Milan receives more visitors than Venice or Florence， yet manages not to be a tourist trap perhaps that，s the real secret to Milan，s style. This is a city of worldly pleasures， of making money and spending it. It is not renowned for its looks； it，s the lifestyle lifestyle n. 生活方式 that here counts and it，s one worth experiencing when here.
Come discover it for yourself with your family， stay in one of its world class hotels， shop in its exclusive boutiques， dine on international cuisine and experience a side to this country， found nowhere else.
Venice
水城之美
威尼斯素有“亚得里亚海明珠”之称，它既是旅游胜地，又是意大利的重要港口。威尼斯城四周环海，位于威纳托省（Veneto）的威尼斯，其实包括了一百座大大小小的岛屿，只有西北角有一条４公里长的长堤，是１８４６年建造的铁路桥，１９３２年又与之并列建造了公路桥，与大陆相通。
威尼斯是一座文化艺术名城。全城有教堂、钟楼、修道院、宫殿、博物馆等艺术及历史名胜４５０多处。文艺复兴时期，威尼斯是继佛罗伦萨和罗马之后的第三个中心。威尼斯画派作为后起之秀，在欧洲艺术中享有盛名，影响很大。代表人物如：乔尔乔涅、提香、丁托列托等。威尼斯在歌剧艺术发展上也做出过重要贡献，威尔第创作的《茶花女》等世界着名歌剧就是在这里首演并获得成功的。１９３２年，威尼斯又创办了世界上第一个电影节——威尼斯国际电影节。
威尼斯是地中海的贸易中心，港口每年进出货船达万艘以上。其经济以旅游和服装为基础，料器和花边是它的传统行业。威尼斯是世界上唯一的水上城市。作为着名的旅游城市，它的面积只有６. ９平方公里，居民只有１０万人左右，共有１２０座各式教堂，１２０座钟楼，６４座修道院，４０多座宫殿，每年来此观光旅游的游客达上千万之多。
水是威尼斯城的灵魂，蜿蜒的河道、流动的清波，水光潋滟，赋予水城不朽和灵秀之气，晨光暮色中，城光水色相得益彰，更加庄严肃穆，诗情画意。懂得欣赏威尼斯水城之美的人，应是在月夜里，招手叫一支“贡多拉”，沿着运河曲折的水道，让自己迷失在迷蒙夜色中，领略这水上古城永恒魅力……
沿着威尼斯宽宽窄窄的运河，可见到修于几世纪以前的古老房屋，这些房屋依然保持着当时的面貌和风采，鲜艳的花朵从阳台伸展出来，带来了生机和无限的遐思。坐“刚朵拉”，纵情于威尼斯的怀抱，听船夫高唱意大利的民歌，仿佛忘记了世间的存在，完全融化在这独特的魅力之中。 威尼斯建于公元453年，697年成为拜占庭帝国的一个城邦。13世纪以后，成为地中海的商业中心。16世纪初以后，威尼斯逐渐丧失了在政治和商业上的影响，18世纪后期，威尼斯“似乎变成了一个大木偶剧院”。1797年，威尼斯屈从于拿破仑的统治，有着一千多年历史的威尼斯共和国从此灭亡。1866年威尼斯地区和意大利实现统一，从此成为意大利的一个地区。
即使早已过了海上霸权的年代，威尼斯所展现出来的气势仍旧是独具一格，颓废与华丽的美感并存，迷离的情调勾引来自全世界的游客，而这片岛峡，就仿佛与世隔绝一般，独自过着属于威尼斯的慵懒岁月。倔强的威尼斯人，将一栋栋豪宅立在水中，任着潮汐侵蚀，失去往日亮丽的光彩后，再一遍遍不厌其烦地装修。
曲折蜿蜒的水道和一座又一座的小桥，交织出令人惊奇的广场和街道，让你发现旅行的绝对乐趣。在威尼斯本岛上运河多达一百五十条，标准的向海借地而繁荣的海上女王。
在以渡船和徒步为主要交通手段的威尼斯，一切都具有从容不迫的动昀。橱窗里放射着威尼斯的异彩，街头上充满着罗曼蒂克的风情，使游人倾心。
Venice， the city of canals， is the capital of the region of Veneto， population 271，663 (census estimateestimate v.估计， 估价， 评估 n.估计， 估价， 评估 2004). The city is included， with Padua (Italian Padova)， in the PaduaVenice Metropolitan Area， population 1，600，000. The city stretches across numerous small islands in a marshy lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoonlagoon n.泻湖 礁湖 stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers. The Venetian Republic was a major sea power and a staging area for the Crusades， as well as a very important center of commerce (especially the spice trade) and art in the Renaissance.
Transportation
Venice is famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of more than 100 islands in a shallowshallow adj.浅的， 浅薄的 lagoon. In the old center， the canals serve the function of roads， and every form of transport is on water or on foot. In the 19th century a causeway to the mainland brought a railroad station to Venice， and an automobile causeway and parking lot was added in the 20th century. Beyond these land entrancesentrance n.入口， 门口， 进入 at the northern edge of the city， transportation within the city remains， as it was in centuries past， entirely on water or on foot. Venice is Europe，s largest carfree area， unique in Europe in remaining a sizable functioning city in the 21st century entirely without motorcarsmotorcar n.汽车 or trucks.
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola， although it is now mostly used for tourists， or for weddings， funerals， or other ceremonies， due to its cost. Most Venetians now travel by motorised waterbuses (“vaporetti”) which ply regular routes along the major canals and between the city，s islands. The city also has many private boats. The only unmotorized gondolasgondola n.狭长小船， 两头尖的平底船， 无盖货车 still in common use by Venetians are the traghetti， foot passenger ferries crossing the Grand Canal at certain points without bridges.
Venice is served by the newly rebuilt Marco Polo International Airport， or Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo， named in honor of its famous citizen. The airport is on the mainlandmainland n.大陆 and was rebuilt away from the coast so that visitors now need to get a bus to the pier， from which watertaxi or Aliliguna waterbus can be used.
Venice is a good choice for a visit in this country. If you are a newcomer to the area or haven，t visited for a while， the information provided on this and related pages will prove invaluable in assisting you to make your holiday or business venture here， as simple as a stroll down your local street back home.
Picturesquepicturesque adj.独特的， quaint， crumbling， romantic Venice swarms with tourists. The canals are polluted and the city is sinking！ However don，t let this deter you as a visit to Venice lives up to all expectations and any romantic notions you may hold. This collection of almost one hundred and twenty islands connected by over four hundred bridges is unlike any other you will ever see.
Decaying or not， is one of the highlightshighlights 拔萃， 集锦(精彩会议文献选辑) of any trip through Italy. It lacks the speeding cars and roaring Vespas of Rome and has a calming effect on all who visit. Here one makes ones way through the city either on foot or by boat and speeding， is hardly a way of life.
Stunning architecture， gondolas and a palatablepalatable adj.美味的 mix of EastWest， this was once a land of inconceivableinconceivable adj.不能想像的， 难以相信的 wealth and power. Today this rich history and cultural past are still very noticeable and there，s plenty to keep the visitor occupied for days.
No matter how many times you have seen it in the movies， the real thing is more surreal than you ever imagined. Its landmarks， the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale are a delight. Sunlight shimmers and silvery mist softens every perspectiveperspective n.透视画法， 透视图， 远景， 前途， 观点， 看法， 观点， 观察 here， a city renowned in the Renaissance for its artists， rendering of colour. It is full of secrets， ineffably romantic， andat timesgiven over entirely to pleasure.
Although Venice is one of the world，s most enchanting cities， visitors do pay a price， literally and figurativelyfiguratively adv.比喻地， 象征性地. Many complain about the outrageous costs， which can be double what they are elsewhere in the country.