Grand Canal Venice is the main water thoroughfare in this romantic city in northern Italy. As its name indicates, it is the largest and most important of all the canals in a city filled with many canals and waterways. If you are planning a trip to Venice, you will certainly become familiar with the Grand Canal and the entire system of canals and toe bridges, as there are no cars allowed in Venice proper.

There are some interesting facts about the Grand Canal. It is approximately 2.5 miles long and averages a depth of about 16 feet. Its width ranges from around 90 to 300 feet and it forms an S shape that winds through the sestieri (or the main districts of Venice). Besides getting to know the relevant facts about the Grand Canal, that at one end the canal empties into the Venetian Lagoon near the Santa Lucia Railway Station and at the other end it flows into St. Mark’s Basin, you should be prepared to get lost along the canals and paths. This is actually the very best way to become more familiar with the city for the next time you return. You should also know there are plenty of Venice hotels near the Grand Canal, as well as a nice selection of restaurants, cafes, bars, and intimate entertainment venues. The Grand Canal Venice meanders through the central part of Venice and provides access to a majority of the most popular attractions including Ca' d'Oro, St. Mark's Basilica, and the Doge's Palace.

As you are searching for Venice hotels near the Grand Canal, you will begin to realize that booking an accommodation in this city is unlike doing so in any other. In most other cities, you do not often have the option of pulling up to the front entrance of your hotel in a gondola or vaporetto (motorboat). This is just as common here as fresh seafood and excellent wine. The Venice hotels near the Grand Canal are more like pages out of storybooks than anything else.

Venice Map

There are over 170 buildings located along the Grand Canal Venice, many of which are the grand palazzi that give tourists a glimpse into the centuries-old tradition of aristocratic families in the city competing for status and local celebrity within the city. Many of the buildings were constructed between the 1200s and 1700s and much of the art was created during the thousand-year existence of the Venetian Republic. Some of the most impressive of all the palazzi that are ensconced along the Grand Canal Venice include Ca’ d’Oro, Ca' Rezzonico, and Ca’ Foscari. One of the other interesting facts about the Grand Canal is that until the nineteenth century there was only one bridge that crossed it, the Rialto Bridge. Now the Ponte degli Scalzi and the Ponte dell’Accademia also cross this fabled canal in Venice.

You are certain to fall in love with most of the Venice hotels near the Grand Canal that you come across, so be prepared to make some difficult decisions. In a city as beautiful as this, it is hard to go wrong with an accommodation along the Grand Canal. Some of the most renowned and beautiful hotels along the Grand Canal in Venice include the Hotel Gritti Palace, the Westin Europa and Regina, and the Hotel Danieli. All of these make fine luxury hotel options both in the heart of the city and along the most famous canal in perhaps all the world.