Venice

Venice is a city that says adventure and sailing to distant lands. Marco Polo was 17 years old when he left Venice to sail to Asia. From the 13th - 15th centuries, it was one of the most luxurious cities in Europe, and a great trading empire with the Orient. Today, Venice is still a city like no other, and kids will have a great time exploring the labyrinth of streets and campos, shimmering canals and endless bridges.

Boats, boats, boats – Venice is really hundreds of islands in a lagoon, connected by bridges. When you first arrive, take a water taxi from the airport, car park (Piazzale Roma), or train station – you'll get a great introduction to this watery city. Remember no cars are allowed in the city proper – this is a real pedestrian city

Vaporettos (water buses) go up and down the Grand Canal, and out to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Lines #1 and #82 go up and down the Grand Canal, with views of the all the fancy palazzos. You'll also want to take the circle lines that go completely around Venice, from the train station to Fondamente Nove, around Sant' Elena, through the Guidecca Canal, with stops all along the way. For the map of vaporetto routes and fares, check out the ACTV Web site

Gondola rides usually last about an hour, nighttime is an especially magical time to go. Gondolas hold six people (excluding the gondolier), and there are plenty of places to pick up a gondola on canals throughout the city (not just in front of Piazza San Marco). Tell your gondolier to explore the smaller canals (if you go on the Grand Canals, it 's the same view as the vaporetto ride...)


If you want a short, but very cheap gondola trip (with two gondoliers), take the gondola ferries (traghetti) that go back and forth across the Grand Canal. You do typically need to stand up, so it's best for older kids, and the perfect thing for teens. The traghetto crossing is a real short-cut across the city.

Winged lions – The patron saint of Venice is St. Mark, and his body is buried in the great Basilica of San Marco. St. Mark is represented as a winged lion, with his paw on an open book, the gospel. Everywhere you go in Venice look for the winged lion in all sorts of places – emblazoned on the red and gold flag of Venice, statues, fountains, door handles, bronze gates, church sculptures, even gondolas and cannons are festooned with the lion

Stone wells – Hundreds of years ago, ever wondered how the Venetians managed to have fresh water, living in the middle of the lagoon? Ingeniously, in each campo (small square), they built a sand-lined cistern, which collected and purified rain water. While you're walking through Venice, keep your eyes peeled for the stone cisterns, still in the center of each campo.

Churches – Venice is packed with churches, many decorated with paintings by Venetian artists, but our favorite church is the exquisite Santa Maria dei Miracoli in the Castello sestiere. The church is covered inside and out with lovely pastel-colored marbles. Water from the canal laps against the stone foundation on one side. The scale of this church is small and intimate, something kids can relate to. And on the altar is an bejeweled 15th century painting of the Madonna and child – it's believed the painting itself can work miracles.

Jewish Ghetto (Cannaregio) – In the 16th century, the city of Venice decreed that Jews should live in one part of the city, called the "Ghetto Nuovo." This was the first ghetto in Europe, and today is a still active Jewish community. Visit and the Jewish Museum (Museo Ebraico, which includes the Museum of Hebrew Art), then stop into a kosher restaurant in the neighborhood for lunch.

Go to a concert – Venice is a very musical city – Antonio Vivaldi born in Venice, and was a violin teacher and concert master at an orphanage for years. One of his most famous pieces, the Four Seasons, is often performed at different churches around town – ask at your hotel for a concert schedule.