Gondola Ride

Venice is a very unique city, with a river as its street. Apart from buildings and squares, there is hardly any land in the city. Venice has no roads, no cars, no traffic lights, just winding waterways, boats coming and going, and more than 400 bridges of different styles. Boats are a must-have means of transportation for Venetians. The boats of various households are more characteristic of a small rowing "gondola", which is usually full of 6 people, plus 1 boatman. Gondola cruises are popular with tourists in the area. Gondolas have been a part of Venice since the 11th century AD, and their thin hulls and flat bottoms are ideal for Venice's narrow and shallow canals. The bow is tilted slightly to the left, offsetting the weight of the oars and preventing the gondola from spinning in circles. According to a law enacted in 1562, all gondolas were to be painted black to prevent people from showing off their wealth. Only on special occasions gondolas can be decorated as flower boats.