VENICE - BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE LAGOON
Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with its canals, bridges, islands, Piazza San Marco, the lagoon, ……
Would you like to see the city from above?
As you know, we love the view from above and when we visit a city, we usually don’t miss the panoramic points, whether it’s a bell tower or a skyscraper, whether we are in Italy or abroad.
What if I told you that it’s also possible to do it in Venice and that what’s more, it’s totally free!
Continue reading to find out in detail how to do it.
Venice - Fondaco dei Tedeschi
In Venice there is the Fondaco dei Tedeschi palace. It is located in the San Marco district and overlooks the Grand Canal, in a position adjacent to the Rialto Bridge.
This building was the landing point for goods transported by German merchants who stored them here.
The edifice was owned by the Italian Post Office for a long time, then sold to the Benetton group, restored and converted in a shopping centre.
Inside there are all the world’s leading brands in terms of fashion, cosmetics, perfumes, watches, jewels, wines, spirits, food, …… But above all, on the top floor, there is a beautiful panoramic terrace and, as the building is higher than the surrounding ones, the view can range over the whole lagoon.
Venice - Access to the panoramic terrace
The good thing is that access to the terrace is allowed even if you don’t make any purchases
The access is completely free, you can access the panoramic terrace even without making purchases, however booking is mandatory and can only be made online at the following link
Access to the terrace, as previously mentioned, is only possible with a reservation. By accessing the link you have to choose the day and you will be shown the available slots. .
Bookings can be made up to 21 days in advance, I suggest you book as early as possible as the best time slots run out early.
To access the terrace you have to enter in the mall and reach the 4th floor by escalator or lift. Here you will find an employee who will verify your reservation (remember to take it with you!) and will let you access the panoramic terrace. It is not necessary to print the reservation, it can also be shown on your mobile phone.
As they are very rigorous, remember to show up at the exact time of the reservation, if you arrive late they will not let you in.
Unfortunately you can only stay on the panoramic terrace for 15 minutes, but the time is enough to admire the whole lagoon and take some fantastic photos.
Venice - When to go
Many people ask me what the best time is, I think that accessing the panoramic terrace at sunset will be something exceptional but, since the visit lasts so short, it is necessary to carefully check the expected sunset time for the day of the your visit and even in doing so you will have to be very lucky.
I went at 12:00 AM because it was the only slot compatible with my commitments nevertheless I really appreciated the view even without the sunset.
Venice - Where to park
Access to Venice by car is always complicated due to traffic and it is not always easy to find parking especially in conjunction with particular events.
Therefore my suggestion is to use the train.
However, if you are unable to use it, I advise you to do as we do.
We went by car to Mestre, here we reached the Mestre station and left the car in the paid car park which is exactly above the station.
From here many trains leave for the Venice Santa Lucia station, every 5/10 minutes there is a train and the ticket costs only 1.45 euros. From Venice Santa Lucia you can begin your visit to the city on foot or take a vaporetto and reach Piazza San Marco.
