Spending the Christmas Season in Venice, Italy

Christmas time is here, spaghetti and gondola boats are everywhere. Venice is a magical wonderland during the Christmas season. You won’t want to miss Venice at Christmas time.

Holiday lights dangle underneath walkways and Christmas music can be heard in stores and in restaurants.

History of Venice

Venice is a unique place primarily because of the origin of the city. Venice is built on preexisting marshy islands by refugees needing to escape to the vicious attacks of the barbarians.

The islands are a fascinating attraction that drive hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The water in the canals appear inviting enough to swim in, until I discovered the water is died regularly with green coloring.

Wintertime means empty streets

The winter is an ideal time to visit Venice because the number of visitors dwindle and the Christmas lights come on. Now that it is the beginning of December, the crowds of Venice have died down dramatically. The markets, streets, Campos, and piazzas are all much quieter now than they are during the high tourist seasons of May through September.

Walking during the night around Venice is a romantic dream. Empty gondolas turned in for the evening, sway back and forth from the current of the ocean. Couples stroll through the streets hand in hand bundled in up from head to toe. My face turns red from the breeze at the water’s edge. Night time is pristine time to see the Christmas lights decorating the city.

Giant Christmas tree

The Christmas tree near San Marco Plazza stands tall, appearing as if it were giant snowballs stacked on one another. Visitors pose with selfie sticks beside the tree and couples admire the large tree in celebration of Christmas in Venice, Italy.

Boat Taxis

There are no cars on the roads because boats are the main mode of public transportation, which is an extremely odd experience for me. In fact, there is no other way to get to Venice other than by boat. I took a boat taxi to other islands, just like I would take the Subway in New York City.

Shopping

Every couple of blocks there is a bridge with boats whizzing underneath it. Eclectic shops line on each side of the street. Book making is a common craft in Italy. The handmade bookshops have the intense aroma of new leather. As someone who has made her own books before I am impressed at the attention to detail these bookmakers put into their products. If you are looking for the perfect Christmas present for your friends or for yourself, a handwoven leather bound book made in Venice is an excellent choice. Rest assured, these books are of the highest-quality.

Quaint residential areas

Passing by residential areas is interesting because the houses are rectangular buildings and much taller than they are wide. All of the buildings appear to have melted into one another. You might have a brown building touching a red building.

Pizza & more

For lunch, I sat down at a restaurant and warmed up my legs and fingertips that had grown increasingly colder as the day progressed as I ordered and ozzy mushroom pizza. If you are looking to save money, splitting a pizza is an excellent way to go. Usually, the pizzas are too big for me to each by myself anyways.

Art & Photography

There is always something interesting to discover in a new city. During my time in Venice, I went to a Willy Ronis photo show. I am blown away at such an excellent photography Ronis was during his lifetime. Many of his best photos were shot in Venice. As an aspiring photographer, his work inspired some of the shots I took during my time in Venice. I am certainly not alone. Walking at night I see several people every few blocks with a tripod just hoping for a photo as good as Willy Ronis’s.

While you are in Venice you can find things to do that may not have been on your original agenda. That is the beauty of getting to know a new city.

Elegant Hotels

Venice at Christmas time is the best time to visit Venice for several reasons, one in particular is that hotels are a little less expensive. Nevertheless Venice has some of the most gorgeous and luxurious stays. Here are some hotels that will complete your dreamy escape.

Hotel Goriza
Hotel San Luca Venezia
Albergo San Marco
Hotel Colombina