jbee

I have some questions on the Historical Regatta happening this year on Sept. 5th in Venice...

First, I found times where the parade begins at 4:30 PM followed by the various regattas. Does this sound correct?

Second, I thought I had read somewhere that you could buy a guaranteed seat for the event. If so, does anyone have information on the price, location, and how to purchase? Is it a good idea to do this or is there room to sit on the edge of the Grand Canal? I don't want to stand for 3-4 hours on the Accademia bridge...

Any additional information or tips on this event would be great! Here's the website where I found the times, etc: http://www.turismovenezia.it/eng/dyn...1&ID=15719

jbee

ttt... Anyone?

elaine

HI
I haven't seen this but a friend of mine did last year. He did have as good a seat as one can have I think, in a private balcony right over the Grand Canal. His opinion was that the boats on the canal were small and still pretty far away and hard to see, it was a lot of color, but at a distance. The streets were of course very crowded. Perhaps a "view from the bridge" would actually be better. He's not sorry he saw it, but wouldn't plan around it. He's been to Venice at Carnevale and found that more special and colorful. Just one viewpoint.

jbee

Thanks for the reply, Elaine. (BTW- your Venice file is awesome!! It's been instrumental in our planning...) That helps, because we didn't really want to stay through all the regattas. I'm more interested in the openening parade only, so maybe a view more by the beginning of the procession would make it easier to get away. Unless your friends' private balcony is available...

DickPatterson

I was there for the regatta last year, but I still can't answer all your questions. I did see some places with tables and chairs set up, and some with just chairs, that you needed a ticket for, but I don't remember exactly where they were or how you can get a ticket. Maybe they were available right there on the day of the regatta, but I don't know. Some people lined up along the Grand Canal starting at about noon, but it didn't get serious until around 3 P.M. That's when I found my place on the quay across from the train station, with my legs dangling over the GC. I was certainly close enough to the boats that they didn't seem small or far away. It took almost an hour for the boats to reach the train station, so I got quite a tan sitting in the sun.

I thought there were supposed to be races after the procession, but the crowd dispersed after the procession, and I didn't see any races. That is not to say that they didn't take place.

There were many signs saying it is forbidden to stand on any of the bridges during the regatta, and the police seemed to encourage people to keep moving, except that once the regatta started, they stopped doing that, and there were hundreds of people watching it from the bridges. It would be better to see it from a bridge, but, technically, it is forbidden.

It was enjoyable and worth seeing, but I agree that it's not something to build a trip around (even though that's what I did).

jbee

Dick- Thanks as well! That was very informative and helps solidify the idea of sitting further down the line instead of braving the crowds around San Marco. We're staying near the Ca 'd Oro, so we'll probably just grab a seat around there somehwere. We just happen to be arriving in Venice in the morning, so being in the right place at the right time is just a happy accident!