Is Venice magical or touristy?

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G. Sol

Venice is absolutely beautiful and charming. But at times it can be very crowded. Probably most crowded times are July/August and during the Venice Carnival. I have never seen so many people at the same time as during Carnival time. Also, in the summer, the canals can smell.

On the otherhand, Venice is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe. The part that is the most interesting is near St. Marco's Square (number 1 in the map below). But that is also the most touristic area. The area that is the most Italian is near the train station (number 27 on the map below).
http://images.worldres.com/search/lang1/map_venice.png

Venice is a must see. Best time to see it is probably June or September when the weather is good and the crowds are low. See this article for the best time to visit Italy:
http://www.travelswise.com/italy.htm

conley39

There are definitely both elements of the touristy and magical. I think the level of perception depends on each individual.

Personally, I find Venice pretty magical. I live about two hours away and visit frequently. The most magical times are in the early morning or late evening when the streets are nearly empty. You can get a sense of what Venice was like hundreds of years ago. Piazza San Marco in the early morning is especially nice - particularly on days when there's a fog.

There's magic in Venice even when the crowds are there. I always go to Carnevale on the weekends. To me there's a magic in seeing all the people having fun especially the family groups. The fireworks over the lagoon in front of the Doge's Palace during the Il Redentore celebration are impressive, but the magic is in understanding the festival. It's keeping a promise made when the city survived the plague.

Calculus

Yes, it's a bit of both, but they are all integral parts of the unforgetful experience that is Venice.
Visit Venice in the low-season (now's the time!) and you will have more of the city to yourself. Besides, the hotels will be a lot cheaper.
You feel there is a lot of tourity feel to the city mainly because of the countless shops selling tourist merchandise, souvenirs, shirts and what not. And also, irrespective of the time of the year of your visit, there is bound to be tourists everywhere. There are only 60,000 Venetians living there, as opposed to the 20 million tourists who visit every year.

Magical in a sense because the countless number of canals, ageing buildings, stunning churches, about one million foot bridges survive there in perfect harmony and there is no other city like it. Experience a gondola ride up the Grand Canal at sunset and you will start believing in fairytales.
Have a close look at the architecture in the main buildings like the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale and you will start to wonder how they built those building with such fine detail about 500-600 years ago. It's not something the many engineers/architects of today could have dreamed of.

nwick

only been there once, found it crowded, canals dirty & stank. very touristy and merchants all over pushing their wares.
didnt enjoy it that time, but am ending a cruise there next year and wonder if it is different.
hear so many folks think it is wonderful.
good luck,
Neil

samurai_dave

Both. At night it appears magical and mysterious as many streets are deserted. Years ago I slept undisturbed on a church step in venice one summer evening just down from San Marco next the Grand Canal. Also sunset is a good time for that magical feeling.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/2230/p1010228ni1.jpg

during the day especially on the weekend, many parts of it just seem way too touristy. San Marco is awashed with tourists and nothing else. I was there just this last sunday and even though it was october there were long lines for the Ducal Palace, the Baslica, and tower.

Seamus O'Reilly

I lived and worked in Venice for a few months during the winter. It wasn't extremely cold and the canals did not stink. It is kind of touristy but at that time of year not extremely busy so you can do whatever you want without really getting hassled. I thought it was awesome, personally, and everyday before I went into work I would walk around aimlessly looking at all of the architecture. I think its definitely worth a visit.

Silver

My family is from Italy. Venice is beautiful and has so much history. It has become touristy in the last few years but still worth the experience. Wear good walking shoes because there are certain areas you can not drive to and will need to walk to or take a boat. If you are looking for places that are less touristy try Florence, Bologna or Padova.

Anita Klue

Been 2ice. the first time i did not notice the tourism so much as the magic!!! it really does exceed expectation.

the second time the city seemed 4 times as touristy. seems that there are only tourists and the elderly left to wander about this magical city.

princess_mons

Pure Magical. Was my fav. place when I went to visit...Although it was busy and a lot of hustle and bustle.. but as an italian myself, thats just life in a country with tourism. If you stop to just take in all the history all the busyness seems to disappear and you really see the georgous city.

sonny

can be both

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