3 Star London Hotels - How to Do Venice in 48 Hours

This guide will help you get behind the mask of Venice in just 48 hours. Swaying buildings and mystery persons wearing painted masks, romance, gondoliers, canals.

This is where the bus terminal and public carparks are located and where your journey begins. Piazzale Roma, vehicles are restricted to the last piece of solid ground near the train station. One of the first things you will notice is no traffic. Providing you haven't spent the better part of the day trying to locate your accommodation you may find some time after checking in to do some exploring.

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However the locals soon learnt that the centralised location was equally important in terms of European trade. The key reason was safety and protection from the marauding non-swimmer Attila the Hun. As you walk across the first of 409 bridges spanning the 150 canals you may wonder what inspired the original inhabitants to build their city afloat on 117 tiny islands in a marshy lagoon.

Some of the buildings have taken on a seriously disturbing lean that can leave you feeling dizzy and hoping that they remain standing for a few minutes more as you pass beneath. Narrow alleyways lead into decorative courtyards or twist around corners to hidden gardens. Renaissance and opulent Austro-Hungarian tastes, the architecture is a mix of Byzantine. Walking the streets of Venice is an attraction in itself.

There are wider street arteries which allow the majority of crowds to find San Marco with ease but to get a real sense of Venice it is recommended to get off the beaten track. In both directions, or 'Ferrovia' (the train station) or towards Piazza San Marco and more often than not, there are three main street signs mostly visible with arrows pointing to either Piazzale Roma.

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Either ending up at the Ferrovia or hopefully in Piazza San Marco.You will notice first the campanile towering above you, turn a few corners and after a few hours you will have been totally lost and found again.

Gallileo even demonstrated his telescope to the Doges up here. The climb to the top of the campanile is worth it for the view across the lagoon to the outlying islands and a great way to orientate yourself. The logetta base relief at the base of the tower was painstakingly pieced back together after being completely shattered by the falling bricks. Added to and enlarged over several centuries the end result was a total collapse in 1902 and a huge international effort to rebuild it brick by brick. The campanile was built as a lookout and lighthouse on foundations that dated back to the Roman period.

. . It's really tempting but. On a slightly more serious note the rumour is there is a $500US fine for anyone caught kicking the pigeons. They are usually seen covering small children which kindly parents have doused in birdseed in hopes the birds will fly away with them. The other obvious thing to dominate the square is the sheer number of pigeons.

Water taxis and the distinctive black gondolas, ambulance and police boats, fire, then there are the delivery boats. Ferrying workers and tourists from island to island, venice's metro system, and the statue of St Theodore you will see water craft bobbing about including the vaporetti, the symbol of Venice, looking south out between the pillars topped by the winged lion.

Propelled by striped shirted men with a long oar and quite possibly singing an opera tune, you would have seen these gliding effortlessly through the canals between the houses during your walk carrying couples and groups of tourists.

A last breath of fresh air could be gasped by prisoners at the tiny latticed window before being dragged off to the 'leads'. It is an enclosed bridge linking the palace courts to the old prison. Or Bridge of Sighs, the object of their fascination is the Ponte Sospiri. There is yet another bridge to cross but it may look crowded with tourists looking up a canal at another bridge. Continuing past the Doges Palace and turning left will bring you out onto the most south-eastern edge of the square.

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The bridge is the oldest one of three in the world that is occupied by shops. There will be a few signs directing you towards this and again they may appear to go in both directions. Now to head back towards the Rialto Bridge.

Was also practised contributing significantly to the city coffers making Venice extremely prosperous, or money lending, usury. The Rialto was mediaeval Europe's trading centre with traders from the orient bringing goods to wealthy Venetian merchants.

It also had to be tall enough to allow warships to pass beneath on their way to the crusades. The current stone bridge was constructed in the 1500's after a competition was run to find a solution to the regular problems of flooding and fires that kept destroying the wooden ones.It was successfully won by architect Antonio da Ponte.

Palaces and plush Venetian hotels that line the banks, go beneath the Rialto as well as see the magnificent mansions, for a fraction of the cost of a gondola trip you can take the 40 minute ride up the Grand Canal. Depending on where you are staying or how tired the feet are it might be time to catch a vaporetto up the Grand Canal.

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Look more for osterias while some bars also serve bar snacks and light meals. San Polo and Santa Croce, dorsoduro, however there are some good value places around in places such as Cannareggio, a rough guide is the further away from Piazza San Marco the cheaper. Dinner can be an expensive affair unless you know where to go. Venice by night is far more peaceful as the noise of the boats going about their daily business subsides and the canals are left to the gondolas and the odd taxi.

This is a tasty combination of champagne and peach juice. Where the Bellini was born, venice's most famous establishment is Harry's Bar in San Marco. There are a few jazz bars where you can get pricey cocktails. As a result there isn't a particularly energetic nightlife after hours. Preferring to reside on the mainland in Mestre, many Venetian locals no longer live in the city due to the high living costs.

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Flooding is common in winter. The weather can sometimes be a blessing as passing showers can keep the large crowds at bay and make queuing time shorter. And there doesn't appear to be a low season as such, summer and winter, venice is a popular city all year round. An early start is necessary to ensure you get where you are going and to hopefully beat the crowds.

Was lacking in ecclesiastical clout, st Theodore, st Mark was actually a replacement patron as the city fathers felt the original one. The patron saint of the city, beneath the altar lies the remains of St Mark. Watch your step as the floor has taken on an undulating feel due to years of flooding. Entry to the Basilica can either be a long line shuffling through the doors or a quick step inside.

During some of the renovations St Marks body was lost but was eventually found and relocated to the crypt beneath the altar. To be replaced with a more substantial basilica in 1063, a chapel was constructed to house the remains but burnt down in 932. The mosaic above the door to the left portrays the bringing of St Marks body back from Alexandria in Egypt in 828.

There is a small fee to enter the Galleria upstairs where you can view the original horses as well as get a great view over the entire Basilica's interior. They were stolen during the sacking of Constantinople. These four horses are copies of the originals that are housed inside in the Galleria. Above the door way stands the Quadriga on the loggia balcony.

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Sansovino and Veronese reflecting the wealth brought to the city by the traders, many of the works shown are by Tintoretto. Tintoretto's Paradise, in particular is one of the largest oil paintings in the world. Frescoes and sculptures, the rooms and hallways are filled from floor to ceiling with paintings. Administration and justice system for the entire republic of the Veneto, these men were responsible for the government. The Palazzo Ducale was begun in the 10thC as the formal residence of the Doges.

Imprisoned in 1755 for dealings in the 'occult' by the State Inquisition and the only one to successfully escape, the legendary womaniser, one of the more famous inhabitants was Casanova. You also cross the Ponte Sospiri to the palace prisons offering a chance to get an idea of what the prisoners must have felt on their way to their incarceration.

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This church was built in honour of the Virgin Mary in the 17thC whom the city believed protected them from an outbreak of plague. The church opposite the square marking the entrance to the Grand Canal, not least is the impressive Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute. Architecture and craftsmanship, all offering some more examples of fine art, the streets around San Marco area are filled with shops and churches.

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The garden contains more sculptures as well as the graves of Ms Guggenhiem and her dogs. Bacon and Dali, magritte, miro, ernst, chagall, mondrian, her collection contains works by Picasso. She lived in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni for 30 years before dying in 1979. Making your way further up the Grand Canal you will reach the 20thC Peggy Guggenheim collection in Dorsoduro.

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Some places even offer more structured guided tours and demonstrations. Today you can watch them at work on their premises so keep an eye out for signs with 'fornace'. Such was the prizing of their skill in the craft, the glass makers were moved here by ducal decree after one too many fires and were also charged with treason if they tried to leave town. Venetian glass was one of the most prized items for the wealthy around Europe and it is still revered today. There is a 10 minute vaporetto ride from Fondamente Nove on the LN line to Murano where the glass artisans have been working their trade since 1291.

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The island is distinctive also for the bold colours the houses are painted in. The lace was an extension of the fishing nets made by the women on the island and became well known in courts around mediaeval Europe as being the finest quality. Burano is the home to the centuries old tradition of lace making. The journey takes 30 minutes, you can then continue on to Burano from Murano-Faro.

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The trip back to San Marco should take about 15 minutes. The resort is not as hip as it once was but the prices are still geared towards those with a bit more cash. Even if the stars are not out there is the beach which gives a bit of respite from the bridges. The Venice film festival is held here every year attracting the stars from all over Europe and now more commonly non Europeans. From Burano it takes an hour to reach Venice's hotspot for celebrity and films- the Lido.

All the essentials to get you behind the mask of this unique city, so there is the best Venice has to offer in 48 hours.