Travel Specials

Teeming with charm and romance, Venice is a truly unique city built over water on a connected web of over 117 islands on marshlands in northeast Italy on the Venetian Lagoon. Renowned for its charming canals, winding pathways, romantic bridges, and a vibrant culture, Venice is one of the world's favorite cities for its abundance of character. The city is heavily traversed with more tourists visiting annually than actual residents. However, it's the type of city that everyone should have the
chance to discover. Due to its setting over the water, Venice has no cars, buses or motorized transportation on the streets. All forms of transportation are in the canals and waterways from the touristy yet romantic gondola rides to official emergency vehicles and water taxis--everything takes place in the water itself. Visitors can stroll through the many different districts by walking along the meandering pathways and over the bridges that connect many of the islands. Venice is dense with elegant cathedrals, palaces, and art museums and galleries. Amazingly, this ancient city was constructed atop water and it remains one of the more majestic destinations in the world.

The earliest residents of Venice were fishermen and early settlers escaping from
nearby Roman towns as early as the 5th century when the church of San Giacomo was
erected on the Rialto island. Eventually the different groups of settlers formed an
alliance and elected a duke to lead them in the 7th century. The city was
constructed over the water and its residents depended on that water for their
day-to-day life. Venice was a major player in the trade routes throughout Europe
and this boosted the local community's economy, industry, and overall growth. Due
to its unique location above water, all of the buildings in Venice were constructed
on wooden stilts that run deep into the water and silt into the clay earth below.
Venice saw greater power once it developed into a city state by the 12th century
and the city became a significant location on the Adriatic Sea for both protection
and trade. Venice became one of Europe's largest cities with a new-found wealth
from trade and a growing artist community birthing some of Europe's finest masters
in painting, sculpture, and architecture--a tradition that remains today and one
of the most popular reasons to visit Venice. Though much of the city's ambiance
can be attributed to the Renaissance era, the city fell into decline when Napoleon
conquered the city in 1979. The city changed power from Austria, Hungary, and
finally Italy again. Today, Venice remains one of the most visited destinations in
the world for its well-preserved artistic monuments and overall charm and appeal.

Contact us, Snelgrove Travel Center, at 800-754-4136 or visit our website
www.SnelgroveTravel.com and/or www.USATravelMart.com for more information
regarding reservations. We look forward to working with you.

1-800-754-4136......staff of 38 professional travel agents standing by
to serve you.
www.USATravelMart.com
info@USATravelMart.com
UtahState.com