TOUR
PROGRAM
VENICE
Thursday June 12th
09.25 hrs.
Departure Amsterdam - Venice (Marco Polo Airport)
11.15 hrs.
Arrival Venice ( Marco Polo Airport)
From Venice Marco Polo Airport, the group is transported with a number of water
taxis
directly to the jetty of the hotel. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.
12.15 hrs.
Arrival at Hotel Bauer. The Bauer Hotel is a luxury 5 star hotel, overlooking the
church of Campo Moise. The hotel is just a 5 minute walk away from Piazza San
Marco.
Address:
San Marco 1459, 30124 Venezia
Tel:
0039 (0) 41 5207022
Fax:
0039 (0) 41 5207557
www.bauerhotels.com
12.30 hrs.
14.00 hrs.
17.00 hrs.
19.30 hrs.
20.30 hrs.
Upon arrival you have lunch at Restaurant Terrazza Lateral Canale. If the weather
allows it, lunch is served on the terrace.
We meet our English speaking local tour guide in the lobby of the Bauer Hotel .
We leave for a walking sightseeing tour called: “Casanova and the secret itineraries in
the Ducal Palace”. There has been much written and said about the Ducal Palace.
During the tour you have the opportunity to see the fascinating and mysterious
historical buildings; you can admire the dreaded halls of the Great Council, the
Inquisition and the gruesome torture chamber. You can also visit the famous prison
from which Casanova escaped in 1755. Then we pass the Bridge of Sins, built in 1600.
This bridge is connected with the Ducal Palace and the prison across the canal called
“Rio di Palazzo”.
Arrival at our hotel
We gather in the lobby of the hotel and then depart for a walk to St. Marks
Cathedral. Here we get a private tour from a local guide.
End of tour. Together we walk to the restaurant “I Quadri” to enjoy our dinner.
Friday June 13th
From 6.30 P.M. you can have breakfast in the breakfast room.
09.30 hrs.
We gather in the lobby of the hotel for a walk to Cannareggio and the Venice Jewish
Ghetto. It is a walk through one of the most peaceful areas of Venice. At the end of
the tour in the Ghetto the tour guide will give you an explanation of the history of the
Jewish community in Venice and you will visit one of the five synagogues.
12.30 hrs.
15.00 hrs.
Transfer by private boat to restaurant “Harry's Dolce” in Giudecca for lunch.
Transfer by private boat to the district "Zattere”. Walking Tour and visit to
Guggenheim and surrounding area led by a local guide.
Transfer by private boat back to the hotel.
We gather in the lobby of the hotel for a walk to “La Fenice theatre” for a private
tour.
Private tour by a local tour guide. During the tour you will receive a refreshing
cocktail.
Walk from the theatre to Giglio Gondola Station.
Departure to the restaurant with gondolas.
Cocktails and dinner at Restaurant “Central Lounge”. Arrival by gondola.
17.00 hrs.
19.00 hrs.
19.15 hrs.
20.15 hrs.
20.30 hrs.
21.00 hrs.
Saturday June 14th
From 6.30 P.M. you can have breakfast in the breakfast room.
0.900 hrs.
13.00 hrs.
14.30 hrs.
16.00 hrs.
17.00 hrs.
17.45 hrs.
19.00 hrs.
20.00 hrs.
22.30 hrs.
We gather in the lobby of the hotel for a walk to Rialto where we give special
attention to the magnificent architecture.
Wine tasting and lunch in restaurant “Banco Giro”.
By private boat to Murano, Torcello and Burano
Arrival on the island of Murano where the famous Murano glassware is
manufactured.
End of our visit and departure by private boat to Burano.
Arrival at Burano for a short visit. There is time for shopping.
Arrival at Torcello where we have a tour of the cathedral and the museum.
Cocktails and dinner at restaurant “Locanda Cipriani”.
Departure by private boat and transfer back to Venice.
Sunday June 15th
From 6.30 P.M. you can have breakfast in the breakfast room.
08.00 hrs.
10.00 hrs.
12.05 hrs.
14.15 hrs.
If desired you can attend the Holy Mass
We gather in the lobby before we leave to the airport. We depart with a number of
water taxis straight to the airport. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes.
Departure from Venice- Marco Polo Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
( KL 1654)
Arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
The saying goes : “First see Naples and then die “. For Venice we say: “ First see Venice and then
again.... and again....
Venice is built on 120 islands, some of which are artificially created. All these islands are connected
by a staggering 400 bridges over 177 channels. Venice is not only a unique location but it also has a
rich culture and there are great historic buildings to see. Take for example the Piazza San Marco in
the heart of the city. The square is named after the evangelist Mark, the Patron Saint of Venice. In
honour of the evangelist St. Mark's Cathedral was built.
The Canal Grande is the "capital" of Venice. 4 km long and 30-70 meters wide.
Between the 12th and 18th century Venice was a powerful international and commercial city and as
such the center of the world. The combination of power and money has impacted the arts and
culture and this is abundantly visible all around. You'll be immediately caught by the city; marble
facades, magnificent palaces, scenic vistas, peeling walls, pounding cargo boats, the smell of turbid
water and decaying plaster.
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco and the saint Marks Cathedral. With it’s beautiful seventeenth century mosaic
façade and the life-size bronze horse statues above the entrance that were looted in 1204 from
Constantinople ( Istanbul ).
Inside you will find an amazing number of columns and colored marble slabs, beautiful mosaics and
of course the precious Pala d'Oro. An altarpiece set with jewels consisting of 250 paintings on gold
leaf. A visit to the “Palazzo Ducale”, the former Doges' Palace, takes you to three floors with richly
decorated rooms and halls and from there to the “Ponte dei Sospiri” ( bridge of sighs) and the
dungeons where Casanova was one of the most famous “guests”. The last walk of many prisoners
went over the “Ponte dei Sospiri” , which is now paradoxically a symbol of Romantic Venice. On the
Piazza San Marco you can find the “Torre dell Orologio” with its ingenious clockwork. From the
“Campanile” you have a breathtaking view over the city and the lagoon. A view from the tower
probably provides more clarity on the network of “fondamenti”, “sottoporteggi” and “rive” than the
map of the city. High above the city it shows that it is just a little walk to one of the most famous
theatres in Italy, the legendary “La Fenice”. This theater was completely destroyed by fire in early
1996 and now risen like a phoenix from the ashes....
Canal Grande and Ponte di Rialto
The approximately 300 houses, palaces and churches provide an overview of 700 years
Venetian history. All the leading Venetian families here have contributed their bit. Since the end of
the eighteenth century, nothing more has been built. The most striking are Ca d'Oro, “the golden
house” (the light marble facade has unfortunately lost its entire golden sheath where it was famous
for), the baroque Salute church and the Palazzo Dario with small colorful inlaid marble. From the
Rialto Bridge, you have a nice view of the traffic on the Grand Canal. If your look at the direction of
San Marco you see the” Riva del Vin” on the left side, the former loading and unloading dock for
wine, one of the few places along the Canal Grande where you can walk and sit down. This has
always been the commercial heart of the city and now one of the busiest sections. Here you find the
colorful stalls of the “Erberia ", the fruit- and vegetable market, and the “Pescheria”, the fish market.
Dorsoduro
This “sestiere”(district) is adjacent to the Rialto district. Dorsoduro means "hard spine". The heart of
the district is formed by the Campo Santa Margherita. This square is a meeting place for students of
the nearby "Ca Foscari, " a majestic palace, now the main building of the University of Venice. The
atmosphere at the many outdoor cafes is very pleasantly relaxed. From the “Ponte dei Pugni” you
have a beautiful view on one of the most picturesque canals: the Rio San Barnaba. Nearby you find
the most interesting fruit- and vegetable boats that are constantly besieged by tourists and Venetian
housewives. Further in this area you can find the “Galleria dell’ Accademia” with its unsurpassed
collection of paintings that embraces five centuries of Venetian school. There is also modern art,
namely the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. At the “Palazzo non finito” (the building has only one of
the originally planned four floors) a collection has been brought together that includes some 200
paintings and sculptures of various art movements of the 20th century. A very impressive collection.
It seems almost an anachronism among all Renaissance art that you find in Venice.
Giudecca
This district is not much visited by tourists. The district was formerly known as a slum, and indeed
you can find great social differences here. On one side there is the luxurious Hotel “Cipriani” and on
the other side there is the women's prison. You will encounter many small” trattorias” and next to
the local socialist party building you find the very exclusive restaurant “Cipriani”. Today this
neighborhood is nice to soak the authentic atmosphere of the "real" Venice. The brick houses are
just as photogenic as the San Marco. The island is dominated by "Il Redentore, a purely geometrical
and very beautiful Renaissance church. The church was designed by the then famous city architect
Palladio.
Isola Maggiore di San Giorgio
From the tip of the Giudecca you see the church on the island "Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore” lie as a
stage set . This church is characteristic for the image of Venice. This temple-like complex with its
monasteries and campanile was also designed by Andrea Palladio. The impressive and serene beauty
of the interior is typical of the style of Palladio. From the top of the campanile you have a great view
over the lagoon and over Venice, you can almost hear the sounds from the crowds on Piazza San
Marco. On the island you find a large garden, with modern “ Theatro Verde “ that covers half the
island. At this theatre many outdoor concerts are held.
Murano and Burano
Since the thirteenth century Murano became the center of the glassblowers. The glassblowers had to
leave Venice because of the danger of fire from the furnaces. The coloured Murano glass is a popular
souvenir. The “Museo Vetrario” has a nice collection of antique glassware.
Murano is the most colorful island in the lagoon. From a distance you can already recognize the
characteristic leaning tower. Along the channels of the lively, densely populated island there are
many brightly painted houses. Burano was famous for its gossamer lace, called "punto in aria”. This
gossamer lace is now only to be found in the museum "Scuola dei Merletti". The lace sold on the
streets nowadays comes mainly from the Far East.
Lido
This 12 km long narrow island separates Venice from the open sea. Here , at this former military
stronghold, the doges received visits from high government leaders. With their impressive ship
"Bucintoro”, they sailed with their high guests to the “Palazzo ducale”. In the middle of the last
century, however Lido became a seaside resort, a playground for the rich. Since then luxury hotels
sprung up. Since 1939 the Venice Film Festival is held at Lido di Venezia.
Giardini della Biennale
At this park the “Biennale” is held every two years. It is the only area where it is allowed to
experiment with different architectural styles. Many countries have constructed pavilions where you
can find a selection from the work of the represented artists. Especially the Finnish and Venezuelan
pavilion are impressive to see. ( These pavilions are designed by Aalvar Aalto) .
Carnavale
The revived "carnevale" has developed into one of the largest Venetian celebrations.
This celebration is intended primarily for wealthy families to make a good impression on the general
population. It's an awesome spectacle for the eye. Each year new costumes are made based on the
“Commedia dell' Arte”. Dressed in beautiful costumes people go to the Piazza San Marco to be
admired. Afterwards people go to the more private parties in the various “Palazzi”.
Regata Storica
What is Venice without gondolas? And what is the unique gondola experience in Venice?
Many gondolas at the same time of course!
You can admire a spectacle at the "Regata Storica" which is held on the first Sunday of September on
the Canal Grande. The contest consists of two parts: the first is the gondola parade, richly decorated
old gondolas with oarsmen in historical costumes. The parade is held in memory of the arrival of
Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who donated her kingdom to Venice in 1489.
"Le gare", the competions are the second and most important part of the Regata. There are four
types: “La regata dei giovanissimi” ( youth) , “la regata delle donne” ( women) , “La regata delle
caorline” ( boats from the region) and last but not least “La regata dei campioni” ( Champions
League) at breakneck speed “gondolini”.
The boats depart from the “Riva degli Schiavoni”. They sail over the Canal Grande where on some
point they must sail around a pole placed in the middle of the route.
Whoever is leading at that point usually wins the regatta. The end point is the “traguardo”. At the
end point there is a floating VIP platform , called "La machina". The winners are honored at this
platform. They receive a cash prize and the coveted traditional red flag.
Basilica di San Marco
The Basilica di San Marco is an example of the Roman Byzantine style. The design is based on the
Apostle Church in Constantinople ( Istanbul) . It is the third church on this site. The first church was
built in the 9th century but was destroyed by fire. The second church was demolished to make way
for this building that would mirror the wealth and glory of Venice. The structure was originally
designed to secure the relics of the evangelist Mark. It was also for centuries the private chapel of
the Doges who ruled Venice until 1797.
In 1807 the “Basilica di San Marco” took the place of the “San Pietro di Castello” as the cathedral of
Venice. The exterior of the church has an oriental style. The building is shaped like a Greek cross and
is adorned with five domes. Besides the beautiful mosaic that covers around total 4240 m2 of the
interior you can find countless other art treasures such as Roman sculpture, marble, bronze
sculptures and an altar piece inlaid with precious stones, called "Pala d'Oro”.
.