Canals of Venice - The Grand Canal

What can one say about the Grand Canal? This Venice canal is perhaps the greatest avenue in the world! A little strange it may be—a major street made out of water yet lined with some of the greatest buildings on earth—but this is an enchanting place.

It is also the best place on earth to watch traffic. I love watching the rush-hour commute: police, ambulances, buses, taxis... all of them boats, rushing up and down in this amazing car-free city.

The Grand Canal is way more impressive than any of the other canals in Venice. It is on a much grander scale and far larger than any other, being two miles long (3.5 km) and, at its widest point, over 350 feet (90m) wide.

In centuries past, this was the place to live, and in fact, this is still the address to have. Any merchant who made it in the world of business had his home here.

Most of the beautiful buildings along the canal originate from this quest by the Venetian rich to outdo the neighbor's place next door, and how little things have changed today.

Now comes a little bit of history about the houses and palaces along the canal for all the history buffs and all those who visit my site for homework answers (since AI, that has become less).

The styles of houses along the canal are varied. Some of the earliest are the old Fondaco houses, the homes of the first merchants, which included a warehouse for their trading businesses.

In later centuries, these were followed by buildings of Byzantine style, and once the influence of the Ottomans had declined, Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture predominated. Little has changed over the last two or three hundred years; you'll see pretty much the same thing someone three hundred years ago would have seen.

It was in the 12th century that the first bridge over the canal was built. The early ones were mostly wooden and were vulnerable to fires. The last wooden one was replaced in the 16th century by the famous Rialto Bridge, which remained the only bridge over the Grand Canal until the 19th century.

Our Grand Canal Venice Tip

A Taxi outside the Hotel Danieli in Venice

Still the best way to see the canal and fairly affordable too, is to take a water bus, known as a vaporetto in Italian. The number one bus does the route, and it provides a stunning ride through the centuries; just make sure you take your camera along.

If you would prefer to enjoy the canal in a little more style, then take a taxi ride. It is a heck of an experience but does come at a heck of a price too

Oh, and if you want to cross over the Grand Canal, support a wonderful tradition by taking one of the ferry gondolas called a traghetto. Here is more about this beautiful way to cross this greatest of all the Venice canals.

For more incredible facts about Venice, click here.

Questions about the Grand Canal

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