Grand Canal and Venice in autumn

From the Campanile in St Mark’s Square, the uniqueness of Venice reveals itself quite impressively. This much-described city is spread across several larger and smaller islands and has therefore always had a close relationship with the water.

From above, it also becomes visible how the sea of houses is criss-crossed by an almost unmanageable tangle of canals, dominated by the great loop of the Grand Canal. No less confusing is the additional labyrinth of narrow alleys and paths that intersect with the waterways on many picturesque bridges. Besides your own feet, boats are the only means of transport within the city and the offshore islands.

Venice is particularly charming in late autumn, when mist shrouds the city in melancholy and only a little sun reaches the mansions, palaces and churches that bear witness to the faded glory and heyday of the once important trading city in Italy.

All images from the ‘World Images’ edition