We loved the romantic gondolas navigating the Grand Canal and the baroque architecture of Venice, Italy. But because our trip coincided with Carnevale di Venezia, the costumes were definitely the main attraction. Even though the February weather was cool and damp, it was a small sacrifice to experience the surreal world of Venice Italy during Carnevale.
Take a Romantic Cruise on the Grand Canal in a Gondola
Beautiful Venice, Italy. Even an overcast day was picturesque.
The simple curves of the gondola reminded me of the waves themselves.
Along the piers, a row of gondolas awaited.
This gold and red gondola seemed suitable for royalty. (Now that’s traveling in style!)
A dapper gondolier ushered one of many flat-bottomed boats through the Canal Grande with ease.
Seriously, what could be more romantic than a gondola ride through Venice, Italy?
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Admire Beautiful Baroque Architecture in Venice
There was no shortage of architectural beauty along the Grand Canal or throughout Venice.
Behold, the beautiful baroque exterior of Santa Maria della Salute (Our Lady of Health). Salute!
Layers of paint and resurfacing eroded to reveal textures of years gone by. If only walls could talk…
Experience Saint Mark’s Square
Saint Mark’s Cathedral was as ornate as cake frosting…such amazing craftsmanship!
The Lion of Saint Mark overlooked the Piazza San Marco from high upon the clock tower, a renaissance artifact filled with meaningful symbols. (Do you recognize it from the Da Vinci Code movie sequel, Inferno starring Tom Hanks?)
Friendly pigeons surprised a visitor to St. Mark’s Square!
Find Delicious Italian Food to Eat in Venice
This is the best kind of window-shopping as far as I’m concerned…decisions, decisions.
Al fresco dining was a welcome option after a touring the area by foot.
Delicious sandwich combinations on fresh-made ciabatta made a satisfying lunch. This one is pancetta, pickles, and provolone. Yum! (Related Article: Authentic Tuscan Cuisine)
Be Wowed by Costumes in Venice Italy During Carnevale!
Colorful masks were everywhere in Venice. This one’s a bit sinister!
This mysterious woman wore an ornate mask and jewels that compliment her beauty. (Related Article: Fashionable Florence)
An interesting character at Carnevale di Venezia was guarding…his heart?
Completely hidden beneath gold and white, this masquerader remained an elegant mystery.
These two colorful Carnevale enthusiasts reminded me of Mad Hatters.
Butterflies in whimsical motion adorned this colorful costume.
Finally, the woman in blue. She was just stunning! Carnevale in Venice Italy…you gotta try it. It’s surreal!
Decide Which is Your Favorite Costume
I’d love to know which costume is your favorite. Let me know in the comments, below.
If you enjoyed this photo gallery of Venice, Italy, we invite you to follow Enjoy Travel Life on Instagram to see more photos from around the world.
Jackie Gately is a seasoned travel writer, photographer, and marketing consultant who is passionate about travel. She loves casual-luxury experiences, coastal getaways, cultural attractions, and local, wholesome food and wine pairings. A perfect day ends with her toes in the sand or by chasing the sunset with her camera--ideally both.
What a great time! I would love to experience this in Venice one day – all the masks look so beautiful! Too bad they had to cancel some of it this year!
I would love to visit Venice during carnival. So sad that they are stopping it this year because of the coronoavirus. I learnt a lot about what all the masks mean when I was last in Venice. So interesting. I think the butterfly costume is my favourite.
Wow! As if I didn’t already want to go to Venice, now this makes me want to go even more. I’ll bet it was pretty busy during this festival though, right? Was it worth the crowds?
There weren’t as many crowds as you might think, Melanie! We were staying in Florence and made a day trip of it (via train), so weren’t worried about finding or affording accommodations during Carnevale, which I hear can be tricky. (It may be more crowded in July and August when the weather is warm.) We found it was a great time to visit Venice…I definitely recommend it!
Venice is beautiful and romantic, and to visit it during the carnival must’ve been one awesome experience, I can imagine! Those costumes are amazing, I especially love the last one, the blue one. When I visited, it wasn’t during the carnival so I wasn’t lucky to see so many people in these costumes but I did see a lot of Venetian mask shops on the streets and absolutely loved them. I wanted to pick up a few but I didn’t know what I’d do with them 😀 Lovely pictures!
Thank you, Medha! The blue masquerader is one of my favorites, too. We planned our vacation around visiting my friend’s daughter who was studying abroad, and didn’t even realize our trip was during the carnival. At first, I was concerned it would be over-crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was so fun to see such beautiful costumes!
Aww it is my DREAM to go to Ave ice during the carnival. We went over the summer and loved Venice. You captured a lot of a Venice’s beauty in your photos. I love the photo of the two women in pink top hats!
Venice is somewhere I would love to tick off my list at some point and I’m sure being there during the carnival really added to it’s charm (I’ll have to make sure to go around the same time) My favourite would be the all white costume, it does have an air of mystery to it 😀 – By the way your pictures are amazing, really enticing 😀
I appreciate your kind words about my photography, Amit. The all white costume is a great one! The weather at the end of February was about 50F/10C, so it was comfortable, even though we hit an overcast damp day while in Venice. I would do it again! Hope you get a chance to visit, too.
Venice is a place I would love to go to at whatever time of the year I can manage. But when the ‘carnevale’ is on, to supplement all the gondola, waterway and baroque romance? Now you’re talking! If I had to pick one favourite from the costumes above, it would have to be the rich and intricate Mad Hatter style outfits. Outlandish is good, as is a literary reference!
Ha ha, those Mad Hatters are outlandish! It was a bit surreal, with masqueraders on parade everywhere, birds landing on your arm, and that cake frosting ornamentation topping St. Marks Cathedral. I envisioned Tom Hanks showing up as he did in the DaVinci Code movies (no such luck)! Great place…I’ll be going back for sure.
This photo gallery of Venice is amazing, you’ve really captured the essence of the city, even in the winter. I haven’t visited Venice yet, but hopefully I will one day! x
I love Venice, but have never been for Carnival! (Hope to change that someday!) Your pics are gorgeous. Oh, and I think we have the same taste in window shopping! 😉 🙂
Wow, I have never heard of this, but it looks fun! My favorite costume is the purple dress with pink shiny decorations – there are two people with them on in the picture.
which is my favorite? that is a hard question to answer when it comes to Venice and all of these beautiful photos you showcase. being from New Orleans I’ve always been fascinated with Carnival or Mardi Gras as we call it, so going to Venice to experience a different version of the famous Festival to see those elaborate costumes would probably be my favorite, follow perhaps by riding all of the gondolas through the canals
That would make an interesting contrast, Carnival to Mardi Gras! Both so fun. Thanks for your kind words, Eric. I know you would enjoy Venice during Carnevale!
Well-written post! People need to read more like this one because you give people valuable info!
Thanks, Stratis!
I’m truly enjoying your blog! It’s a very easy on the eyes, too. Superb work!
Thanks, Cory!
What a great time! I would love to experience this in Venice one day – all the masks look so beautiful! Too bad they had to cancel some of it this year!
I know, I was sad to hear about the cancellation this year. The masks and costumes were so magnificent!
I would love to visit Venice during carnival. So sad that they are stopping it this year because of the coronoavirus. I learnt a lot about what all the masks mean when I was last in Venice. So interesting. I think the butterfly costume is my favourite.
That is so sad, Angela… I would love to know the meanings behind the masks; I just loved admiring the creativity! The butterfly costume is a good one.
How fun to visit Venice during carnival. We have been there in October. It wasn’t so colorful but at least it was warmer.
It was really fun, Ania! And not too cold for me to enjoy it: 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wow! As if I didn’t already want to go to Venice, now this makes me want to go even more. I’ll bet it was pretty busy during this festival though, right? Was it worth the crowds?
There weren’t as many crowds as you might think, Melanie! We were staying in Florence and made a day trip of it (via train), so weren’t worried about finding or affording accommodations during Carnevale, which I hear can be tricky. (It may be more crowded in July and August when the weather is warm.) We found it was a great time to visit Venice…I definitely recommend it!
Venice is beautiful and romantic, and to visit it during the carnival must’ve been one awesome experience, I can imagine! Those costumes are amazing, I especially love the last one, the blue one. When I visited, it wasn’t during the carnival so I wasn’t lucky to see so many people in these costumes but I did see a lot of Venetian mask shops on the streets and absolutely loved them. I wanted to pick up a few but I didn’t know what I’d do with them 😀 Lovely pictures!
Thank you, Medha! The blue masquerader is one of my favorites, too. We planned our vacation around visiting my friend’s daughter who was studying abroad, and didn’t even realize our trip was during the carnival. At first, I was concerned it would be over-crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was so fun to see such beautiful costumes!
Aww it is my DREAM to go to Ave ice during the carnival. We went over the summer and loved Venice. You captured a lot of a Venice’s beauty in your photos. I love the photo of the two women in pink top hats!
Weren’t those top hats cool? So detailed! I’ll bet Venice is enchanting in the summer time. Thanks for enjoying my photos.
Venice is somewhere I would love to tick off my list at some point and I’m sure being there during the carnival really added to it’s charm (I’ll have to make sure to go around the same time) My favourite would be the all white costume, it does have an air of mystery to it 😀 – By the way your pictures are amazing, really enticing 😀
I appreciate your kind words about my photography, Amit. The all white costume is a great one! The weather at the end of February was about 50F/10C, so it was comfortable, even though we hit an overcast damp day while in Venice. I would do it again! Hope you get a chance to visit, too.
Venice is a place I would love to go to at whatever time of the year I can manage. But when the ‘carnevale’ is on, to supplement all the gondola, waterway and baroque romance? Now you’re talking! If I had to pick one favourite from the costumes above, it would have to be the rich and intricate Mad Hatter style outfits. Outlandish is good, as is a literary reference!
Ha ha, those Mad Hatters are outlandish! It was a bit surreal, with masqueraders on parade everywhere, birds landing on your arm, and that cake frosting ornamentation topping St. Marks Cathedral. I envisioned Tom Hanks showing up as he did in the DaVinci Code movies (no such luck)! Great place…I’ll be going back for sure.
This photo gallery of Venice is amazing, you’ve really captured the essence of the city, even in the winter. I haven’t visited Venice yet, but hopefully I will one day! x
Thank you, Becca! I hope you do visit – I promise you won’t be disappointed!
I love Venice, but have never been for Carnival! (Hope to change that someday!) Your pics are gorgeous. Oh, and I think we have the same taste in window shopping! 😉 🙂
It was a great time to go, Stefanie. So glad you liked the pics. And, Italian pastry…Mmmmmm!
Wow, I have never heard of this, but it looks fun! My favorite costume is the purple dress with pink shiny decorations – there are two people with them on in the picture.
It was really fun — a photographers’ dream. Those purple costumes were cool. Love the matching hats!
which is my favorite? that is a hard question to answer when it comes to Venice and all of these beautiful photos you showcase. being from New Orleans I’ve always been fascinated with Carnival or Mardi Gras as we call it, so going to Venice to experience a different version of the famous Festival to see those elaborate costumes would probably be my favorite, follow perhaps by riding all of the gondolas through the canals
That would make an interesting contrast, Carnival to Mardi Gras! Both so fun. Thanks for your kind words, Eric. I know you would enjoy Venice during Carnevale!