How often does this happen? Is it seasonal? Do a lot of the attractions close at that time? Thanks.

Unless it's a unusually high water condition "attractions", better known as churches, stores and restaurants don't close. You will see wooden walkways erected in some areas to help keep your feet dry. Some businesses have removable barricades that you can step over to prevent water coming thru the open doorway. It is seasonal, and I'm thinking it's more prevelent in the fall and winter but not sure. It ususally lasts only a few hours then the waters recede.

Seasonal and mainly in fall and winter i believe but can happen anytime. Often happens around a full moon i read. Yes catwalks are set up but these must be very crowded in tourist season.
As they say Venice is sinking under the weight of tourism.
The floods are just one reason Venice is becoming a museum town as more and more residents flee to permanent dwellings on the mainland, where they can park their cars by the residences and not have to worry about wading around. And the fact that rich folk are buying up houses and pushing real estate prices sky high helps the depopulation. I've read only about 40,000 real residents now in Venice proper - Mestre across the lagoon has become the de facto Venice it seems.

A very bad and rare one can closes "attractions" as such.

http://tinyurl.com/r5o6k
2nd of December 2005

Some streets near Piazza San Marco and Piazza itself that are the lowest part of Venice Island had water of 60 cm high! Thinking back, I have to say I had fun.

Yes, usually autumn and winter thing.

Why do you ask now? Have you heard problems with flooding in Venice lately? Or have you heard it's predicted to come soon? I'll be there mid-May, so I hope not!

Thanks for your responses. I was just curious. Heard it mentioned and didnt know much about it. I'm going there in August.

kappa, interesting pix. Did you buy those boots (like the pink ones) or were they provided by the hotel?

Wow, kappa, it looks like the kind of thing that would be memorable but get old really quick. These are the first pics I've seen of acqua alta --great ones too--now I know what to picture in my mind. Glad we're not going in fall/winter though.

We were in Venice a few weeks ago and the Gondolier told us that November is the month that is the most common time for Acqua Alta.

Even if you are going in autum/winter, you will have to be really "lucky" to meet a big one like this. So MaureenB you will most probably not have my "luck" if you are going NOW. Most of my trip to Venice I did it between November and March and it took me 8 trips to get this one. I have had minor ones though.

Since it was an exceptional one, there was a siren to warn people around 5-6 am. I went out of hotel about 9:00 and met this. My hotel was in Cannaregio but very close to Rialto. Water got higher as I got closer to Piazza San Marco. That was some scene, shops and hotel reception floors with about 15 cm water even if they are pumping it out with machine but it was basically gone by 14:00-15:00, even this bad one. I saw a few dead pigeons (and one mouse)floating. Piazza San Marco underwater yet sky sunny and so blue. That was surreal in a sense.

Those plastic boots are sold everywhere at shops and by street vendors when acqua alta happens. I bought a such pair, unfortunately a rather dull whitish/transparent ones and not those shiny pink, green, yellow ones. They costed like 10-13 Euro and not that solid. After a few hours of walk in the water, one of mines got a hole somewhere(but I walked a lot). Hotels seem to have more solid willie type of boots to lend to their guests, limited number of them though.

kappa, thanks! Venice is surreal to me anyway but that sounds amazing. I love the pictures.

Let's see if this link works. Here's 10 images of acqua alta from Dec. 04

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...share&Ux=0

Sandi, this may be the same day. I'm not so sure if mine was 2nd of Dec BUT it was Saturday. Was the 4th fo Dec, Saturday?

No actually it was right after Christmas

I'm not sandi, but yes, the 4th of December was a Saturday.

I think he was wondering if my images were taken on the same day that he was referring to.

sandi, that's what I thought but just wanted to give him the answer for his question. I wanted to see your pix but have not signed onto the Kodak site. Guess I need to

you should be able to just click on the link and not have to sign into anything.

Gomiki, thanks, so it was Saturday December 4th where I was at Piazza San Marco wearing those funny plastic boots.

Oh, I know it was my misunderstanding. Sandi wrote Dec.04 and I took it for December the 4th.

sandi, thanks, yes I can see them...didn't read far enough...while it looks interesting I was blessed to go last May when the wisteria was blooming