Venezia

Venice is a city built on water, a place of canals, stone bridges and narrow lanes where boats do the work of cars and the day moves at the pace of a slow walk. People come for the art and architecture, the quiet early mornings, the light on the lagoon, and the pleasure of getting deliberately lost. It suits travellers who like atmosphere over convenience, and who are happy to explore on foot. Our places to stay here are a house, an apartment and a villa, so there is a choice between a compact base and somewhere with more room. A stay is mostly about wandering: crossing a bridge to see what is on the other side, stopping for coffee, and letting the city reveal itself slowly. Bring comfortable shoes and a willingness to take the long way round.