the whole length of the Grand Canal, slowly enough to see every palace. Ride through Venice in 3D ›

More in Venice

Piazza San MarcoThe only square in Venice called a piazza, ringed by arcades and opening onto the lagoon. St Mark’s BasilicaBuilt for the relics of Saint Mark, covered inside with golden mosaics. Doge’s PalaceThe pink and white Gothic palace from which the doges ruled the Republic of Venice. Campanile di San MarcoThe bell tower of St Mark’s, which fell down in 1902 and was rebuilt “where it was, as it was”. Bridge of SighsThe covered stone bridge between the Doge’s Palace and the prisons, built in 1600. Rialto BridgeThe stone bridge of 1591 over the Grand Canal, with shops along its arch. Grand CanalThe great S-shaped waterway through the middle of Venice, lined with palaces. MercerieThe chain of narrow shopping lanes from St Mark’s to the Rialto, the race route in the game. La FeniceVenice’s opera house, which has risen from its ashes more than once, as its name promises. GondolaThe long black boat of Venice, rowed standing up with a single oar. CarnivalTwo weeks of masks and costumes before Lent, filling the squares of Venice. Acqua altaThe high tides that flood St Mark’s Square, now held back by the MOSE barriers.