BOATS AND A ROWING STYLE UNIQUE IN ALL THE WORLD

Since the city’s inception, Venetians have been rowing flat-bottomed, keelless boats designed specifically to navigate shallow waters of the lagoon. The famous gondola is the most evolved version, but it’s easy to spot all sorts of private rowers threading the canals and easing under bridges.

Only since the 1960s has the private motor boat become the principal mode of transport: prior to that, every family had its own rowboat (much like they’d have a car today). Since then, little by little, the all-wooden, hand-crafted boats — along with centuries, eons of traditions, have begun to slowly sink below the surface of the blue lagoon.

ARZANÀ: CURATORS OF VENICE’S NAUTICAL TRADITION

Touch an original, hand-carved felze (gondola cover), learn of the curious implements used to construct the boats, admire their collections of original cotton fishing nets, oars, forcole, and a unique gondola al fresco from 1920, and the floating collection of original wooden batele boats, all meticulously conserved in one of the most famous squeri (boat yards) in Venice.

We’ll even take a ride in a original, traditional batela, weather permitting.

INCLUDES: One-hour tour of the historic,, ex-squero Casal; short canal tour in an authentic, traditional batela boat, weather permitting.

COST:
2-4 pp:    €60
6 pp:       €80

Rates are discounted if we’re unable to take the boat ride.

Type: By Water, Private Tours, See Venice.
Comment | Trackback