Patrick Neubrunn has been a Locaboat customer since the 1980s and is a real fan of canal and river cruising. The trip that took his fancy this time was to Venice. A really different experience.
I’ve always liked messing about in boats, whether at sea or on inland waterways. It was in the 1980s that I stumbled across Locaboat, almost by accident. And I have to say that Locaboat really was a pioneer in its field back then. There were very few companies offering boating holidays. As we had young children, my wife and I wanted to try out holidays that were a bit different but also peaceful. And we all loved it. As the years went by and the children grew up, my wife and I continued to be faithful customers and I think we’ve had at least 25 boating holidays since then!
Two years ago, we both decided that we’d like to explore Venice by boat. It was such a fantastic experience that we did it again the next year with some friends. Venice is really an unusual kind of trip. For one thing, unlike traditional inland waterway cruising, you’re on the lagoon, almost on the sea. The base is located in Chioggia, a few kilometres from the town. In the distance, you can see La Serenissima and you can cruise straight down to the Piazza San Marco. Admittedly, you can’t cruise on the small canals or on the Grand Canal, but you can land more or less anywhere else and also in the small marinas provided for this purpose.
What’s surprising is that there are boats just about everywhere in Venice: everything happens on the water; there are fishing-boats and every imaginable sort of craft. It’s really exciting. However, you do have to follow the channels properly and read the charts very carefully! But it’s a completely different way of exploring this gem of a city. Cruising along the Lido, landing on Burano, the lace island, or on Murano, the island of the glass blowers, or La Giudecca, just opposite San Marco: these are extraordinary experiences. Then falling asleep in the heart of Venice after an evening at La Fenice watching an opera: what could be more wonderful?
