Set in a large flowered garden, the Albergo Quattro Fontane contains charmingly furnished rooms with many antiques providing a relaxed atmosphere. All rooms are air-conditioned. For those who adore Venice but hate the crowds.

Directions:
BY CAR: At the end of the bridge that leads to Venice there is a road sign which tells you "Tronchetto ferry-boat per il Lido". The ferry leaves every 50 minutes and the trip takes 35 minutes.
FROM THE RAILWAY STATION: The number 52 gets to the Lido very quickly (in 35 minutes); if you prefer a rather slower trip, the number 1 takes you along the fascinating Grand Canal route.
FROM THE MARCO POLO AIRPORT: A boat, in connection with the flights, takes 40 minutes.

Whip Through St Marks Square and Discover the Real Venice

From the very moment one spots the water of the Adriatic Sea from the windows of the comfortable Italian rail train from Florence, as it travels across the causeway joining the mainland of Italy and the islands of Venice, there's excitement in the air. Only those who have discovered the magic of this, the oldest and the best canal development in the world can fully appreciate what this city is all about.

It's a city which allows the visitor to easily become lost, yet so easy to relocate oneself after the thrill of finding a way out of the maze of footpaths, canals and those hundreds of narrow cracks between buildings which the Venetians actually use as laneways.

St Marks Square of course is the initial drawcard, not only for oneself, but for the several thousand other travellers who have somehow got the urge to visit at the very same time. It can be a little off-putting for first timers - but relax, it doesn't get any better in the square, however, a few paces in any direction out of the square, and there it is ... the real Venice.

It can be an idea to take coffee and cakes, or a meal in one of the back streets of Venice, as the closer one is to St Mark's Square, so the prices escalate. Be a devil, though, and be prepared to get ripped off and have a coffee right on the square. One of the popular spots is Florians, where one sits around the walls of supposed intimate tearooms, sipping coffee or tea ... and then along comes the bill. Be prepared for it, as it also includes a surcharge for the music from a live Viennese orchestra which plays outside in the square.

As noisy as Venice may be, as busy as the streets are, it is a tremendously exciting place to be in. Venice has a special beauty, it is magical, and its shopping opportunities are so enticing.