Venice
This is the beautiful Venice, city of canals. Venice is built on more than a hundred islands in a shallow lagoon, with the canals serving the function of roads - every form of transport is on water or on foot. In fact, Venice is Europe’s largest car-free zone, unique in Europe in remaining a sizeable functioning city in the 21st century entirely without cars or trucks.
I can’t spot any gondolas from up here though, can you?
In our next thumbnails we’re also featuring St. Mark’s Basilica (you can also see the bell-tower) and the Rialto Bridge. St. Mark’s Basilica overlooks the Piazza San Marco (you know, that square with all the pigeons that’s in all the movies), and the Rialto Bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge which crosses Venice’s Grand Canal. There’s heaps of info over at Wikipedia, and there’s tons of good ground level photos there too 
Thanks: Philip R, morinox, Drew Mills, Andy Kaplan-Myrth, Daniel, Troy Fuqua, GS, Simon Sutcliffe, Bennet Langlotz, Michele, Jan Fabry, jupap7, Martin Willey, Thomas, Mike Krus, Kevin, Ben Singleton, TROY, ray hollis, Vaclav Papousek, Jens Kilian, Bryan Robson, Frederic Argazzi, Max, David Fink and James Edmunds.
This is truly a beautiful city. I was there for a day (You can easily see it in a day) and went to all those places. The rivers are dirty as hell but the gondolas are just so so pretty and they make a good romantic trip (even the police and ambulance use gondolas). The neat thing about the city is the fact that in some places the street is just one person deep and you have to wait to let people in. As well, everything is incredibly small and they have all these really cool shops. Another really cool thing is to look at the people who live in the city because their apartments are so small. St Mark’s Basilica is one of the most interesting churches I have been inside. The entire ceiling is made of tiny mosaic tiles that would have taken years and years to build. Also, the plaza outside is the famous pigeon one and it truly is amusing. When I was there people where getting covered in pigeons. As well, I don’t think this was mentioned in the post but Venice is flooded quite a bit so through out the city they have these raised platforms which people walk on to get to where they are going.
What is this thing off the the west, just straddling the hi-res/low-res boundary?
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
It looks like three lanes of asphalt. Is it the roof of a large building? Or a small airport? Or a giant shuffleboard court?
I lost Venice whilst looking about, but cam across this, does anyone know what it is. soem sort of zib zag pattern looks to be underwater. Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
MrWhipple: It looks like train tracks. Might that be the station?
MrWhipple, I think what you are seeing is a train station. Zoom out, and in the low-res area, you can see what I think is a double set of tracks going to the mainland.
It is indeed the Santa Lucia train station in Venice. I spent three days in Venice, and walked by the train station.
Gondolas plenty you will see indeed, parked in front of Piazza San Marco:
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
They are all partly covered with some sort of blue protection:
http://www.retygallery.com/photo/5017
http://anaproy.homeip.net/~unilang/albums/veneto/venedig2.sized.jpg
http://www.settimocorso.it/images/Crociera%202004/Piazza%20san%20marco.jpg
I’m sure Placemark: these / Google Earth and Placemark: these / Google Earth are Gondolas
Jimmyjojojr; that is Isola Santa Cristina. First inhabited by Benedictine Monks in 1352. They stayed for 100 years. More recently, the buildings had fallen into disrepair, but an effort to restore is ongoing - including levees to prevent further subsidence. I believe they are Peach orchards, though my italian is not good. Ref:1, 2.
To Luke “(You can easily see it in a day)”
Yeah, and you could do the whole of North America the next day?
maybe he is a fast walker
The zig zag - could be fishing net?
Is it true that the city was founded my Roman refugees fleeing from the Huns?
Venice is made like a fish!
Placemark: Google Maps / Google Earth
I can see my flat from the space!!!
I can see walkin’ people
I am italian and i see Venice is truly a beautiful city
I’m Italian…Venice…wonderful
i’ve some photos of Venice on:
http://www.matteodartclub.it
I live near Venice…my city is Padova =)
I come from Verona, city of juliet & Romeo!
http://www.phpbb-thunder.com