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Published on :   01/08/2020

Italy, Venice and the Lagoon Islands in 2020: 5 cruises not to miss

All roads lead to Rome, so they say. One thing's for sure, several of our itineraries lead to Venice in Northern Italy, a fascinating and romantic destination above all. And is there not more sophisticated than river cruising to discover this dream city on board an environmentally friendly, reasonably sized and charming ship? The MS Michelangelo, a superb standard category small ship for 154 passengers, taking you to the Serenissima, a dazzling open air museum, with which visitors instantly fall in love. Its canals, little islands, palaces, museums, jewels, - Venice is a unique, spectacular city that enchants visitors at every corner, an ode to beauty that leaves nobody indifferent. 


All the essensial treasures of Venice in one trip


Where sky and water meet, the world’s most wonderful treasures are gathered: St Mark's Basilica, a Byzantine art masterpiece overlooking the square of the same name, famous for its prestigious cafés and numerous pigeons; the wonderful Doge's Palace with its woven marble facade; the Teatro La Fenice, the mythical opera house, where Maria Callas’s voice still resonates; the bridge of sighs, suggesting that prisoners would sigh before being taken down to the prison where a certain Casanova was imprisoned; the city’s other famous and oldest bridge, the Rialto Bridge, a stone and Istrian marble architectural masterpiece spanning the Grand Canal in Venice.  


The cruise:



All the symbols of Venice and Italy: gondolas, vaporetti and the Carnival


Along its blue waters, like the ones of Venice’s 118 canals, gondolas glide delicately. These elegant asymmetrical black boats are propelled by a gondolier using a paddle and wearing a straw boater and a striped red or navy t-shirt with a matching band around their hat. The universal symbol of the Doge’s city, the gondola is a masterpiece in itself, made up of almost 300 pieces of wood and metal, each referring to a precise emblem. Nowadays, the ancient gondola sails along the “Vaporetto”, a public water bus fitted with a diesel engine, however having kept its traditional name reminiscent of the time when they were run by steam. They can be seen criss-crossing the laguna, from island to island. Some of them take their passengers all the way to Murano, where everything revolves around the art of glassblowing, and Burano, the capital of fine lace, as well as Chioggia, also called “Little Venice” for its canals strikingly resembling its famous neighbouring city.  


The cruise:



The new unmissable 2020 itineraries including Lake Como and Mantua


With Venice at the heart of your trip, our cruises also offer the opportunity to discover the North Eastern part of Italy, a region with a rich architectural, historic and gastronomic heritage. Sailing along the Po river, visitors discover lesser-known little gems, including Padua, Mantua, Cremona, where Antonio Stradivari was born, as well as Parma and its wide range of delicacies; Milan, the vibrant capital of fashion; Verona, famous for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture; and eternally pleasant Lake Como.


A subtle mosaique of emotions and sensations, a symbol of Italians’ secret to a unique way of life.


The cruises: