Outskirts of Venice, Marco Polo Airport
- Arriving in Venice: Tronchetto Island, Piazzale Roma, Ponte della Libertà, Constitutuion Bridge:
When people think of Venice, they mostly think of the many islands that create the historical center, Centro Storico, with Canal Grande in the middle. But there are many more islands surrounding the city center, for example Giudecca, where Basilica Redentore and the Hiton Molino Stucky hotel is),and San Giorgio Maggiore, where the large church with the same name is. On the mainland is the borough of Mestre, that is almost like a city in itself and has more inhabitants then central Venice. Mestre has both an old and a modern part, many people stay there since accomodation is much cheaper then in central Venice. The 81m high tower called Hybrid, Venice 2nd tallest building, was built in Mestre in 2016.
To the North of the central city is the island Murano with its colourful residential buildings. To the East is very thin narrow island Lido di Venezia were ships enter the lagoon. On Lido is the 5-star Hotel Excelsior and it is filled with beaches. From Mestre on the mainland very modern trams goes to Piazzale Roma on the islands.
We arrived by bus from Rijeka, Croatia, that drove on the bridge with the only way and railway to central Venice, Ponte della Libertà (Liberty Bridge). The bus stopped at the bus garage in the outskirts, Tronchetto Island, were most people park. The island was created in 1960 for people who arrive in vehicles, since they can't carry them to the historical center. There is a futuristic people mover at the Tronchetto station with elevated driverless trains, that takes you to the cruise ship terminal or the center, the station has a design that resemble Santiago Calatrava’s structures. The “people mover” took us to Piazzale Roma, a neglect quite dull square, but is located on the central islands. There we had lunch so we could focus completey on sightseeing from there. From Piazzale Roma that is the last place where you see cars, there is a curvy futuristic bridge, Constitution Bridge, or Ponte di Calatrava, that was actually designed by Santiago Calatrava himself. The bridge leads to the magic Centro Storico, that is a totally different world. The bridge had its share of problems, it can be slippery in the winter and the glass floor has been cracked on many places.
Approaching Venice by bus: Highway, Ponte della Libertà, Tronchetto Island, People mover, Piazzale Roma, Constitution Bridge
Venice Marco Polo Airport:
Marco Polo is Venice's main international airport and is situated on the mainland, near the village of Tessera. It is situated about halfway between central Venice and Mestre and is the 4th busiest airport in Italy. It was inaugurated in 1960 and was named for the famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
