Venice - around New Year

[krisheylen]

My wife and I will spend a week in Venice. We're leaving next saturday (and

really need the vacation...) We've never been to Italy before, but live in the

north-east of Spain (Girona). Is the climate comparable ? And the local

habbits ?<p>

I have read about as much as I could find from the forums, and Philip

Greenspun's article, so we will take an extra amount of handkerchiefs :-)

<p>

There is not much info available on the internet about Venice in this time of

the year, except that we will find a lot of musea and other touristic places

closed. Most of the information seems to be oriented to summer mass-tourism

(happens here as well).<p>

If someone could give a little help regarding photo opportunities in this time

of the year, places to go, places to avoid, we would be very grateful.<p>

Thanks in advance,<br>Kris.

[pjmeade]

Hello Kris, I have been to Venice in October and November and there is plenty to do, looking at the city. We spent a weeks honeymoon there too, there will be plenty to see, especially if you visit the outlying islands.

 

There are many Venice web sites, this one is on my home PC

 

http://www.venicebanana.com/eng/eventi.htm

 

Hope the link helps

 

Have a great time. Pete

[krisheylen]

Thanks Peter.<p>Very interesting information from the insiders.

[bill_from_new_york_city]

I have been to Venice twice and that last visit was over fours year ago.

 

I founded my best photos were away from the popular tourist locations. Have a very good map as you will find many of the alleys do not have street names and you can get lost. I walked around using the small plazas which are named, as my reference on the map. I carry a small flashlight in my camera bag and in came handy to help me read my street map at night.

 

I do not know the current state of how many tourists during the time you will visit. But I visited during April and October and during the day San Marco was packed with tourists and that is were I did not want to be.

 

But if you get up really early in the morning you will find Venice magically quite place to photography.

 

For some non photo advice like eating, drinking, places to see in and about Venice try the SlowTravel meesage board.

 

http://slowtalk.com

 

Have fun, I certainly did!

 

Bill

 

P.S. Hopefully next year when I visit Barcelona again will have a chance to visit Girona.

[jeffpolaski]

Are you staying IN Venezia? If so, walk the back streets and visit the small places. Makes a few of these walks very early in the morning, and follow the bakery goods to their destinations.

[david_henderson]

Its difficult to suggest any other strategy than to walk a lot and to make sure you cover the areas away from the main sights as well. In a week you can see pretty much all of Venice. The more I go, the more I realise its the little scenes I prefer to photograph.

 

You can get a weekly season ticket for the waterbuses which is very worthwhile. If you're there a week make sure you visit the islands of Burano and Torcello which offer a marked change of pace and aspect from Venice itself.<div></div>

[kahkityoong]

Venice is far from my favourite Italian city e.g. too many tourist traps, everything is

overpriced, etc. However for photographic opportunities, it is fantastic. A wealth of

possibilities await you. There are no specific places I would like to single out. The city is

easily covered on foot and believe me you will have no trouble finding things to shoot. Make

sure you have enough film or cards. You should try to be up at the crack of dawn, watch the

city come alive around the piazza San Marco, often there will be fog at this time.

[krisheylen]

Thanks a bunch to everybody.<p>

We will stay just outside of Venice, like a 15 minute bus ride. I already have some pictures in the fog in mind, so I hope the weather gods bare with me and give me a little bit of everything.<p>

I also take enough memory with me for everyday's shooting, and a portable drive to make copies when back at the hotel.<p>

Thanks again all.<p>

Regards,<br>Kris.

[jeffpolaski]

Kris, if you have a car available, an old post of mine might be useful:

 

Venice is a tourist-industry town, as was made clear when we went back there many years after our 1969-71 sojourn in the Veneto region. If you go there with that in mind, you should be able to enjoy what I consider to be the most beautiful city in the world, warts and all.

On the other hand, if you're driving Northern Italy, drive a short way down the coast and visit Chioggia. They've got fishing boats, a few canals and people who work in other-than-tourist-related businesses. Or, drive northeast up the Autostrada to Ceggia/Cessalto. You'll find a trattoria named "Ben Venue". It's Michelin starred, and they built a small motel next door for the many patrons who felt the food was worth the journey. Along the same stretch of Autostrada you can find the small town of Portogruoro, which has it's very own leaning tower. (There are more leaning towers in Italy than the chamber of commerce would want you to believe.)

[krisheylen]

Thanks Jeff, I'll say hello from you over there.

[larry_kincaid1]

I visited once, a year ago. I want to go back again when there are NO tourists there. You will not have that problem: taking photos of tourists taking pictures of more tourists ....etc. After I walked almost every place, I realized that no matter where you stand in Venice there's a great photograph in every direction. All you need is great light and preferably some "real Venetians" going about their business. Unfortunately, half the population left over the last ten years. Our favorite campo (excluding San Marco) was called San Margarite (spelling?) It's a purely local, small campo with great small resturants. It's where the musicians went after their performances in the great churches. Problem is: will there be performances in the churches in the Winter with no tourists (definitely check on this, the photo opts inside the churches during concerts is great). Have fun. . . look for the out of way places.