Cruising on the Venetian Lagoon is a real treat for water sports enthusiasts.
We start from the Portegrandi marina located a few kilometers from Venice's Marco Polo airport.
The beautiful, extensive, but also relatively shallow Venetian Lagoon is separated from the sea by a strip of narrow islands. Sailing on it, we stick to well-marked waterways and thus reach the next towns on our cruise route. Therefore, navigation and maneuvering are not at all more difficult than on inland waters.
Along the way, we visit the fishing island of Pallestrina, then the resort on Lido, the island of Murano, known for centuries for the production of unique glass (as you can see in the photo in the gallery, an espresso at the quay is mandatory) and Burano, with its characteristic leaning church tower, colorful houses and the Lace Museum. On San Francesco del Deserto we will visit a monastery belonging to the Franciscans. And then there is Torcello, the pre-Venice from which the settlement of the local islands began, a guidebook "must visit" due to the archaeological remains.
In the town of Chioggia, called Little Venice, sailing along narrow canals, we constantly cross low stone bridges. We also have the opportunity to admire numerous monuments, including the cathedral, palaces and beautiful tenement houses. Due to the fact that Chioggia is a large fishing port, we cannot skip a visit to the fish market on our journey. Exploring the city gives us a foretaste of what we will see next, in Venice. Finally, we reach the heart of our journey, which is Venice. A magical city, known to everyone. In the post-season peace, we have time not only to visit museums, monuments and countless attractions of the city, but also to relax, have dinner and a glass of wine in a quiet trattoria, a strong espresso and wander through the labyrinth of narrow, winding streets. An unforgettable experience and undisturbed by the commotion caused by thousands of tourists.
An excellent extension of navigation on the Venetian Lagoon is the Brenta Canal, which begins near Mestre (the mainland part of Venice) and leads us through a system of several locks to the very centre of historic Padua. Sightseeing is within a few steps.
To the north-east of the Venetian Lagoon stretches another lagoon, called Marano. Much more natural, with beautiful spits, peninsulas and islets, it is somewhat reminiscent of Żuławy Wiślane. It is worth visiting historic towns located on the lagoon, such as Marano or Grado, and sailing up the picturesque rivers that flow into the lagoon - Aussa, Natissa and Tiel, with equally interesting settlements on the banks.
A journey up the Po River is a real expedition into the heart of Italy, with the possibility of reaching Lombardy, the city of Cremona and almost its capital, Milan. The river meanders beautifully, almost as naturally as our Vistula. Almost half of the route can be covered by the parallel Canal Bianco, which connects with the Po near Mantua. This is one of the oldest Italian cities, with roots dating back to Roman times. There is a lot to see! The Po Delta captivates with its naturalness. The river flows into the Adriatic Sea through several arms. The stunning Ferrara is located on one of them. Navigation along the delta is an incredible landscape and sightseeing experience - there are many interesting monuments around.
