Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fellow Travellers
Don't go expecting to have the city to yourself. Even in the foot-stomping chill of January,
Venice has its admirers. The upside is that you'll keep fascinating company here. More ac-
cessible than ever and surprisingly affordable given its singularity, Venice remains a self-
selecting city: it takes a certain imagination to forgo the convenience of cars and highways
for slow boats and crooked
calli
. Your fellow travellers probably share your passions for
art, music, history, architecture, food and drink, since Venice really isn't big on business
conventions, nightclubs or extreme sports (unless you include glass-shopping in Murano).
Except for couples canoodling on gondolas and secluded corners of the
campo
, this is a
highly sociable city, so don't be shy about sharing a table or striking up conversation.
Even in high season, Venice never hits maximum capacity. At its population peak c 1563, Venice accom-
modated 170,000 residents. Today, on its busiest summer days, the city accommodates around 120,000
residents and visitors combined: comparatively uncrowded, by historical standards.
