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The City

Often referred to as the “City of Water”, Venice is the capital of the region of Veneto, which is known to be one of the most beautiful northern Italian cities. World-famous for its waterways, Venice is built up of 118 islands formed by about 150 canals. The islands on which the city is built are connected by about 400 bridges, all contributing to a city that is full of character and beauty. 

In 1630, Venice began to lose its position as a centre of international trade, due to the plague killing a third of its inhabitants. Historically, the Venetian empire was a major exporter of agricultural products and, until the mid-18th century, a significant manufacturing centre. In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is on water or on foot. At first, this seems somewhat bizarre and is quite difficult to adjust to, however once you get used to it, it feels very natural.

Although the city appears small, it is really quite extensive for its size, and you won’t be stuck for anything to do during the days. The attractions in Venice include many outstanding formations, such as an impressive collection of tapestries and paintings. The amazing buildings and galleries showcase the artistic side of Venice. Venice is so achingly beautiful, with churches around every corner, and every campo filled with buzzing cafes. It feels very similar to living on a movie set and therefore makes a year studying there, somewhat magical.

Sections of Venice: Sestieri di Venezia

Venice is divided into six Sestiere. Each one has its own special qualities that make each sestieri individual:

San Marco- this is where you find Piazza San Marco. It is home to ‘La Basilica’, the famous church, known as the centre of Venice. This Piazza is constantly filled with musicians and orchestral music, the most stunning piazza in Venice by far. Buzzing with restaurants, the famous Florian and Aurora cafes, although very expensive, are amazingly beautiful! In this sestiere, you will also find La Fenice. This is the famous opera house of Venice, along with all the designer shops, for example Prada, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, all a little too expensive for lowly students! On the other side of the area, you will come across the Accademia Bridge, the bridge that crosses over to Dorsoduro. 

Tip; Bacaro wine bar– one of our favourite bars with a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and free nibbles with drinks. It is also open till late, which is an added bonus.

San Polo- this district is one of the most interesting areas of the city. It is bursting with churches and hidden gems to see. This hosts the main route that connects Piazzale Roma to the Rialto Bridge. It is also where you will come across the convent church of the Minor San Francesco, known more commonly to us as the “Frari”. This church was built between 1340 and 1443 and is a good example of Venetian Gothic architecture. Inside the Frari Church it is possible to retrace the development of the history of Venice. Near the Rialto area, is Campo San Polo, which is one of the bigger squares of the city and a place full of life and young people. The Rialto area itself is full of typical shops and Italian style markets. The fish market here is very famous and offers a huge selection of fresh food which is also cheap for students! 

Tip; Birraria– scrumptious lazy lunching, especially when the sun is out. It offers really tasty food.

Cannaregio- this is the largest Sestiere of all. This is home of the ‘Ghetto’ which is the Jewish quarter and first recorded Ghetto in the world. There are many local Venetian shops, bars and restaurants when you walk down every street. It has a real Venetian feel to it, and feels how Venice would be without the tourists. The main walkway, Strada Nova, is the largest and longest in Venice and stretches from one end of cannaregio to the train station, Santa Lucia Ferrovia. A very exciting area to live, and very lively from first thing in the morning until last thing at night. 

Tip; "As you like it" Vintage boutique, offers a wide range of different clothing to the traditional Italian style. Well worth the trip!!

Castello- again, home to a stunning church, San Giovanni e Paolo, which is at the north of the island. This is also where the Ospedale is found; where else would you find a hospital with the most beautiful façade? You would think it was a church, and that’s one of the beauties of Venice. The other side of this Sestiere is where you find Giardini. Venice is a much built up island and it is rare to find a place that feels as spacious as the open green space of this area. It is amazing in the summer and feels like a breath of fresh air. The famous large Biennale exhibition is held here every other year; when worldly artists come to show their recent work. Campo Santa Maria Formosa, is a large buzzing Campo in the centre of Castello, with a brilliant gym and large library. Via Garibaldi is one of the many filled-in canals, which now acts as a main walkway, host to many restaurants, little shops and brilliant fruit stalls all with friendly sellers. Neighbouring Via Garibaldi is Arsenale, the famous naval area of Venice which used to house one of the largest naval fleets in Europe and is still home to a naval academy. You can often see navy officers wondering the Calles of Venice, quite the site! This is another good area to live in and many Venetian locals are residents here. 

Tip; Acuigheta– best pizzeria in Venice! (in our opinion). Produces cheap, thin base pizzas, with a variety of topping choices. Also, amazing cichetti most notably the Aranchino (hot balls of rice, vegetables and meat).

Dorsoduro- This is known as the student area and is the home of the Ca’ Foscari University and its buildings, libraries and student accommodation. It is also host to the famous Salute Church, the large church on the Venetian horizon which can be seen from almost everywhere. On the 21st November, there is the Madonna della Salute, a festival for the Virgin Mary. There is a big procession over the Grand Canal with everyone carrying candles – well worth going to! On one hand in Dorsoduro, we have the very contemporary Peggy Guggenheim, a famous art gallery which started in 1928 as a spin off from the New York Guggenheim gallery. It contains many important and famous works of art, namely Jackson Pollack and Vassily Kandinsky. On the other hand however, we have the antique art pieces in the Galleria dell’ Accedemia. There is a specialised art collection here, with a lot of work gathered from churches and other important buildings in Italy, especially in Venice. The Campo Santa Margerita is a campo in the heart of Dorsuduro, which is usually full of students and is lined with many student priced bars, restaurants and pizza parlours. 

Tip; Basking in the sun on Zattere during the summer months, with all the Italian students. Pop into “Nico” for a gelato!

Santa Croce- the oldest Sestiere in Venice. Again hosting more university buildings, many resident Venetians live here hence not often visited by tourists. This district extends from Piazzale Roma to the Railway Station and faces onto the grand canal. It is a quiet part of the city with many hidden squares. One of the main attractions of this area is Palazzo Cà Pesaro, a gorgeous building which faces onto the Grand Canal. This is where you come across the Venice Museum of Modern Art, which is one of the most important in Italy. You can find many works by internationally famous sculptors and artists. There are a few decent restaurants and bars in some parts of this district, making it a good destination for night life. 

Tip; Baffo’s bar, in Campo Sant Agostin, is currently a popular meeting point for young people.

Guidecca- this is a small, mainly residential island, opposite the sestiere of Dorsoduro. It is not attached to the main island of Venice. It is home to the Hotel Cipriani, which is nice to visit for a coffee, but unless you happen to be super wealthy, a coffee is all you can buy without breaking the bank. Also, all music students of Ca’ Foscari university should know that the Music department is on Guidecca and is easily reached by various Vaporetti.

Santa Croce- many large hotels occupy this long thin spit of an island. It has a beautiful beach resort and is so easy to get to. It is great to be able to enjoy both the history and glory of main Venice and then be able to go over to the Lido for fun on the sand. Also, a good way to see the Lido is to rent old school bicycles for the day and ride around, stop for lunch and carry on riding!

University

There are a few universities in Venice and its surrounding areas. The main university of Venice is Ca’ Foscari, which is situated in a restored Palazzo on the Grande Canal. There is the Ca’ Rezzonico vaporetto stop nearby but, because Venice is so small, most people walk to university unless you live too far out, in a place like Castello.  If you are in Venice to learn Italian, it is likely you will attend Ca’ Foscari. It is a good university with a wide range of topics and lectures.

There is also the Universita Iuav di Venezia which is the architecture, art and design university and architecture students come from all over the world to study here because of the architectural benefits of living and learning in Venice.

Transport

Some people still do not believe that there really are no roads and no cars in Venice, it’s difficult to believe especially if you usually live somewhere like Britain. But I promise there are NO ROADS therefore NO CARS!!!

The main mode of transport around Venice is on foot. It is the best way to see everything and also the best way to get your bearings in this real labyrinth of a city! You can turn down a 'calle' and end up somewhere you have never been before…which is always exciting!

The main form of transport on the waterways is the excellent and very reliable Vaporetti. There are many Vaporetto stops within the city and there are regular buses from all the stops. They even have Vaporetto that run through the night to certain stops. Cost = 6€ (or 1€ with a Carte Venezia, which costs 10€ for 3 years). To buy a Carte Venezia you must show that you are a student and living in Venice at the time. You can also pay an extra 18€ a month for unlimited vaporetto rides. Obviously, you must decide whether you will ride the Vaporetto more than 18 times in the month?!

The Water Taxis are extremely expensive but they are certainly an experience. Especially to catch one from the airport into Venice, it’s magical! Cost = 80€ - 100€ from the airport

I traghetti carry people across the Grand Canal for just 50 cents. There are only 3 bridges that cross the canal, so extra ways of getting to the other side were necessary. Note to everyone: if you want to ‘be’ Venetian you must stand up on the Traghetti.

Gondolas are not really a mode of transport to get from one place to another, because you usually end up where you started. They are however, a really good way to see Venice from a different perspective and it's so peaceful along the smaller canals. This is magical and is a must do when in Venice. Again, it is very expensive. Cost = 80€ - 100€, but you can often barter the price down to around 60€ if you can speak Italian. Make friends with someone on a boat!!!

To reach Venice from the Marco Polo airport there is a vaporetto service, Alilaguna. It has 4 lines and runs to different stops in Venice throughout the day and night.  Cost = 12€, 6€ with Carta Venezia. There are also buses that run from the front of the airport to Piazzale Roma, the Piazza at the end of the Venice Bridge. Cost = 1€-3€.

Food and Drink

Venice is host to many restaurants of which all offer Venetian style food. Inevitably, Venice offers a wide range of seafood dishes along with the traditional Italian cuisine of pizza, and pasta. Unfortunately, many of the Venetian restaurants are expensive for what is on offer, due to it being such a tourist city, therefore it is necessary to search for hidden Venetian gems!

Some of our favourite restaurants include:

Bacaro Jazz Bar, Rialto- which has really good food at reasonable prices, friendly waiters and a really lively atmosphere, however, it is somewhat touristy.

Alla Rivetta, Castello- is supposedly the real Venetian experience, with the elderly Venetians running around the smallest restaurant ever, serving delicacies to the customers who have to sit together!

Casini di nobili, Dorsoduro- was once the brothel of Venice and has a wonderful atmosphere with an outside eating area. It is reasonably priced. The restaurants along the Canal della Miscordia, Cannaregio are great for cheap but tasty pizzas, notably Timon, which also has great cichetti.

There is a 12% service charge almost everywhere and a lot of places have cover charge of about 2€ each. This increases the total of a bill, so when eating out keep this in mind! Note: Venetian waiters take their time, no one is ever in a rush and in some places, food comes out at different times. But this is the Venetian way, so I advise you to just sit and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s important to remember that unless you know how to argue in Italian very well, refrain from getting into disputes with the staff in restaurants.

Thankfully, Venice does accommodate the student price range for food, try Brek and the three Mensa. These are all affordable canteen type restaurants, offering an array of meals.  These cheap restaurants are situated in the vicinity of the main university buildings and very useful if you simply want to pick up something to eat.

Also, for lunch, Campo Santa Margherita is a perfect place to simply pick up an enormous and CHEAP pizza slice from the best take away parlour, Pizza al Volo. Another great place for lunch is the Impronta Café. It is a smart and reasonably priced bistro bar and Café Noir (opposite) has brilliant little piadini (sandwiches) which are extremely cheap!

Coffee or Caffé is a vital part of Venetian lifestyle.  However, there is a kind of coffee etiquette for the Venetians. For example, Cappuccino is only ‘allowed’ before midday and a quick espresso is necessary in both the afternoon and evening! If you don’t like coffee then Caffé D’orzo is a tasty alternative.

With a meal, the wine is very affordable, I advise you to ask for a carafe as it is usually good wine which costs between 10€ - 15€.

The usual tipples of British students, beer and spirits, are extortionately priced. But it is important to remember, that shots are considerably bigger on the continent.  My advice is to stick to the Venetian drinks, which are Wine, Prosecco and Spritz (a mixture of aperol/campari, white wine and soda water) because they are pretty good and if you want to embrace Venice completely, then drink Venetian.

Out on the Town

Venice nightlife is almost non-existent in the shape of clubbing. At first this could prove difficult to adjust to, but you soon realise what a wonderful experience it is to just start drinking at aperitivo time 5.30/6pm and continue well into the night. There are many bars all around the city, almost every ‘calle’ has a bar/restaurant so there is always somewhere to go for a quick or lengthy drink.

On the clubbing front, Piccolo Mondo is the one and only club in Venice and it really is a ‘small world’ as its name implies.  However, if you are in desperate need of dancing the night away then the raves (Rivolta 10€) and nightclubs on the mainland namely Mestre, Padova are always a fun night out. Also, it is relatively easy to get back to Venice as there are vaporetti running all through the night.

The liveliest areas at night within Venice are Rialto, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, comprising of students and locals alike. Campo Santa Margherita has a host of lively bars mainly frequented by students, so a good place to meet likeminded people, namely, Café Rosso, Café Orange and Duchamp. If you are an avid rugby/football fan then the best place to watch matches are the three Irish pubs in Cannaregio and San Marco. They provide a good atmosphere and are a nice reminder of home and solidarity!

Carnevale; this event is the highlight of the Venetian calendar most especially for students. Our opinion, which is shared by many of our friends, is that Carnevale is the best experience in Venice and a great aspect of being an Erasmus student there. It comprises of brilliant nights out, really lively atmosphere and top European DJs playing throughout the night at the Padiglione Italia, Biennale, Castello until 6/7 in the morning.

Erasmus parties are few and far between, once a term at most and mainly as a social occasion to bring together all Erasmus students. However, because it only happens once a term, it’s difficult to become amazing friends with them. Erasmus students in Venice have to work quite hard to make and maintain friendships, there isn’t much organised by the university.

Day Tripper

Being in Venice means you are a lot closer to all the other amazing places in Italy and if you feel the need to leave the amazing city that is Venice, there are so many other beautiful places to visit.

Murano, Burano and Torcello- are three islands which are a must see. I advise everyone to see as much as possible while in Venice, and the three islands that are a short boat ride away are home of glass-blowing, lace making and colourful painted houses.

Mestre- a little metropolis just over the bridge connecting Venice to the mainland. It has brilliant shopping and a good cinema where you can see new releases, all in Italian. Mestre is a nice place to go away from the confines of Venice and is only 1.10€ each way on the train and bus and takes only 10 minutes.

Padova- is a beautiful town and just a 30 minute train ride out of Venice. It has two amazing cathedrals and seriously good shopping. Important to understand that for clothes and accessories, Venice is almost devoid of shops other than the expensive designer stores, so it is necessary to leave Venice in search of good shopping. Padova has a large market that is fun to trawl through to find a bargain and just an experience as it sells everything!!!

Verona- just over an hour out of the city, this is the famous city of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  With its cobbled streets and romantic feel, Verona is well worth the visit.

Milan- although slightly further a field, being two and a half hours away from Venice, it is an amazing city in the North of Italy and is a great insight into the workings of a metropolitan Italian city. Milan is known for its shopping and has a huge array of multicultural restaurants, which are welcomed after the solely Italian food in Venice!

Travelling around Italy is relatively easy, as Venice is connected by train to all the major cities.  Trains can vary in prices but are easily researched as the website http://www.trenitalia.it/ shows all times and prices within Italy.
Note: Eurostar and ICplus trains are the most expensive but are the quickest, and the Regionale trains are quite substantially cheaper, but much slower.

It is also possible to fly within Italy, as Venice is served by two nearby airports, Venice Marco Polo and Venice Treviso (slightly further out).

How to make your life easier

Shops; as in all Italian cities, Venice’s shops are notorious for the strange opening hours. At first this is difficult to adjust to because food shops shut between 12.30pm and 4pm (varies from shop to shop), which is often when people would chose to shop.  All shops are open later, closing at about 7/7.30pm.  The main supermarkets in Venice are Billa and Coop, there are a few scattered around the city and sell a wide range of products. There are also little supermarkets and independent stores on almost every calle, however, they are often slightly more expensive.  There is not a wide range of foreign food in the supermarkets so I advise everyone to simply revel in the pizza and pasta culture of Venice.

Accomodation; the university does not offer a lot of accommodation for students therefore, it is necessary to come to Venice and search for somewhere to live, in the university buildings there are many notices of people looking for flatmates.  With regards to location, everything and everywhere is relatively close which in essence means that there is no prime location.  Cost = between 270€ and 400€ a month.

Codice Fiscale; this is essential when living in Italy. In Venice the office for the Codice Fiscale is situated in Campo Sant’Angelo.  Bring your passport and a copy of the passport.

To view information about Bank Accounts & Money transfers, Internet & Telephone and Health, visit our Italy homepage.

Guide written by Nickie Le Roy Chen and Katie Moore, English exchange students in Venice, 2007/2008.

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:: nchen | 24 Mar 2008

Studying and living in Venice is an experience I will never forget. Being a history student, there is no doubt that Venice, is the perfect city for me in which to live and learn. It's fascinating history and incredible architecture is the reason Venice stood out over the other possible year abroad choices. It is so wonderfully different to my B...